Which way do you put your belt on? Clockwise or counterclockwise?

[JLibourel]

For many years I wore my belts clockwise. I think this came from always having been dressed by my mother as a little boy, my father having been killed at the outbreak of WWII, a few months before I was born. Now, I always wear my belt counterclockwise. The military prescription--and I think this applies equally well on civvy street--is to have the right edges of the belt buckle, the shirt placket and the trouser fly all in perfect alignment.

 

[J'aimelescravates]

Counterclockwise
always

 

[Bradford]

Originally Posted by grimslade

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread...belt+clockwise

Wow, I had completely forgotten that thread.

Anyways, still counter for me.

 

[coogie]

I thought it was very well known women wore it clockwise and men wore it counter

 

[GeorgePaul]

On my trousers that have mini-loops, the mini-loop is on the left, meaning that in order for the buckle to be centered with the tang through the loop, the belt should be put in counter-clockwise.

 

[0b5cur1ty]

When I came across this thread yesterday, I was surprised there seemed to be such a consensus on counter-clockwise being correct for men. I have always worn my belts clockwise - no idea why and have never noticed it or had it commented upon. Yet, sitting in our meeting room with about 10 other men this evening I noticed that, indeed, everyone else there had their belt on counter-clockwise.

Maybe this is my feminine side showing? I have no plans to change my belt wearing habits in any case.

 

[Nantucket Red]

As a kid, I used to put my belt in clockwise, but probably before my teens someone told me that counter-clockwise was correct for men, and I got in the habit without ever giving it a second thought.

 

[Bradford]

I wonder if it matters which side of the equator you are on? Could it be like the way water swirls in different directions? Of course that might mean that people on the equator in Panama would have to wear suspenders

 

[Lyon Burke]

fusherino's got logic. right-handed ones would go for counter, unless your belt buckle is on the left (when you 're holding it).

my first post!

 

[knittieguy]

Originally Posted by Eustace Tilley

I'm surprised that no one on this forum has set up a poll asking members which way they dress

What's kind of sad is that so few American men use a proper tailor that most men probably don't even know what this means anymore. As you know, it's not about belts. I recall when I was a teenager getting my first suit with my Dad and the tailor at BB asked which side I "dressed" on and I had no idea what he was talking about. "It's where you keep the family jewels," my Dad explained.

 

[pclldo]

Didn't belts only become widely popular after the first World War, among returning troops who found them convenient or comfortable and adopted them for civilian dress? It may just be a case of men wearing their belts counterclockwise for no other reason than that it was the way they were first exposed to them while in the military, and they simply kept at it, and made it a "rule".

This specific point may have been covered in the other thread referenced, but isn't the counterclockwise tradition some kind of lingering throwback to dressing conventions for carrying a saber, like men's jackets and trousers still buttoning left over right? I had always understood this be some vestigal effort to make it easier to draw a sword from left to right (presuming most men were righthanded).

It doesnt' seem to make much sense if you think about it, but a lot of conventions in male clothing do seem to have had their origins in military uniforms, and have no other function now other than always being done that way- not that that's a valid reason to keep doing it now, of course.

 

[Pylon]

Counter-clockwise. The Air Force has men wear the belt counter-clockwise and I believe women wear it clockwise. In my early days I wore my belt clockwise... having someone point that out to me one of the first times I wore blues, I quickly changed it to counter and have since carried that over to my civilian clothes, too.

 

[MaxJones]

Counter.

Coming from a part of the country where men used to carry sidearms, I wonder if historically men wouldn't just wear their belts so that the belt's excess pointed away from the trigger-hand. I'd think this might be part of the equation for military men as well, i.e. officers.

 

[garmentmerchant]

counter clockwise. Your shirt placket should line up with your pants placket and should line up with the right side of your buckle. Military refer to it as a "gig" line

 

[82-Greg]

CCW.

Drilled into me at military college. Belt goes in the left and the the edge of the belt buckle, the placket of the shirt and the line of the trousers fly cover align down the approximate center of the body in a gig line.

Demerits will be handed out to those improperly aligned. Inspection in 5 minutes!

And get a haircut too!