I see a lot of belt tragedies out there in my everyday life. So let’s get this settled once and for all and show you what size belt to buy. This will ensure we never have to talk or think about it ever again!

What Size Belt To Buy?

This is pretty straight-forward. Take your pants waist size and simply buy the next size up from that.

So if you’re a 34″ waist, buy a 36″ belt.

This will leave the perfect amount of belt left and won’t look too short or too long. See my graphics below for how your dress and casual belts should look while you’re wearing them.

The Proper Width & Lengths Of Your Belts

I talked about this in my Essential Belts story, but I’ll reiterate here, as well.

Dress Belts

You want the width to stay as near to 1.5″ as possible. Anything wider will be more bulky and is considered more casual. Anything slimmer than that is a woman’s or a fashion belt and that’s not what we’re going for here. Even though the width is only slightly smaller than a casual belt, it makes a huge difference in appearance. Compare this picture of a guy wearing a wider belt as a dress belt compared to the image of my model. Night and day, in my eyes even though it’s only about half an inch difference.

Casual Belts

Have your casual belt somewhere between 1 3/4 – 2″ wide. Anything more than that is too wide and will look out of place. Slimmer than that looks more like a dress belt.

The Best Mens Belts To Own

Check out my Men’s Wardrobe Essentials – Best Dress & Casual Belts story for details about my favorite belts that every man should own.