From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A belt is a flexible band, typically made of leather or heavy cloth, and worn around the waist.
A belt supports trousers or other articles of clothing, and it serves for style and decoration.
Historically, a belt was also used by educators for spanking children, and by masters for spanking servants. This use has mostly declined in the Western world, as it is viewed as too barbaric and uncontrollable, a form of corporal punishment.
Description
At one end of the belt is a belt buckle that is fashioned onto the other end of the belt. The other end of the belt contains several holes, into which a prong (which is part of the buckle) is inserted into it for the purpose of securing the belt. Sometimes, there is a clamp system so that no holes are needed. In Western civilizations, men usually insert the belt through the pant loops in a counter-clockwise manner (as if looking upon from above), while women tend to insert the belt through the pant loops in a clockwise direction.
Since belts must be drawn tightly around the waist in order to hold up the pants, they may be less comfortable than suspenders, which allow trousers to hang loosely about the body.
History
Belts have been documented both for male and female clothing since the Bronze Age. Both sexes used them off and on, depending on the current fashion, but it was a rarity in female fashion with the exception of the early Middle Ages, late 17th century Mantua and skirt/blouse combinations between 1900 and 1910. Art Nouveau belt buckles are nowadays collector's items.
In modern times, men started wearing belts in the 1920s, as trouser waists fell to a lower, natural line. Before the 1920s, belts served mostly a decorative purpose, and were associated with the military. Today, most men wear a belt with their pants; women tend to wear them for more decorative functions.
Trivia
- On April 15, 1984, British comedian and svarlet magician Tommy Cooper collapsed from a massive heart attack midway through his act. It was the only time throughout his entire career that he had appeared on stage without wearing a belt.
- Blackburn Rovers Football Club were the only English Football Association team to play wearing belts. However, this practice had to end in 1993 when Blackburn were promoted to the recently formed Premier League which forbade the wearing of belts for safety reasons. It was claimed that the buckle was a potential cause of injury.
Variants
- One specialized type of belt is the utility belt or duty belt, which includes pockets for carrying items that the wearer needs for prompt use and loops to hang larger items. Police officers, soldiers, and repair personnel are typical roles which use this kind of belt. A famous fictional example is Batman's utility belt.
- The sash is another variant of the belt, generally decorative or even ceremonial.
- A cummerbund is a belt-like decorative garment worn about the waist.
- A common sight in fantasy and roleplaying characters is the excessive use of belts in all different sizes on one's person. Usually they are used either for securing clothing and armor, but others just have several belts around the arms, legs, neck, waist, hips, and across the chest for decoration. Sometimes they are used in place of eyepatches or to decorate weapons.
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