Why our belts are 1.2 inches wide (and why that number wasn't an accident)

Nobody dreams of writing a blog post about belt width. But we've gotten this question enough times — in emails, in reviews, in DMs from people considering their first order — that it feels worth explaining properly instead of typing the same reply over and over.

So here's the story.

We didn't start at 1.2"

When we first designed the Loops belt, we went with 1.5". That's the standard men's width you'll find on pretty much any belt in a department store, and it felt like the safe default. We ordered samples, we wore them around, we shipped a small first batch to friends and family, and everybody said the same thing: looks great, feels great, done deal.

Then women started asking if they could buy one.

That's when things got complicated. A women's belt is usually closer to 1" wide — sometimes narrower, depending on the loops on the jeans. Our 1.5" version didn't fit through most women's belt loops at all. It just wouldn't go.

We had two options. We could keep the 1.5" as our men's belt and design a separate 1" version for women, doubling our inventory and our production costs before we'd even hit our first thousand customers. Or we could find one width that worked for both.

We went with option two.

How we landed on 1.2"

We ordered samples at 1.0", 1.1", 1.2", 1.3", and 1.4". Then we did something extremely low-tech: we asked a bunch of people to try them on with whatever jeans, chinos, or dresses they were wearing that day, and we watched to see what actually threaded through the loops and what looked right once it was on.

1.4" was too wide for most women's jeans. 1.0" looked skinny on men and got lost against a heavier pant. 1.1" and 1.3" were fine but neither was clearly the best. 1.2" was the one that consistently worked — it fit through women's belt loops without a fight, it didn't look dainty on men, and it sat well against both a slim chino and a heavier work pant.

So that became the width.

Is 1.2" going to be our only width forever? No.

We know 1.2" isn't perfect for everyone. If you're used to a chunkier belt with a bigger buckle, our current width might feel a touch narrow. That feedback is fair, and we hear it.

Here's the honest answer on what comes next: we're a young brand. Right now every decision we make is a tradeoff between the products we want