Buckle and Belt

[artificer]

The question is whether the buckle is upside down or whether you have just been wearing your belt incorrectly

The traditional way for a man to do up his belt is for the buckle to be on the RIGHT side of the waist and the non buckle end of the belt to be on the left. That way any leather "overhang" would appear on the right hand side of the waist where it would not interfere with the drawing of a sword which might get tangled up if the belt were worn the other way around. This applies, of course, to those who are right handed with left handed users reversing that

These days many men have become accustomed to wearing their trouser belts the wrong way round. It is fairly universal fashion and does not matter in the slightest because we no longer carry or rely on swords. But where we have a problem is with something like a kilt belt. If it is designed to do up the traditional way then whenever we attach a buckle that is not a mirror design (i.e. can only be correct one way up) we THINK it is upside down

I hope that makes some sense

It's quite odd that garrison (Sam Browne) belts have their extra material off to the left as well. They were designed to support both holster (traditionally on the right) as well as sword (on the left).

I wonder when the tradition flipped? Certainly by 1852 when Browne first developed his belt, unless he was wildly eccentric, which seems unlikely given the belts later adoption by the British Army, colonial armies, and later services and police forces.

I'd love more info on this odd flip of orientation if anyone has it.

ith: