Disappearing belt loops

June 29, 2011 7:18 AM

Why do my belt loops keep wearing off? And how can I prevent it?

On all my dress pants, my back 2-3 belt loops keep wearing out from the outside in. I tend not to buy nice pants any more as I know is 4-6 months, they will be trash. I've taken then to some tailors to see if they can repair and usually they can't.

I believe it may be either the way I sit in chairs, or possibly my backpack.

Anyone ever experience this and solve it?

posted by patrad to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (11 answers total)

I'm going with your backpack, as it will swing a bit with every step. Unless you wiggle a lot in chairs, or sit on rough wooden benches often, I don't think they'd wear down cloth in a specific spot.

When do you wear your backpack with dress pants? If you're walking or biking to work, you could give yourself a bit of extra time and wear casual clothes and change at work. Or you could see about getting a backpack with a waist strap, which will provide added support, and should greatly reduce the shifting back and forth.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:36 AM on June 29, 2011

Do you wear your backpack with both straps, or just by one? If just by one, I'd expect it'd wear out the belt loops on the side you wear your backpack on.
posted by xingcat at 7:42 AM on June 29, 2011

If your backpack is touching your belt loops, I might suggest you are either wearing your pants too high or, more likely, your backpack too low.

A picture of the damage would help.
posted by griphus at 7:46 AM on June 29, 2011

Lose about half of what's in your backpack and put the rest in a messenger bag.
posted by mhoye at 7:52 AM on June 29, 2011

My belt loops wear out in predictable places, too. The two side-back ones because that's where I grab to hitch them up when my butt starts to fall out, and the side-front ones because I'm at the exact right height to catch on ADA doorknobs while walking. I solve this by trying to make a concerted effort to hitch my pants up by the waistband rather than the loops, and by not hugging the wall so close when walking through buildings. (That last one's not just for the sake of the belt loops. Turns out you look like a total dork when you get stuck on a door.)
posted by phunniemee at 7:57 AM on June 29, 2011 [1 favorite]

If you're cycling to work, then do your back and your trousers a favour and buy some panniers!
posted by pharm at 7:58 AM on June 29, 2011

Is there any chance you are wearing a belt that is too wide or thick for the belt loops? If you have to force the belt through the loops, that will put stress on them. It can make them protrude outward, where they can be susceptible to abrasion.

Another idea: how do your pants fit? If the rise of your pants is too short, then the belt at your waist could be pulling up on the loops and putting stress on them. That would normally show up as stress where the loops are attached to the pants, though.
posted by cabingirl at 8:00 AM on June 29, 2011

My belt loops do the same thing, it took me a while to figure it out, but it was from my messenger bag.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 8:17 AM on June 29, 2011

Jeep Wranglers have a really poorly designed door latch that is perfectly placed to tear the side belt loops off every pair of pants I own. (Both sides because sometimes I drive and sometimes my wife drives.)
posted by Bango Skank at 8:27 AM on June 29, 2011

Response by poster: I'm going to go with the backpack. I wear it all the time even in business casual when travelling. I think hitching it higher is a good idea and possibly fixing the chest strap.
posted by patrad at 3:40 PM on June 30, 2011

You can quickly tell how much your backpack rubs on your pants by putting your hands on your backpack where it meets your pants, and start walking. I did that this morning, and noticed that my pants would be rubbed there, too. You could attach some less abrasive cloth to that part of your backpack, if hitching it higher feels uncomfortable.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:22 PM on July 1, 2011