Belt Accessories
Our military belt accessories are the parts that keep a uniform tight and in place: buckles, tips, keepers, webbing, shirt stays, suspenders and blousing straps. They're cheap to replace and easy to lose, so it makes sense to keep a few spares in your kit.
Here's what you'll find:
- Buckles and tips – the G.I. Type Web Belt Buckle and Tip Pack, open face and black open face web belt buckles, a brass web belt buckle, buckles with the USMC emblem, military web belt tips and a 2" triple retention buckle.
- Keepers and webbing – the Enhanced Belt Keepers and a 4-piece belt keeper set to hold gear and loose belt ends in place, plus Rothco belt webbing by the length for repairs and DIY projects.
- Blousing and shirt stays – Rothco Blousing Garters and Blousing Garter Straps, Y-style, stirrup style and standard shirt stays, and the Hero's Pride Shirt Tailor rubber belt that keeps a tucked shirt from creeping up.
- Suspenders and mini belts – Combat Suspenders, adjustable elastic X-back pant suspenders and mini pistol belts.
The blousing garters use elastic with an adjustable hook-and-loop closure, so one pair fits a wide range of boot and leg sizes.
A note for service members: DA PAM 670-1, paragraph 4-9, allows combat trousers to be bloused with the drawstrings or with commercial blousing devices, as long as the blouse sits no lower than the third eyelet from the top of the boot. Keep reading for how belt accessories fit the uniform rules and how to choose the right ones.
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How to Choose Belt Accessories
Most belt accessories solve one of three problems: the buckle or tip wore out, the uniform won't stay put, or gear needs more support than a belt alone can give. Pick by the problem.
Web Belt Buckles and Tips
A GI web belt is just webbing, a buckle and a tip. If the buckle is scratched or the tip is lost, replace the part and keep the belt. Match the buckle width to your webbing, since buckles made for wider belts won't grip narrower webbing. Choose the finish by use: brass and polished buckles for dress belts, black open face buckles for low-shine field and casual wear, and emblem buckles for display and gifts.
Belt Keepers
Keepers hold the loose end of a belt flat or lock a duty belt to an inner belt so it doesn't shift when you run or climb. Use enough to keep the belt from rotating. Four is a common set for a duty rig.
Blousing Garters and Straps
Blousing garters wrap around the leg at the boot top. Tuck the trouser hem up and under the band to get a clean, even blouse. Elastic garters with hook-and-loop closures adjust to different calves and boot heights. Straps are a slimmer option that some people find easier to set evenly.
Shirt Stays and Shirt Tailor Belts
Shirt stays clip to your shirt tail and to your socks, holding a tucked shirt smooth all day. Y-style stays clip at more points, stirrup style stays loop under the foot, and straight stays are the simplest. A rubber shirt tailor belt works from the waist instead, gripping the shirt so it stays tucked without clips.
Suspenders and Mini Pistol Belts
Combat suspenders spread the weight of a loaded pistol belt across your shoulders. Elastic X-back pant suspenders hold up trousers when a belt isn't practical.
Belt Accessories and Military Uniform Regulations
Blousing Rules in DA PAM 670-1
Paragraph 4-9 says combat uniform trousers are worn buttoned and with a belt, and tucked into the boots or bloused using the drawstrings or commercial blousing devices. The legs have to be long enough to blouse over the boot, the bloused edge can't fall below the third eyelet from the top of the boot, and the trouser leg can't be wrapped so tight that it looks pegged. Commercial blousing garters fit that description, but they should be hidden under the blouse.
Buckles on Uniform Belts
DA PAM 670-1 paragraph 20-3 pairs the tan 499 rigger belt with a black open-face buckle, the AGSU heritage walnut belt with the open-face buckle, and the optional black ASU belt with a brass tip and brass buckle. Emblem buckles and novelty buckles are for display, gifts and casual wear, not the Army uniform. Shirt stays and suspenders worn under the uniform aren't addressed in the paragraphs we reviewed, and your unit may still have a view on them.
Check Local Policy
Units and schools often have their own blousing and belt standards. Check before an inspection.
Belt Accessories for Everyday and Field Use
Keepers, webbing and spare buckles are handy for airsoft rigs, hunting belts and gear repairs. Shirt stays and shirt tailor belts aren't just for uniforms either: anyone who wears a tucked dress shirt for work will notice the difference.