Great belts I have known.
First, most holsters and equipment is 1 3/4", over that and it might not go through your belt loops. Under that and your equipement might have more movement than you want.
Second is this a street belt, dress belt, duty belt, or range/competition belt?
Street belts that have worked well for me, 1) Bianchi, 2) Galco, 3) Ernie HIll, 4) Hellweg, 5) 511, instructor belt.
I still have all these belts and except for the 511, all are leather, made from laminate leather, double stitched. Why laminate, leather has a rough side and a slick slide, if you take 2 pieces of leather, then glue and sew the two rough sides together, you get 2 slick sides outside, makes sliding the belt through equipment and pants easier. The double stitching makes the belt stiffer and more resistant to stitch failure. The belt I'm wearing now is 10 years old and worn daily, does double duty for defensive matches where street gear is mandatory. This is the Hellweg, Theres nothing wrong with the other belts. Their just narrower than my waist is now
. Leather also gets to know you with use, and completely fits you after it's broken in. Single thickness material can sag. Be advised single and double thickness are misnomers as leather is measured in ounces. 2 thicknesses of 4 ounce leather would be very soft and saggy, 2 thicknesses of 16 ounce leather would be too thick to go through the belt loops of most jeans.
Dress belts, I've only had one, it is a Galco, and it's pretty, 1 1'2" belt with holster to match, dress trousers, sort of an opera rig.
Duty belt, like Sam Browns, are meant to be used with a street belt and what are called belt keepers. The duty belt go's outside the pant loops, but are suspended by keepers, that attach to the street belt. Advantages, very wide, little or no flex with equipment suspended, and can be taken off with all equipment attached, and hung up for the next use, all ready to go.
Range/competition belts. Usually not pretty, but designed to keep your equipment mounted and very solid with some extra features. Usually they use velcro instead of a buckle, this let's you close the belt in any position on your body, for instance the belt can close in the small of the back, if you shoot IPSC, your spare mags can go from the kidney all the way to the strong side holster and it will only be a single thickness of belt. Normally they go outside the belt loops as well, but use an under belt, that go's through the belt loops. The outside belt is lined with velcro on the inside and mates with the underbelt which has the companion velcro. Works well and has a lot of flexibilty. Note: If you have a velcro under belt ( also called hook and loop ) the under belt has the hooks, an will snag your cloth upholstery on the drive home. My personal belt is a Safariland, and is about 15 years old, the belt body is plastic, and it uses if I remember correctly, porvier for the outside leather look. Down side, velcro does wear out if used daily. For week end use, like mine, 15 years and counting.
Side note, the keeper system of the duty belt is great for Women, if on offset keeper is used, it will allow the outer belt to be dropped from 1"-2"s, Marshallete can tell you, belting on a normal holster at normal belt loop heighth, puts the grip heighth so high a 6" pistol could not be drawn. Women have hips as most of us know and bless them for it.
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