Ever longed for a fashion accessory that could magically make your tight and loose jeans fit instantly once again? Well that magic wand has arrived. Now there’s a revolutionary, patented belt called Behind the Buckle (BTB). And it’s the first and only patented belt that will instantly add or subtract two or more inches from your tight or loose jeans. How? Through a hidden, removable “waist adjuster,” located behind the belt strap. Big bonus: it offers sustainability for all your garments with a button at the waist — and for the planet.
Donating your jeans or pants that no longer fit may have been the primary option before — but now that has all changed. The Behind the Buckle belt for women and men helps make jeans, pants, shorts and skirts all renewable, as normal weight fluctuations occur over time.
“People invest significant amounts of time, money and even precious memories into their jeans as their sizes change. But many of these favorite wardrobe items are still salvageable,” says Lynn Taylor, CEO and founder of Behind the Buckle. “This patented belt will help you sustain not only what’s in your closet, but the planet as well — with a snap-on, hidden waist adjuster.”
Rethinking how to get more use out of those go-to jeans is a concept that has been a long-time coming, but especially in recent years as awareness of slow fashion has grown exponentially, Taylor says.
Holidays in particular, are notorious for a little weight gain, followed by eventual weight loss — exactly the type of weight fluctuations that are part of life. And why Behind the Buckle makes sense as a socially conscious choice.
For those who wear their tops over or under their jeans, BTB has you “covered,” with the flat, buckleless Snap Belt,which is genderless. Here, the waist adjuster is built in — and altogether, there are four adjustments, including the external snaps that look like studs.
Behind the Buckle’s Positive Sustainability Impact
The U.S. alone sends about 21 billion pounds of textile waste to landfills every year. And although giving them away to charity may seem ideal, only 10-15% of donated clothing actually ends up in the secondhand market.
With the price of jeans costing an average of $165 per pair, a $60 investment in a Behind the Buckle belt means considerable savings. On average, each person in the U.S. owns seven pairs of jeans. As the chart below shows, just one BTB belt salvaging three pairs of jeans, will save the equivalent of driving 1860 miles in a car; 5400 gallons of water; and 20 pounds of chemicals.
Why The Behind the Buckle Belt is Important to the Planet
Behind The Buckle - Your Positive Sustainability Impact
| Number of BTB Belts | Amount of CO 2 Saved | Amount of Water Saved | Amount of chemicals saved | Number of potential new jeans gained | Money saved based on Jeans at $165 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One Basic Black BTB Belt *Based on 3 pairs of jeans, not including denim shorts, skirts or any non-denim pants/garments with button at waist. Three pairs total. | 219 lbs or equivalent of driving 1860 miles in a car | 5400 gallons | 20 lbs | 3+ | $435.00 |
| Second Basic Brown BTB Belt brown/beige jeans - skirts, shorts, etc. three additional pairs. Six pairs total. | 438 lbs or equivalent of driving 3,720 miles in car | 10,800 gallons | 40 lbs | 6+ | $870.00 |
| Third BTB Belt for additional 3 garments | 657 lbs or equivalent of driving | 16,200 gallons | 60 lbs. | 9+ | $1,305 |
*Based on: Three jeans out of 7 are not unworn (Fashion United), Glamour
However, a conservative estimate, as Americans do not use 82% of clothes in their closet (Fashion United) — and the BTB belt/waist adjuster salvages any garment with a button at the waist that's up to 2" too small or large. (This includes khakis, shorts, skirts, etc.)
**See “Sustainability Facts” below for sources.
“Customers love the flexibility and control of these removable waist adjusters, but also the comfort of the BTB belts on many levels. People finally feel comfortable again in their jeans; but they’re also getting comfort in knowing they’re prolonging the life of their clothes … and the planet — a win-win-win,” Taylor says.
Sustainability Facts: Denim and Clothing
We created Behind the Buckle (BTB) with the idea that saving jeans and other wardrobe items with a button at the waist that fit well 99% makes good sense. The pandemic has also underscored how precious our humanity and resources are — but also the value of products that provide greater comfort.
Our waist adjusting belts, which accommodate normal weight fluctuations, come at a welcome time. It’s exciting to see so many jeans manufacturers using natural fibers and other processes to make their production more eco-friendly. We, too, will be offering a plant-based as well as an animal-free, faux leather line soon. We are moving thoughtfully forward and can’t wait to unveil our next phase! As we complete our production phase, our emphasis remains on enabling the renewability of your wardrobe.
We believe it’s important not to jump to just any product for the sake of doing so. There is a lot of debate about what is and isn’t sustainable, but at the moment we know we’re helping your garments last and become renewable; and that’s big.
Consumers can make huge strides to advance the cause of protecting the planet right now. One of them is to leverage the investment made in their jeans, pants and wardrobe by using our belt. Below are some mind-blowing statistics we’ve gathered that should help convince you that we must start becoming more socially conscious now about our wardrobe. Please take a look at our BTB Sustainability Impact Chart.
- The average American throws away about 81 pounds of clothes every year — that's the weight of an 11-year-old child! Globally, it’s equivalent to a garbage truck fully filled with textiles and clothes being thrown into landfills every single second of the day, every year.
- Around 85% of all textiles thrown away in the US – roughly 13 million tons in 2017 – are either dumped into landfill or burned. Textiles can take up to 200+ years to decompose in landfills.
- One pair of jeans emits 73 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere, the equivalent of driving more than 620 miles in a car.
- Manufacturers use more than 1,800 gallons of water to make just one pair of blue jeans. That’s equivalent to the recommended, eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day of consumption (182 gallons a year) you would drink for 10 years! And that’s before you’ve even launder your jeans.
- We use only 4 out of 7 jeans (but studies suggest that many more are stashed away or discarded). For example, one credible study says American don’t wear 82 percent of the clothes in their closet.
- The fashion industry is responsible for 20% of global waste water.
- The average consumer bought 60% more clothing than they had in 2000, but kept each garment half as long.
- The average price of a pair of women's jeans is 165.44 U.S. dollars. The price of one BTB belt starts at $59.
- The U.S. alone sends about 21 billion pounds of textile waste to landfills every year.
- Only 10-15% of donated clothing actually ends up in the secondhand market. National charities like Goodwill and the Salvation Army get more donations than they can handle, so much of it is packed up and re-sold overseas or sent to landfills.
- It is estimated that about 3kg chemicals are needed to make one pair of jeans. Which weigh about 1kg. ZenStiching
