I bought a golf belt like this for my shorts as it is very difficult to find a belt with holes that fits perfectly. The belt was so cool I bought five other colors. The belt itself is made of very nice leather, the buckle is small and simple, but the most amazing thing is the ratchet system. As for why I've never had a ratchet strap, I don't know why, but I'll never go there again. It's so great to be able to choose exactly what I want for all types of clothes. Now I only wear these belts with formal wear. I have a 32 waist and prefer to wear low rise pants and the extra belt just goes through my first belt loop as the middle one. If you wear something larger than 32, I would take the next larger size.