The loose end or nose of the belt runs BEHIND the buckle, under the belt, between me and the belt. Think about it. To tighten it, you need to grab the loose end under the strap and pull until the tension strap pinches your fingers. It turns out a very neat belt with no visible end. But I've worn my own belts for about 70 years and now I know why each of them had a free end through the buckle and outside (NOT inside) the rest of the belt.