I'm not allergic to metals but bought this belt for its simplicity and versatile style.I've had it for over a week now and so far love it I get it. The belt is about 1/8" thick and appears to be of very good quality and I expect it will last much longer than my last dirty belt. Your actual waist measurement. My waist is about 32" and I ordered 34" and the belt fits pretty well but there isn't much slack. It depends on how much slack you want for your style, but I would definitely recommend ordering at least 1 size larger than your measurement.