I LOVE this belt. This is exactly the belt I've wanted and needed for a long time, but never knew where or how to find it. But here it is, and everything I wanted. I don't wear the belt regularly. They always seem to give me the inevitable bun top. The buckle always adds volume to the closure of my pants. Most belts solve one problem but create two more. This belt solves both (or all three!). The elastic waistband was the solution I needed for the bun effect. This belt's elastic material is thick and strong, yet provides just enough stretch to allow you to hold your pants up while you move without pinching your stomach. Then this ultra-thin smooth plastic buckle solves the bulky buckle problem (ha). I confess I hesitated when I found out it was plastic and not metal. I don't know why, metal just seemed better. But there's nothing wrong with it being plastic. It measures a whopping 3/16 inch thick. In this way, the clothes are laid smoothly on the buckle without any strange protrusions. Also note that the buckle looks gray in the pictures of the black belt, but is actually black and matches the belt itself. I love this belt.