How to Reattach a Belt Loop

Why belt loops tear – and which end

A belt loop is anchored at two ends: at the top into the waistband and at the bottom into the trouser fabric. The top anchor almost always goes first, because that is where you pull when you hoist your trousers up – the whole tug concentrates in a few stitches. Three things can have happened: only the thread has given way while the loop and fabric are intact, the loop itself has frayed or torn, or the waistband fabric has torn where the loop sat. What happened decides the repair, so feel for it before you start.

Check first: thread, loop or waistband?

Look at the anchor before you sew, so you know which repair you are facing:

• Just the thread: the loop and waistband are intact, only the stitches are gone. Straightforward to resew.
• The loop itself: the strip of fabric is frayed or torn. Fold the damaged end under, or make a new loop.
• The waistband: the trouser fabric has torn or holed where the loop sat. Reinforce with a patch behind before you sew, or it tears again.

How to reattach a loose belt loop

If everything is intact except the stitching, reattach the loop with a solid bar tack. Use strong, doubled thread – jeans or heavy-duty thread is ideal – in a colour close to the original topstitching.

1. Lay the loop end back where it sat; the old needle holes and the other loops show the right height.
2. Fold the raw end under itself so no fraying shows.
3. Sew a dense bar tack: many short stitches back and forth across the folded end, through the waistband.
4. If the waistband is thick – denim is often several layers – use a sturdy needle and a thimble, or pull the needle through with pliers.
5. Lay six to ten tight passes over the same small patch, about one centimetre wide, so the tack is as solid as on the other loops.
6. Secure with a double knot on the inside and hide the thread tail inside the waistband.

If the waistband has torn

If the trouser fabric has torn or holed where the loop sat, sewing the loop straight onto the weakened fabric will not hold – it just tears again. Give the anchor fresh material to hold onto first:

1. Cut a small patch of sturdy fabric or a piece of cotton tape, slightly larger than the damaged area.
2. Place the patch on the inside of the waistband, behind where the loop will sit.
3. Sew the loop through the loop, waistband and patch together, so the load spreads onto sound material.
4. If the waistband has a larger hole, close and reinforce it before reattaching the loop.

If the loop is missing entirely

If the loop is gone completely, make a new one. Fabric that matches the trousers gives the best result:

1. Find matching fabric from a hidden spot – inside the seam allowance or an inner pocket – or use a length of ready-made loop tape or cotton tape.
2. Cut a strip, fold the long edges in to the middle and sew it into a flat, double loop, or fold the raw edges under.
3. Measure the length and height against the other loops, so the new one lines up.
4. Attach it with a dense bar tack at each end, just like the original loops.

Send the trousers to us

If it is denim with heavy, matching topstitching in a particular colour, a waistband that has torn and needs reinforcing, or several loops to be done alike, you can send the trousers to us. We reattach and make belt loops according to the fabric and how the trousers are built, with thread and a tack that match the other loops. If the trousers also need a seam or a pocket fix, we handle it in the same round. We help customers across Norway, you order online, and you see the price before you order.

Frequently asked questions