DEFINITION OF A STABLE BELT

A stable belt is an item of uniform used in the armed forces of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries. It is a wide fabric belt, usually a single solid colour or horizontally striped in two or more different colours. It buckles at the side but sometimes has a decorative metal plate or mock buckle at the front. It is worn around the waist, either in the belt loops of trousers or a skirt or over a jersey.

Originally, stable belts were worn by cavalrymen in the working dress they used for cleaning the stables and tending to their horses, but after the Second World War they spread to all branches of the armed forces, adding a splash of colour and individuality to the drab khaki working uniforms.

Today every regiment and corps of the British Army has its own stable belt, often very colourful. The Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force also have their own. They are worn with most styles of informal dress.