Stretching the limits of Japanese budget belts with the Easy Stretch Belt from the 100 yen store

Our in-house 100 yen store guru snaps up a deal that eliminates the need to keep his belt buckled, and keeps his finances as secure as his pants.

Our Japanese-language reporter Go Hatori is a devil of good deals, a big shot of budget shopping. We’ve already seen him craft a wig from 100 yen store offerings, not to mention prettify himself with false bangs and wax strips all from the aisles of Japan’s cheapest outlets.

He was a little doubtful about his most recent purchase from one such high-discount haven: the catchy-named “Easy Stretch Belt (Ladies).” And with a name like that, can you blame him?

The belt promises to keep your pants up even without wrapping all the way around in the front. The packaging is peppered with English too, so there’s no excuse to pass up on this great offer if you don’t speak Japanese.

Now, it didn’t escape Go’s notice that the belt was intended for women (the title is a pretty huge tip-off). However, as a 39-year-old man who occasionally wears women’s clothes, he figured he was still well within the targeted demographic. What’s more, some of the claims on the package were too tempting to pass up. “Easily remove your clothes when going to the bathroom”, for one. “Slip your pants off without unfastening the belt” was another.

Alright, the instructions seemed fairly simple, so it was time to get started…

▼ Simply hook through the belt loops…

▼ …and snap shut!

All done!

Go’s opinion?

▼　“This looks pretty tacky, huh.”

Strong words from the man who sported multiple old lady visors. It’s not called the “Easy Stretch Fashion Belt (Ladies),” is it?

After Go did a dramatic fashion spin like a vintage TV superheroine, he was astonished to feel how secure his jeans were. It was as though his jeans had been magically infused with elastic, eliminating the need for any of those fancy-pants ‘real’ belts.

Come to think of it, Go has a particular passion for camo pants that come with anywhere from six to eight pockets. He tends to load them up with keys, his phone, and other bits of debris which results in the gradual descent of his pants waistline as they struggle to hold it all up. Is the Easy Belt the answer to his prayers?

▼ We wouldn’t be surprised if there was a photo printer in there somewhere.

But once he’d snapped the belt through the belt loops…

▼ Without Easy Stretch Belt (left) vs. with Easy Stretch Belt (right)

No slippage at all! Incredible!

Truly, the cheap design seemed to be the only downside – Go admitted that he’s reluctant to wear belts usually because the metal buckle rubs against his belly and gives him a rash. This forces him to wear an undershirt even in the most blistering of climates, lest the buckle dig into his stomach and ruin his day. He even wore one for this test drive!

So he was delighted to find that the Easy Belt fits cleanly over the waistband, and comes with its fasteners neatly tucked away in leather so that it won’t graze any sensitive tummies.

▼　”Look ma, no risk of a rash!”

Thoroughly satisfied with his purchase, Go highly recommends it to women too, citing the package’s claim that it works just as well for skirts and dresses. (Isn’t it explicitly a women’s product…? Never mind.)

Yhis a great example of that old adage that you can’t judge a book by its cover. Go was so close to dismissing the Easy Belt because it made him look like a fashion-challenged grandpa, but it actually held the Herculean strength of belts ten times its price. You’ll be happy to know that Go has sworn to incorporate the Easy Belt into his wardrobe from now on… but hidden under a long shirt, of course.

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