I've always been taught that a tourniquet needs to be 1.5-2 inches wide. But the ones I saw (about 5 types) were all 1 inch nylon webbing.

I guess 1 inch is fine. Paracord might work in a pinch, but you're going to cause lots of local trauma, including potentially cutting into flesh in an attempt to get it tight enough.

But a nylon belt or something similar, and you're set.