When it comes to accessories, belts can be a relatively neglected category. We splash out on trophy sunglasses, bags and shoes, but belts are often dismissed as a mere logo vehicle for designer brands. There’s a place for that, of course, but belts also have the potential to be a stylist’s best friend.
Free yourself from the confines of belt loops and they get a lot more interesting. Try one over a jacket, knit or dress. It can be used to highlight a narrow waist or convey the illusion of one, add definition to a voluminous silhouette or personality to minimal tailoring. It’s the fashion equivalent of seasoning in a recipe – it’s fine without, but get it right and the results can be magnificent.
Once you start paying attention to the way a belt can transform a look, your wish list can get pretty long, pretty fast: one black, one tan, a skinny one, a knottable one, a decorative one…
No wonder Sézane founder Morgane Sézalory has developed such a strong offering: ‘A belt can create shape and add texture or colour. I like to use belts with a nice buckle and textured leather over a dress or a skirt. For jackets or long shirts, I like to add a very thin smooth leather belt to accentuate the waist, and for an evening look I would choose a chain belt to add a bit of gold.’
Now is a great time to invest and experiment, because we’re entering a new era for statement belts, the most popular of which, currently, is Khaite’s £520 studded Benny style that seems to be around every influencer’s waist; there are some decent “homages” to it on the high street.
Buckles are not always a requirement either: Wyse and Isabel Marant have belts designed to be knotted, for a nonchalant look; or try the double belt look, seen on the catwalk at the Hermès show at Paris Men’s Fashion Week.
Better still, find something original of your own. Vintage stores and markets are brilliant hunting grounds, as are secondhand sites such as Vestiaire Collective and Vinted – just be sure to know your measurements before buying any belt online, because sizing can vary wildly, and vintage pieces can run quite small. Then again, you may have something brilliant in the back of your wardrobe. Always the best type of vintage find.
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