We all love our First Lady Michelle Obama right?? We love the way she speaks, engages her family, and most importantly the way that she commands a room. Her fashion choices are for the most part refreshing, poised, and always classy, but as a close friend recently pointed out to me, "Mi Mi" loves her belts!! Mrs. Obama wears a belt with just about everything she dawns with the exception of her Inauguration duds of course! (Oh wait a minute I think the coat she wore at this year's event had a jeweled belt, oh well)
Belts have always worked to add just an extra touch of sophistication to pull off a more complete and polished look. But some of you fashionistas out there will slap a belt over an ensemble unnecessarily and wind up looking over accessorized and as if you just simply ran out of options in the accessories department. So inquiring minds want to know...Are belts always necessary?? Are they being misused and abused?? And if so, what are the guidelines for deciding whether or not you should add a belt?? Should you choose a wide belt, super skinny belt, large buckle, small buckle, below the bust, at the waist, etc. Below I have outlined some of my rules for choosing the right belt to compliment your outfit without overpowering...
Wide Belts: Wide width belts should be used to spruce up a pretty monochromatic look such as a black shift dress or over sized white button down with a black pencil skirt. Wide width belts are also appropriate when wanting to make a clear separation between the top and bottom portion of your body as in the case of something that has a blousier fit and you want to create more shape and/or the illusion of an hour glass figure. Additionally if you are a circle or inverted triangle body type (see body type page)which normally carries more weight in the mid-section, you may find difficulty in finding the right belt to create the waistline that you desire depending on the depth of your problem area. You don't want to go so wide that you end bringing more attention to your mid-section. These body types should look for a width in between wide and thin, or just about the width of average belt loops. Do not wear wide belts over cardigans and/or jackets as they can appear to be overpowering. Sorry Michelle!!
Super Thin Belt: Thinner belts which have become increasingly popular in the last couple of seasons add more of a touch of class and subtle detail than that of a wider width, however in the same token these belts are a little more difficult to pull off. But this is no reason to skip out on the trend altogether. This style is a no brainer for triangle, hourglass, and ruler body types, however not to isolate inverted triangle and circle gals, a super thin belt can tend to look like a rope wrapped around the body that is holding on for dear life!! This is not a good look ladies!! Thinner styles are great when layering pieces together such as a knit tee with a layered cardigan on top or to compliment a dressy skirt. Adding a thin belt can work to bring more interest to the ensemble. Thinner styles don't do much for over-sized button downs and blousier dresses as the belt can tend to kind of "disappear" in the fabric.
Underneath Bust: Sorry Michelle I love you but this placement is reserved for mommies to be ONLY!!
At the Waist: All belts regardless of width should be worn at the waist. So finding the right fit is crucial as you want your belt to remain in place throughout the day. A couple of exceptions to this would be if you were wanting to spruce up a jacket or structured blazer that already sits at the waist or with a dress that has an empire waist.
Buckles: Buckles can add more interest to an ensemble if chosen wisely. You want to stay away from studded crystals, rhinestones, butterflies, hearts, and any words/phrases such as "I'm Hot" or "Swagger" unless of course you are under the age of 16!! If you are only trying to belt a pair of pants you want to remain within the realm of conservation when it comes to style and size of buckles and details as you do not want to end up looking like Yosemite Sam!!
Situations in which you do not need a belt...
1. If you are wearing a piece that has ruching around the waist (The ruching is working hard enough already)
2. If you are wearing a blouse that already fits through the waist and hips (You look like you're just wearing a back brace!!)
3. Over a pair of jeans/pants without belt loops (Hot Mess, Girl you know that belt is never going to stay in place without belt loops, can we say Hula Hoop!!)
Sorry Gals I know this is a lot of information at once...Wanted to include more info but didn't want to bore you too much! Please post any additional questions about wearing belts in the comments section. I look forward to responding to your inquiries! To post a comment click on "No Comments" and choose a profile in the drop down box. If you choose Google profile a new window will open for you to either sign into your G-mail account or Google plus account.
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