Accessory Essentials: 18 Cute & Versatile Belts for Every Outfit
When we think of accessories, we usually focus on what I like to call the “shiny” accessories: necklaces, bracelets, and all things bejeweled. Accessories, like their name implies, are often the unnecessary components of an outfit. After all, leave the house without a necklace and you’ll be okay. Leave the house without a shirt? Now we’ve got a problem.
Belts, on the other hand, are a perfect example of a functional, necessary, and often overlooked accessory! Skinny, wide, leather, braided – the options are endless. As we talk about accessory essentials at CF, I couldn’t overlook these must-have accessories. Keep reading to learn about our essential belts – and prepare to be amazed at what they can do for your wardrobe!
Skinny Belts
Products (L-R): Top: 1, 2, 3, Bottom: 4, 5, 6
Skinny belts, while not known for their functionality, are an amazing way to add color or texture to your outfit.
This summer, I have been relying on my leopard print and gold metallic skinny belts to spruce up my basic t-shirt-and-jean-shorts combo. The unexpected pop of animal print or glimpse of color from underneath my shirt adds a whole new element to my look. With your top out or tucked in, these belts are perfect for adding a casual, practical, and playful vibe to any outfit!
Waist Cinching Belts
Products (L-R): Top: 1, 2, 3, Bottom: 4, 5, 6
There are few things that every girl has in common, style-wise; wanting a nice, cinched-in waist, however, may be just one of them.
On a night out, I love to add a waist-cinching belt to my look. This style is a little more dressy than your average skinny belt (though it can sometimes boast a skinny width), and adds serious oomph to an outfit.
Pair one of these belts with a bandage skirt and top, or with your favorite dress. You can also use one to create the look of a dress from two solid colored pieces by using it to hide the point of intersection. Pick your size depending on the space between your ribcage and your hipbones (the bigger the space, the wider the belt you can wear) and prepare to wow your friends with your Marilyn Monroe-esque figure. Ow ow!
Functional Belts
Products (L-R): Top: 1, 2, 3, Bottom: 4, 5, 6
When you hear the word “belt,” my guess is that these are the sorts of images that come to mind. Basic, square, leather belts. These are your functional, everyday, keep-your-pants-up belts, but there’s much more to them than that!
When you’re looking for a basic, functional belt, think about the colors you wear. Do you wear lots of black, or do you wear brown more often? Do you like stitching or patterns? Braided or smooth textures? Gold buckles or silver? There’s a lot of variation between basic styles – in fact, with all the options today, it may be hard to even find a truly “basic” belt!
As for styling, the options are endless. These belts always look great with jeans of any wash or shorts of any color and can easily accommodate any style of top.
Your turn!
I love my belts and have my opinions but, as always, I want to hear from you! What do you think about belts? Which belt style is your favorite? Do you wear belts regularly? What’s your favorite way to utilize a belt in an outfit? Do you use yours to reflect your personal style? Make sure to leave your thoughts in a comment!
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Posted on on August 30, 2012 / Filed Under: Fashion Tips / Tags: Accessory Essentials, Back to School Shopping, Basics, Belts, Budget Fashion, Wardrobe Staples
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Haley
Unfortunately your link for the first belt in the top row of the “skinny belts” section is wrong :( It sent me to some earrings lol
Rebecca
Could you please do a post on how to select the right belt to go with your outfit?
Zephyr - CF Editor
Thanks for pointing that out, Haley! Fixed the link.
Casey
I love belts. I am only 96 lbs with a very slim shape, but larger bust in comparison, I think waist belts would help bring my outfit together because sometimes they are looser but I struggle to find belts small enough for my waist.
PS, I am naturally this small so it would be great if you featured a post on clothes for us slim girls! I struggle so much finding clothes that fit. I am a size 00 or 0. Sometimes even cute dresses from Forever21 and such won’t fit! ):
Sloan
One thing I like to do is put a basic belt around my waist OVER a cardigan and dress or flowy shirt. I think I got the idea from a character on a TV show or something, but I never see other people doing it in real life. Thoughts? …Is that weird?
Chasovnik
I like the skinny belts, they look great with the right outfit and accessoaries :)
reb
personally I find waist cinching belts never fit me right - I like the idea of using it to hide an intersection between clothes, but belt always end up shifting and revealing the line anyway! :/ anyone else has this problem?
Rachel
I have a couple of printed Zara flapper-esque dresses which I find have too long a body, so I use a skinny braided belt to show my waist and then pull the top up a bit to leave it baggy and overlapping. Could not live without belts!
Cassie
I loved my neon bow skinny belt that looks a lot like the expensive one from Cacharel this summer for cinching in my oversized vest dresses and other loose tops.
I like waist cinching belts in the morning but start hating them right around lunchtime… I swear they magnify my hunger and make my stomach growl louder during lectures!
Ignorant Awareness
@Casey & @Red: Have you tried those belts that are made wider in the back than the front? They’re designed to sit better on the body, & might suit you better? Or maybe even those belts that are made of elastic at the back (Like the first black belt shown above in the ‘waist cinching belts’ section)? =]
@Sloane: Nah I do it too! (Or maybe that’s just because *I’M* weird, lol?) But hey, if it’s good enough for Michelle Obama then it’s good enough for us, right? =P
@Cassie: Elasticated belts- seriously, they’re life savers! =D Or I purposefully buy bigger belts & then get more holes put in them, so I can shift between wearing them on my waist or hips (dunno if you guys have ‘Timpsons’ in the US, but they do belt hole-punching for free here!) =]