If you own a belt, you have to read this. In this style guide you will find some tips that will help you transform your outfits with a belt. Some easy ways to know which belts go well with your outfits and feel stylish and confident.
*Consider this post as your cheat sheet to pairing the right belts with your outfits.
I used be a non-believer till I started experimenting with belts and now it is like an essential in my closet.
But 2020, became the year when I figured out my belt game, but someone who has a rectangular figure, its really hard to accentuate your waist without wearing something too tight. And as I have gotten older, wearing super fitted clothes does not really reflect my style or my comfort.
How To Pick Belts For Your Outfit
If you are like me, you will love this post. There are so many outfit ideas and some helpful tips that you take away after reading.
Belts with Dresses
This is my favorite way of wearing a dress.
While belts were built to be worn with pants to stop them from falling down, it has clearly evolved into an essential and you just don’t have to wear it with pants.
Flowy Dresses
I absolutely fall to wearing more relaxed fit, mock dresses or flown maxi dresses because they are forgiving and they also look nice on any body type.
But I feel like I drown in them, and look bulkier somehow.
And adding a thick belt with some hardware detail transforms the dress and makes it so bohemian chic. And more importantly it appears to have a fit.
And depending on whether I am eating too much, I can loosen the belt and still look chic.
BabyDoll Dress
I really don’t know why they call this dress that, but this dress style is the easiest way of having the curve if you are straight figured.
But the waist band for the dress does not always sit at the right spot for everyone, it certainly does not for me as I also have a shorter torso.
I usually add a contrasting colored thick belt to create my own waistline divider.
And a contrasting belt also transforms the outfit, which looks a bit bland by itself.
A Line Dress
I love wearing sweater dresses during winter, but they can look a bit straight and well, boring to be honest by itself.
I usually add a thinner belt because it looks more flattering for my body type, but if you have a longer torso, you can easily get away with wearing a thicker belt.
The trick is that I don’t tighten the belt too much since a straight dress can get too many folds on the sides and look weird.
Maxi Dress
If you have a flowy or loose fit maxi dress, you can use a thick belt to create a waist definition which will make your maxi dress outfit look nicer. It’s all about using the right accessories to enhance your outfits.
Now it does not have to be a buckle belt. For this particular style, wrap belts work really well as well. Specially if you fell restricted in buckle belts.
Belts with Cardigans
Last year with Working from Home, I have fallen in love with cardigans again. They are a relaxed version of coat that you can wear and look chic and put together.
Cropped Cardigans
I have been obsessed with cropped cardigans and why not, they look so good on anyone. But if you buy oversized cropped cardigans, and you are straight figured, your upper body can look bulky.
I add a thin wester style belt that looks chic and also adds a waist definition.
But the trick is to stick with a skinnier belt because a thicker belt will make you look shorter as the cropped cardigan breaks the body already in a certain place. You don’t want to draw too much attention with a thicker belt.
Long Cardigans
This is where I always struggled. While I love how long cardigans look on everyone else, I can’t quite love it myself.
It just looks a bit meh! on me. But with the help of a thick belt, my outfit transformed.
Since the cardigan is longer, you can easily wear a thick belt which creates waist definition without making you look short.
You can apply this to any kind of long cardigan outfit that you are wearing.
Belts with Jeans
This is an obvious way we generally wear belts, but there are 3 things I pay attention to and want to share here.
Multiple Colors
If I am wearing a cardigan, with different color than the top or the bottom of the outfit, I usually wrap the cardigan so that the waist band of the belt does not show up making the outfit look busy.
You might also look shorter because there are too many horizontal lines on the silhouette.
Adding a thick belt to the cardigan wrap looks more sophisticated and you just have one clear waistline definition.
High Waisted Jeans
I think we can agree, we all probably live in high waisted jeans. But they can make you look shorter specially if you have a short torso like mine.
When I am wearing a high waisted jeans, I like to add a thinner belt and in a neutral color, specially if I am wearing black, it will be a black belt.
This does not draw too much attention to the waist but still adds a stylish detail to the outfit.
Belts with Coats
This is my favorite way of wearing a belt. You can wear a belt on top of any style of coat.
This specially comes in handy if your coat does not come with a belt. Even then adding a contrasting detail to your coat with a belt, makes the outfit structured and sophisticated.
These days puffer coats also come with belts and I am so glad, because they can really grow you. And typing your waist with a belt makes your outfit look more put together.
If you want to take your puffer coat outfit to the next level, try a nylon belt instead of the plain puffer belt it comes with. Trust me your outfit will be transformed.
I also shared how I styled these outfits on my YouTube channel. Here is the video.
For more on styling belts for women, please read:
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