Webster’s dictionary defines a “belt” simply as “a strip of flexible material worn especially around the waist as an item of clothing.” Belts can be utilitarian — to hold up pants or a skirt, to hold a garment closed, to hold tools — or purely decorative, just adding visual interest. If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you’ve probably realized that all three of us are devoted fans of belting. In fact, at one point last year we were challenged to go a week without belts, an endeavor that certainly pushed us to be careful with our belting love.
For this Fashion 101 on belting, we will again be pushing ourselves to think creatively about belting and to articulate the reasons behind our choices, rather than relying on them simply as an easy or default accessory.
After completing this course, students will be able to:
- Explain and demonstrate different reasons — both functional and formal — for using belts
- Demonstrate an understanding of what width of belt best suits their figure and a specific outfit
- Demonstrate how different color belts — both neutrals and brighter colors — can change the appearance of an outfit
- Demonstrate how belts of different materials can change the appearance of an outfit
- Demonstrate how a belt can change the shape or proportions of an outfit
- Create belts using scarves, ribbon, or other materials
To see our belt related posts for this course, check the Tutorials and DIY sections on our Taking Notes page.
As always, we welcome your questions and your participation!
This I am excited for. I have the hardest time figuring out what belts to buy and then how the heck to wear them. I’ve never understood how people get belts to stay when worn without loops to hold the ends in. I always resort to paperclips to keep the lines smooth.
I have a couple of questions about belting over a ‘loose’ outer layer (meaning, an unbuttoned cardigan or shirt, or a scarf). Firstly, do you have any tips for positioning the outer layer to get the lines right? Secondly, how do you get it to stay put? Thanks!
A week without belts is a scary thing indeed. I look forward to your always informative posts, on one of my favorite accessories.
I would love some tips on how to wear a belt with my body type, an apple! I’ve always heard that belts are great for every shape, but I feel like I have a hard time getting it right. You girls all have such awesome figures that belts look automatically hot on you! :)
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