How to Wear a Skinny Belt
The skinny belt is officially the belt of the season once again. This season, however, the skinny belt is taking on new levels of creative self-expression. The fashionably adventurous are double looping, knotting, and experimenting with placement to create more visual interest. If you are not accustomed to wearing a belt but you find yourself wanting to try on the new skinny belt look for size, experts have some recommendations for how you can incorporate a skinny belt into your existing wardrobe. Learn about creative ways for how to wear a skinny belt and enjoy the versatility this style has to offer.
Locate Your Waist
Belt placement is a key facet of feeling comfortable wearing the skinny belt, or any size belt at all. Some people are short-waisted, some are long-waisted, and there are others that span the entire range in between. When you find your natural waist, place the belt there to begin with. From here, once you become comfortable wearing a skinny belt, you may want to play with the range a bit to create different looks. Placing the skinny belt just above your natural waist can give a pseudo "empire waist" look, which is another look that is in this season. Placing the skinny belt just below your natural waist can give you a longer, leaner line if you are wearing a style that will be best complemented by continuity of form.
Construction Matters
Skinny belts, like people, come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and constructions. In general, a skinny belt constructed with at least some percentage of elastic or similar stretchy type fabric is easier for a beginning belt-wearer to get used to, because elasticized or stretchy materials move with you. Some stretchy belts will be more rigid in construction and will move less easily with you as you move. Also be sure to size the skinny belt correctly so you do not feel like you are having to strain to fasten it, or deal with a great deal of extra length at the end that is hard to manage.
Using the Skinny Belt as an Accent
In general, belts have two purposes in an ensemble. With option one, the belt will blend in, with its sole purpose being to hold the outfit in place and draw everything together for a complete look. With option two, the belt will stand out as a fashion accessory in its own right, lending color, contrast, and visual interest to an outfit. Once you know which use best suits your outfit, you can pick the perfect skinny belt for the look you are constructing.
How to Wear a Skinny Belt
Gone are the days that a belt can only be worn if you see beltloops on your outfit. Today, the skinny belt makes its own place in your wardrobe, cinching in sweaters, skirts, shirts, dresses, cardigans, jackets, and tunics. One especially fun new look this season is to buy an extra-long skinny belt and loop it double for a neat Grecian look for a loose summer dress or tunic.
