I own several belts because I find them to be the best solution to pulling an outfit together and creating a flattering hourglass look, all while adding a little detail and finishing touch to a variety of looks without having to spend a lot of money. However, when I do closet edits for my clients, I find that most clients only have one or two belts in their wardrobe, usually a black one and a brown one that they rarely wear. They may also have a couple that just happened to have come with a garment they purchased, but only wear it with that one garment. When that's the case, I usually spend a little time showing the client how they can take those belts that came with items purchased and use them with other garments in their closet. Once they see how useful a belt can be, they quickly realize they need to add some belts to their wardrobe. As I make a list of the items they need to supplement what they already have, belts usually are at the top of that list!
It's good to have a variety of belts in your own wardrobe: wide, narrow, corset, skinny, ones for the waist, ones for the hips, ones with bling, and ones of color, especially red! (Red belts are more versatile than you think, and they are great for when wanting to add a pop of color to your outfit.) You can even use some of your scarves as belts to pull your look together.
As you can see in the example above, adding a belt makes a huge difference in adding interest to a simple print dress that could otherwise end up looking dowdy. This is a dress that I had been eyeing each time I went into one of my favorite boutiques. I tried it on the first time I saw it and used the belt I was already wearing that day with it because I knew that, even though it didn't come with a belt, it needed one. For some reason I just didn't like how the dressed looked on me so I didn't purchase it. But each time I went back to that store, the dress kept calling my name.
Finally, after the fourth or fifth time I saw it, I tried the dress on again and grabbed a belt in the store that was in a neutral color I didn't already have (a cream that matched the little cream dogs in the print). Putting that particular belt with it suddenly made it the perfect dress that could be worn in both summer with gladiator sandals and in fall with tights and riding boots, giving me more bang for my buck. The belt was just $12 and not only does it work perfectly with this dress, it also works with several other items in my closet, including a burgundy knit dress and also a denim shirt/plaid skirt combination.
If you're like many of my clients and don't own a lot of belts, now is the time to start adding them to your own wardrobe and having fun experimenting with them!
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