Womens Belts Styling & Shopping Tips

"Fashion Advice on How to Buy and Style Fashion Belts"

Courtesy of Yes Style
Here you'll find fashion advice on how to buy and wear womens belts - from what belts to look for to how to style them. Selecting fashion belts that complement your personal style is a super-essential way to help you save time and money.

Want to look for the latest belt styles and shop instead?

Here you'll find fashion advice & tips on:

What belts to invest in
Selecting the right style for your torso shape
How to mix and match a belt with your outfit

Belts highlight one of the most vulnerable body parts for a woman: The Torso.

What you place around the bust, waist and hips can really affect the silhouette of your body - it can trim or add pounds to your figure. Making you look lean or stumpy!

Yup, the right belt can be a crucial thing to looking your best.

Let's take a look at the most important pointers to buying womens belts that complement your personal style:

What Belts to Invest In?

Whether you want to create a fashion statement or add that little extra to a plain outfit, a belt alone will help you with that. Sometimes, you don't need anything else (jewelry, scarves, etc.) because a belt adds that well-put finishing touch to your outfit!

Here are a couple of tips on what womens belts you should secure and invest in to save time and money:

Basic Belt Styles

If there are only two fashion belt types (excluding the plain one you wear to actually hold up your bottoms) that you need and must have in your wardrobe, then it has to be a wide belt and skinny belt.

The belt essentials are:

A wide belt

Skinny belts

But they're the most useful when worn you need to adjust the silhouette of a casual outfit by simply wrapping it around your waist to achieve a slim and well-dressed look. I prefer these because they're subtle and don't "scream" like most wide belts do.

Simplicity = Versatility

Belts in simple lines and styles win the day because they're versatile and won't completely take the attention away from an outfit. So secure simple belts in solid colors and with minimal embellishments before you start buying the latest styles.

And if you want to get the most out of your money you need to secure them in:

Solid colors (solid blue, solid red, etc.)

Neutrals (such as black, brown, beige, white, etc.)

Securing belts in neutrals is a great way for you to be able to wear them with the rest of your wardrobe without worrying if they match! Learn more about neutrals

Trendy versus basic fashion belt

So start off by securing the wardrobe belt essentials (in this case, skinny and wide belts in simple styles and colors) and then build on them based on your major daily activities (work, casual evenings, traveling, parties, etc.) and personal style.

And if you're like me who have a fetish for fashion belts and use them as one of your signature pieces, invest more money in them. Get a plain leather belt first and then add belts with different textures, colors, belt buckles, details and prints!

Note: If you have wide or full waist - solid, dark colored belts are your best bets as they instantly can make your torso look slimmer.

How's Your Torso?

This is when knowing how to dress your body figure comes into the picture, specifically your torso and hips.

So evaluate:

The length of your waist/torso (Are your short-waisted or long waisted?)
The width of your waist/torso (How defined is your waist? How big is your bust?)
Size of your hips (Straight or curved/full?)

Basically, a trim waist makes you look thinner, so we would want to avoid shortening or widening your torso with a belt! Learn how to dress your body shape.

Thick, Wide or Full Torso

If you have a thick waist or full torso then it indicates that you have an Apple body shape.

Best belt style for a full waist

If you have a full waist, your best belts should be in a dark, solid color (eg. black, dark navy blue, dark brown) and have some stretch. Wider belts look best on you, so look for the widest skinny belt you can find. We want to keep the extra weight tucked in.

Experiment with wrapping the belt right below your bust, instead of the natural waist point. This will lift your bust and show more waist.

Tip:

Straight Waist

This is typical of a Rectangle, Inverted Triangle body shape or someone with a lanky body that lacks hips.

If your waist has little or no waist definition, follow this tip to help create curves:

Your belts should be worn with dresses and tops that create volume from your hips down. So put on a slightly loose top and wrap a belt snugly around your natural waist.

Defined Waist

A defined waist is typical of a Pear and Hourglass. A well-defined waist can get away with a variety of womens fashion belts.

If you want to bring attention to it look for belts with details, bright or light colors, and wear them on the thinnest part of your waist.

If you want to de-emphasize your curves, avoid wearing a belt low-slung. Or simply don't wear a belt at all.

The Length of Your Waist

Short Waist

Best fashion belts for short waist

If you're short-waisted go for thinner belts in a color that is similar to the top.

Also, if you're short in general, I suggest that you select the thinnest wide belt you can find, because super-wide belts can overwhelm your figure and make you look shorter (if you're a Plus size, go for a medium wide belt).

You can still experiment with how they work for you by selecting a belt that blends with the top.

Avoid styling a belt with a contrasting color - because this will visually shorten your torso.

Learn more about how to dress a High-waisted & Long-legged Vertical Body Shape.

Long Waist

Best fashion belts for long waist

If you're long-waisted go for thicker belts that contrast the top and match your bottom.

However, if you want to emphasize your long, slender waist, you can apply the same guidelines for short-waisted women!

Learn about dressing your Low-waisted & Short-legged Vertical Body Shape.

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How to Wear Fashion Belts

There are several ways to style a belt - it all depends on what kind of image and look you want to achieve. You can also use it to change the shape of your silhouette by trimming the waist and creating curves.

If You Want to...

Create a Fashion Statement

Simply wear a plain, basic dress, and bring attention to your waist with a statement belt.

Your choice of belt also projects your image and can sets a deep first impression on the people you first meet. Make sure to keep the rest of the outfit simple.

Look Polished & Chic

This is a super-chic and simple way to match your belts. Let the belt match with the color of your shoes, handbag or jewelry. I prefer (and I'm most comfortable with) wearing only two matching neutrals. Eg. Brown belt, brown shoes and brown bag.

Match your belt to create a chic outfit

You may want to mix various nuances of the same hue to avoid all matchy-matchy.

If you want to up the confident chic factor, try the red matching combo!

Create a Trendy, Layered Look

This can be a practical way to wear a belt (other than holding your pants up) which can also create a trendy, layered look that really nips the waist!

Wear a belt to layer your tops and sweaters