FashBlog.com

Who knew that there would ever be so much opportunity to use a belt to express yourself? The belt used to be a simple gadget used to hold up pants. Obviously, for women this has long been a fashion accessory as opposed to a useful piece of equipment, and for men in formal wear (that is, suits), it is also a "fashion essential", more because it is a faux pax not to have one then as a way of expressing oneself. Of course, belts have that knack for keeping your pants at your hips, but there is a lot more to them than that. This should become obvious as soon as you see that huge variety of selection you will find at a local clothing store.

There are thousands of types of belts available today. Leather, metal, plastic, chains, even cardboard make up the around-the-waste universal articles that you find in any clothing store, on a mysterious rack that is always disordered and hidden somewhere near the "nice" clothing section or accessories. Not to mention, there are thousands of belt buckles for the traditional belt wearer. Personally I have never been brave enough to wear a fancy belt, because I have a relatively shy fashion sense, but I have drooled over enormous, loud waist-keepers to elegant chain links meant to fall drapingly over the hips instead of holding up the pants. I use the most usual leather belt, with a low-profile square buckle. My favorite is a reversible one, with black on one side and brown on the other, with an inventive buckle clasp that allows you to pull on the buckle and flip it completely over to use the other side. The only problem with this system is that the belt is made of two sides of different colored leather actually sewn together along the edges, so the belt is a bit bulky and stiff. Otherwise, it is fantastically utile. The only other belts I like to use are also small and uncommanding of attention, but wearing belts that do ask for attention is one of the easiest ways to express yourself through fashion.

The first thing I consider about a belt is how I want it to fit the profile of my body, considering the shape it is going to create along with the rest of my clothes. I don't like a buckle that sticks out, or a belt that is going to take over the shape of the top of my pants and blow them out of proportion. I prefer a slim look, for example, if my shirt is placed over the belt or buckle, I don't want it to look like a bulky buckle is my own bulk, if you know what I mean. This buckle bulk has always bothered me and often makes me not want to wear a belt, but it can be avoided if when shopping for a belt you find one that fits you perfectly and has the profile you want. Except for the bulky issue, I vastly prefer to be wearing a belt, because whether it is with jeans or a pair of dressy slacks, I somehow have the feeling that a belt makes you look classier, and more put together. It is not a matter of society not accepting you if you don't wear one, but I like how it accentuates the rest of the outfit, even if I personally want it to be a pretty low-profile accessory. Of course, not everyone is like me and wants to keep their belts on the downlow. Lots of belts are meant to attract attention, are meant to be bulky and loud. I like these, but have yet to bring myself to wear or even buy one. One primary example is this type of belt which is very European, with lots of large circles put together to make a ring, that is meant to be worn around the waste but over the pants, certainly not through any belt loop that is part of any normally sized pants. They come in leather or other materials, and are often coupled with bright colors, sequins, studs, even pieces of mirror. These belts are obviously not meant to be left by the wayside when choosing points of an outfit. When worn, they become the center of attention when someone casually glances at you.

There are plenty of other kinds of belts. For example, you have the "braided" leather belts. These were fashionable for a while but have kind of left the spotlight. They were nice because they can be tethered to any length by putting the peg in any part of the weaving. There are plain, flat belts that are decorated. These can be any color and detailed with any manner of material. For example, they may be coated with sequins and other glittery surfaces, covered with fur or beads, or just plastered with a bright-colored picture or wall-paper type pattern. There are heavy chain belts, something you might expect to add to a gothic or punk outfit, or light, thin chains that drape over the waste, especially tasteful over a simple dress or sleek, belt-loop-less dress pants for women. Then, of course, there are plain leather or plastic belts in many colors, with round or square clasps, or no clasp at all. In fact, it common to have fabric belts with some simple metal loop closer, and no actual buckle at all. The buckles have as many or more varieties than the actual belt materials. Many women's belts will have fancy colors or shiny buckles. If you have belt with no buckle, where you can put any buckle (this is very popular in country styles, just like the cowboys), you can change it with your mood, and there are thousands of buckles in the market for expressing yourself. You will find anything from harley motorcycle buckles to animals to rhinestones to names on these types of belt buckles.

Last, let's not forget that lots of things which aren't actually belts can be used as belts, especially for women. The thin chains I described earlier already fit into this category. In addition, a large or long scarf that is tied around the waist can be a belt, for example. Ribbons are often used in a similar way, with dangling ends left to fly in the wind. Even a random strip of leather or fabric can act as "belt" fashion when tied around at the waist.

So, don't forget about this something as simple as the thing you usually use just to hold up your pants that can be a valuable and interesting fashion accessory. It can be used conservatively or not so conservatively to accent, accentuate, or even spice up an outfit, and really change your look as a simple addition.