Belts - love or hate? - YouLookFab Forum

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Belts - love or hate?

Anonymous

I want to love belts.
I have a bunch of gorgeous belts I really really want to wear.
I have read tons of articles that say who should wear belts, what kind of belts to wear, how to wear belts, etc etc
I am a rectangle so belts are supposed to be a way for me to define my waist.
I put them on and take them right off. They are uncomfortable or do “nothing for me” . Even scarves as belts look “meh “ on me.

How about you?
Are you a person who loves belts- do belts love you back?

Dressing

48 replies

Latest reply was from Colette

Anonymous

I am rectangle as well. I wear them for two reasons. The first is fashion. I have assorted belts that are very fashionable (imho). All are black but they have interesting silver buckles. The second reason is to hold up my pants. I always hated having to hitch them up every time I got up from a seated position. In summary, I love belts.

Mirjana

Veteran

I love belts and wear them with pants, dresses and skirts just to give a structure to the outfits and for fashion reason. I have different colours.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I loved belts much more when I didn't have my middle age waist issues. Now they are purely functional, although I have quite a collection because I am pedantic about matching.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

LOVE. I have many, and wear them a lot with jeans, trousers and utility pants.

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Medium Perfect Leather Belt

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White House Black Market

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White House Black Market

Suede Grommet Belt

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Halogen Faux Leather Belt

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Skinny metallic Italian leather belt

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Bill Adler 1981 Jelly Bean Belt

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Clean leather belt

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Nike Perforated Golf Belt

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Halogen Skinny Leather Belt

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Runcarla

Veteran

Though I do not love belts, I do not hate them. I can wear a belt with success if the bottom (skirt, pants) is high waisted. Since I am short waisted I co-ordinate my belt with my top. I have a bit of a pot belly so any belted look with a bottom that sits below my belly button accentuates that part of my anatomy. I prefer to wear lower rise bottoms without a belt and top untucked.

Molly Mac

Veteran

If a clothing item has belt loops I wear a belt with it. I find them a great accent piece.

SarahD8

Veteran

Hate. I am also rectangle(ish), with a short torso. Every time I put on a belt in an attempt to “define my waist” I ended up highlighting that I don’t have one. Plus, they were uncomfortable. Got rid of all my belts about 3 years ago. Bliss.

Anonymous

STERLING- it sounds like you use your belt buckles almost like jewelry- how smart
MIRJANA and COCO- I use to have loads of colors too but just kept getting rid of them over time as they were not earning keep. I mostly kept the interesting weaved ones ( to wear with denims) and skinny ones but alas none wow me in comfort dept.
ANGIE- I notice you have a few “sparkles “- just thinking of JESSIKAM’s earlier thread on styling metallics. Great examples- hope she sees them;-)
RUNCARLA- very astute of you to know how to play up your assets with a belt. I am beginning to wonder if maybe I am more short waisted than I thought and that’s why they don’t feel or look great. You inspire me to play with them more.
MOLLY- maybe if I used them in loops I would like them more- usually I use them to cinch.
SARAH- a kindred spirit- someone gets me- thank you thank you.:-)
Thanks YLF Friends.

Toban

Veteran

Rarely belt except on outerwear jackets with fabric belts in same color. I almost never tuck a shirt so no need for belt. Occasional belt over A-line dress or over cardigan/sheath dress combo.

Anonymous

Hate . When I was skinny and wore everything , I loved them . Now ? Probably sized out of women’s belts anyways .

gryffin

Veteran

efbgen - where and how are you wearing your belts? I am a slim rectangle and I love belts but I do NOT wear waist belts. I buy my jeans and pans midrise. This gives me a long torso and accentuates my waist. I wear embellished belts and since I am minimalist they work as my accessories. It is very important to match you base color to your top or your pants. If you want to lower and elongate your torso match the top. If you need to bring up the rise of the pants match the pants. It's all about proportions. In addition photo #5 is my beloved DKNY hip belt, adjustable. It's magic on tunics. Since I wear so much black the belt vanished and the clasp dips to become a vee which gives me a super long torso and the illusion of a very tiny waist. Since I almost always wear a blazer this also slims the midsection particularly if the jacket nips in. It's all about architecture and illusion. But belts love rectangles but you need to put the visual wear you want it. As a rectangle I don't wear mom jeans for that reason - my torso would look short and a belt would then cut me in half. If you have pants with varying rises try a belt that matches your top. Tuck your top or faux tuck!!! (tucking works best). See if this trick helps flatter. Hope this helps!!

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Style Fan

Veteran

Love. I just bought a new one that is not in finds yet. It will be a custom because it is a Canadian company (Brave).

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I like them in theory but don’t seem to wear them much in practice anymore. Rises have gone higher and I’ve got a squat little torso (made more so by menopausal weight shift), so they just don’t work on me very well anymore. I rarely wear tucked shirts now so visible belts are largely pointless on me. Too bad because I have some I really like, but they’ve been going unworn.

Anonymous

TOBAN- sometimes I take my outerwear belts and tie them behind so I hear you on outerwear.
LISA- yes- so thick around middle I need men’s belts.
GRYFFIN- what a great tutorial-thank you for the valuable insight. I usually don’t have a problem keeping pants up so believe it or not I rarely use them on jeans- MOLLY is inspiring me to use loops- lol. A lot of my dress pants don’t have loops. I mostly use belts to cinch dresses or tops - for style or color- but because it’s “free form” ( no loops) hour glass gals can keep it in place- us rectangles not so much. it moves along the rectangle that is the body causing discomfort depending on where it lands. ( I’m reminded of the “old lady” joke- I know where my boobs are- they are tucked in my belt—- but sometimes it’s because my belt works it’s way up to the boobs- lol.)
SF- I am so thrilled someone else likes supporting “local” . In this day and age it is so important to show we care.
JANET- yup- exactly
Thanks for all the great info

Sal

Veteran

I do wear them with jeans (especially boyfriend and midrise styles) - I have a white one with stars and a black one with rivets that are my most worn.

I do wear with higher waisted jeans too if I tuck.

I have one or two dresses where I wear a belt.

I don't like wide waist belts on me as I am too short waisted. With the white belt it might match my shoes but not my jeans or my top - but I will tie it in somewhere.

I have considered a hipsi or similar as I often wear tops outside my jeans so the belt loops are unseen but belts do stop saggy butt which can be a problem for me.

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

I have belts, I like belts...but I almost never wear them these days. They just seem unnecessary. If I do a half-tuck, I suppose there could be an inch or two of belt visible, but it seems like too much trouble. Angie’s sparkle belts might be worthwhile, though!

The only belt I wear is my Beltaway to keep waistband tight and flat under a longer top.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Unrequited love.

Irina

Veteran

I wore belts with lower rise pants and jeans. Not anymore. I don’t find them flattering on my short waisted body with higher rise pants. Too bad, I have some nice belts.

rachylou

Veteran

I like them visually but find them annoying to wear. They cut into my stomach when I sit. They’re fussy - today I’m wearing a belted dress. I had to redo it several times to make sure it wasn’t twisted, and then I have this dangling end. And coat belts... Ohmigosh, I’m always losing them.

Lesley

Veteran

I think a wide one makes me look great over dresses—I have one in a stiff olive green material with a tiny bit of stretch that has dark brass studs in it and it looks great with a lot of things. But other than that one I've never been a big belt wearer. I don't have trouble keeping my pants up, so for me it's just an optional accessory.

Aurore

Veteran

Love them! Especially statement belts with a dress or jacket. I think they elevate an outfit and give it structure. That being said, I've never managed to create such a look on me for the same reasons as Rachylou.

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Anonymous

SAL- seems like belts really like you- color me jealous
JESSI- yes when I saw ANGIE’s picks I thought of you
SHEVIA- thanks for making me smile- love that answer
IRINA- understand perfectly
RACHYLOU- hate that twisting and having to fix multiple times too. And Girlfriend - take your belt- loop it once around each side loop- you won’t lose it and it doesn’t wreck look too much if ends are tied in front or back.
LESLEY- it seems like you have found your happy place with belts though
AURORE- welcome to the “fussy” club
Well to all those who are keeping me company- thanks it’s nice to know I am not alone. And to those that are in their happy place thanks for posting so I can live vicariously through you all.

RobinF

Veteran

Hate for sure! I am also a rectangle and only wear belts when I have to to hold up my pants. They are too uncomfortable and make my waist look even wider.

Diana

Veteran

I wouldn’t say I hate them but I’m not much of a belt person (even though I somehow own a bunch). I have a defined waist but it’s very high and short, and I don’t like how belts emphasize that fact. The short waistedness also often makes belts uncomfortable because there’s not much space for them and they end up squishing my ribs. I also don’t tuck into pants so only wear belts with my pants when I need to hold them up (most of my pants stay up fine by themselves).

Anonymous

ROBIN and DIANA- yes and yes I hear you both and feel the same way
Thanks

Bonnie

Veteran

No belts for me. My hips hold up my pants so I don't need to wear them. I'm high waisted and they look silly on me and they are uncomfortable, too. I tried to wear them when I first started YLF and found them very frustrating. I'm glad that I have found ways to cover the loops and leave them off. However, I like the look and would love them if they would only love me back.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I love belts. I don't always wear them but have a decent collection and really enjoy choosing the right one for an outfit to add an extra touch. They also help keep my pants/shorts up and give me some accessory in hotter weather when I don't want to add much else.

These are a few I wear most often (except the black one is navy for me - this is the closest Find I could find). The "tan" one is actually a pearlescent light blonde color that I love.

LEOPARD PRINT PONY WAISTBELT

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Pebbled Leather Stud Belt

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Fossil Perforated Leather Belt

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Anonymous

I don’t know how I feel about belts. I do use them to hold up my pants, but with the higher rise pants, I don’t actually need them any more. I find them quite an expensive accessory that doesn’t do that much for an outfit, so shunt their purchase to the bottom of the list most of the time.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I’m so tempted to cull my belts, but I know as soon as I do, pant rises will get lower and I’ll want belts again! LOL I like the belts I have, but right now they’re closet decoration.

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