I have some self tie dresses, but like you, I am never sure how to tie the belt. Waist emphasis is not part of my style formula because of my athletic rectangular frame, but skimming my waist, and having clothing that contours along the shape of my waist for some definition is part of my style. When I encounter self tie belts, my most frequent styling is to pull the belt to the back, slightly tighten to create some subtle waist definition, and then tie into a square knot and leave the ends hanging down. It’s important to remember they are there if you use a bathroom! If a belt is narrow, and it’s color/style does not break the vertical line of an outfit, I tie it in front, skewed either right or left but not centered, into either a square knot or as in your picture using spray starch…one loop up and loose ends hanging down. I have tried replacing self tie belts with an a leather belt, but it only works for me when the belt is the same color/tone/intensity as the dress. If I remove a belt, I often get the garment tapered at the waist. As a general rule, if a garment includes a belt, it probably has too much volume for my frame. It seems this detail may boil down to body shape and silhouette/proportion preferences. Do you love waist emphasis and can you break up your line with a strong horizontal? I love the look of a wide obi, or
leather statement belt, but they do not work for me.
