JUST CINCH IT: A slim waisted case for the high-fashion belt
Just the other day, on the way out the door, my honey Frank said to me, “You look great.” Being that Frank is, by nature, very complimentary, I said “Thanks” with a usual nonchalance. “No,” came the retort, “like, fabulous. That belt is hot!”
I knew it. About the belt, I mean. Just a few moments earlier, I’d had a little chat with my full-length mirror… “Hey, nice belt.” “Thanks, it’s new.” “Your waist looks tiny.” “No, stop!” Self-gratifying (and mortifying) as that little pep talk was, it helped me to embrace my hourglass shape. When I walked (okay, strutted) downstairs, I knew I was workin’ it. That afternoon, I was the (happy) victim of multiple catcallers. From here on out, I am a belt devotee.
But the belt continues to boggle non-believers. It has, after all, been mostly forgotten since the early 1990s, thanks to the rumpled abettors of heroin “chic.” On a quest for that stick-straight Kate Moss bod, we sacrificed our waistbands for clean, unbroken torsos and the illusion of slender length. We bought into the credo that less was always more.
But therein is my dilemma: I’m not really a less-is-more gal. Yes, I am a proponent of easy style and a defender of simple chic; I believe that over-exaggerations in fashion are triumphant on the runway and tragic on the street; and I am wary of the fleeting allure of trends. All that said, I have been bored to death by skinny minimalism; its equal and opposite reaction—the blousy shapeless tunic—has, for me, all the appeal of an Oompa-Loompa. Give me some femininity. Show me some curves!
The belt is our knight in form-fitting armor, come to rescue us from disfigured fashion. And ladies, it’s high time to get back on that horse. I confess that certain styles are tough to wear—I’ve never quite mastered the low-slung look that model types so effortlessly buckle over slouchy-sexy boyfriend shirts… it’s like being on the losing end of a daylong tug-of-war. But a slim metallic belt with jeans and heels, or a graphic printed scarf tied on wide-legged pants—that’s not so hard. Once you’ve nailed down the basics, its time to go bold: Enter the high-waisted cincher, this season’s most attention-grabbing accessory.
The mother of all belts, the rib-grazing cincher has roots in old Hollywood. Katharine Hepburn, ever the quick-witted tomboy, donned hers with men’s trousers; Grace Kelly was relaxed and elegant in a cinched white shirtdress or cotton capris; and, in belted suits and broad chapeaux, Joan Crawford was flat-out fierce. But the beauty of this belt is that you don’t need a stylist to rock it—it looks fabulous with pretty much everything.
Go safari in a canvas number on a khaki halter dress, or channel Lucy in a full-skirted frock. Femme fatales will relish the look with a figure-hugging pencil skirt or cigarette pant. If it all seems too tricky, you can start by playing it safe: I like to buckle my big belts in place of already existing ties. Trench coats are a cinch.
Like a statement-making bauble, the right belt can make an outfit. It is to your waist what an eye-catching cocktail ring is to your pointer finger: a guaranteed “Va va voom!”
Here, a wide, canvas belt from Reiss replaces the black fabric tie on my Anne Fontaine “Chloe” blouse.
Tags: accessory, bauble, belt, belted suits, black fabric tie, boyfriend shirts, buckle, chapeaux, cigarette pant, cocktail ring, cotton capris, Femme fatales, full-skirted frock, Grace Kelly, heels, high-waisted cincher, jeans, Joan Crawford, Kate Moss, Katharine Hepburn, khaki halter dress, linkedin, pencil skirt, Reiss, scarf, shirtdress, simple chic, Trench coats, wide-legged pants, “Chloe” blouse