Wardrobe | Home

Tina, here.

Wearing belts is like cooking with salt. When you're baking a cake or brownies or cookies, the recipe will usually call for a bit of salt (for you Type A sticklers, that's unless you're using self-rising flour). Salt blocks bitterness and enhances sweetness. You've heard salt brings out the flavor in food. Eggs taste more like eggs. Chocolate tastes more like chocolate. Belts do the same with your outfits. A belted waist makes your waist look more like a waist.

A dress without a belt is just kinda there.

I mean it's fine and all, but we can sure add some spice to life.

My sweater dress here is so warm and comfy and doesn't touch me at all when I'm wearing it. That's your dream of a dress isn't it?

Let's see how to add a belt to spice it up a bit.

Belt #1: The belt that came with the dress

Meh. The only good thing about it is that I followed my rules and tied it in a flat knot to the side. No one wants to see a big bow on your belly.

Belt #2: A leather o-ring belt

Now that works! This is a belt I've had for about 15 years. I bought it second-hand to replace my favorite belt I'd owned, a suede Ralph Lauren belt that came with some suede pants (the first real suede pants I ever bought) that wore out after about fifteen years of wearing. I still have the pants. But back to the dress, it benefits from the shape and contrast provided by the belt. Suddenly I have a perceptible hourglass figure. And it managed to bring up the hem slightly on my dress, which was looking droopy so long. Big Tip Alert: notice how I set the ring off-center, to my side, so it's not directly sitting on my bellybutton. Anytime you can create a diagonal across your body, you are winning.

Belt #3. A vintage concha belt

This is my favorite look because it allows me to pretend to be the Western Glam woman I wish I were, living on the land and riding horses everyday. I got this belt at the Nashville Flea Market forever ago - for about $25. I felt bad because I knew it was original and good, but I didn't think the seller knew. It's probably worth several hundred dollars. It pays to be a professional shopper. But I still want you to notice how I'm wearing it off-center, and a bit side-slung. That's the key with most belts.

So, yes, try to wear the belts in your closet. If they are from the '80's they were made to go around your waist, not your hips. And so they will look like children's belts today. With my belts, I'm wearing them just below my natural waist but just above my hips. Good luck. You can do it. Just give it a whirl to make the day a little more fun!

Thanks so much for reading! Visit our Shop to see more of my Latest Loves plus all the Guides and posts that are available to purchase.