I know I talk up belts, like, all the time, but sometimes belts are high maintenance. Take this one I got for $1.25 at Savers, for instance. It was sitting there in the belt section like a little beacon of coolness in a sea of late 80’s fake leather and gold, just begging me to buy it. I thought it would be easy to wear because of the fact that it ties, making it totally adjustable, unlike belts with holes that you can usually only wear one place on your hips. I took it home and finally decided to wear it with this white dress. Too bad the white dress was also kind of cheap, and has a slippery surface and no belt loops! Even tied as tight as it would go, this beaded belt was sliding around all over my waist, and I ended up devoting a good chunk of my day to looking down. Not cool.

So, my friends, I leave you with a few hard-learned tips for belt-shopping: 1. Seek out belts with a bit of traction to them. Don’t buy slippery beaded ones unless you are sure they fit or can be adjusted TIGHTLY to prevent slippage. Choose a leather (with a suede underside) or elastic belt that creates friction with your clothing. 2. If you like to wear your belts many different ways, seek out a braided belt, because you can tighten it wherever you want. There’s nothing sadder to me than not being able to wear a certain belt because it is too big or too small (well, a few things are sadder, but let’s keep it positive). Braided belts can be found in many different widths and colors, so you can take your pick! 3. If you like to wear your belt at your natural waist, try an elastic one. It will stay comfy all day because it moves with you, and sometimes elastic belts have cool clasps!

Okay, ask me some belt-related questions and I can go on…

Dress: Urban Outfitters, Belt: Savers, Shoes: Miz Mooz (Stella Says Go), Earrings: Mana Culture

May 24, 2011