How to Wear a Wide Belt

One way to get more mileage out of your wardrobe is to try different accessories.

Wide belts are a great option to play with because they can give an outfit more definition, and they come in a variety of styles, so you can mix it up a little.


A wide belt usually sits at the waist and can help give more shape to loose clothing, such as a maxi dress or tunic top. They can also help give you more of an hourglass figure that accentuates the bust line and hips.


However, if you are short-waisted, you may find a wide belt takes up too much of your waist and will make you look thicker because they give the illusion of cutting you in half rather than making your silhouette appear longer. See my suggestions for elongating the waist in a previous article.


Wide belts come in a variety of fabrics – leather, textured fabrics and elastic band style. Fabric belts will be a little more comfortable if you plan to sit a lot because they are flexible and have more give. Wide leather belts are more stiff and structured. Though they look great, it may get a little uncomfortable if you plan to wear them during your eight-hour desk job.


Cinch a Maxi Dress

A long maxi dress is a great loose-fitting option in the summertime. If you don’t want to look like you’re drowning in all that material, grab a belt to cinch it in. Wide belts are the perfect balance since a thinner belt might get lost in all the material that makes up a maxi. This faux leather wrap belt provides a clear, defined waistline.

Add More Fit to a Shift

Shift dresses are so easy to throw on and go, but sometimes you want a little more style and fit. Adding a wide belt can break up the long line of a shift fit to give a more styled look. If you have a lot of pattern going on in the fabric and belt can also draw some more definition to an outfit than just pattern, so people see you’re wearing the dress rather than the dress is wearing you.

Add Texture and Mix Prints

A fun wide belt with a pattern can make your outfit more playful and interesting by adding some texture. You can all use it to mix prints in unexpected ways. Stick to colors in the same color family or complementary colors that are opposites on the color wheel and you can’t go wrong pairing them up.

Polish Up a Blouse and Skirt

A wide belt can be a final grounding touch to a classic blouse and skirt combo. Rather than choosing a thin belt that doesn’t call attention to itself, a wide belt can be more of a statement piece. A classic black or tan also makes it easy to tie into a matching purse and shoes, so you look fully styled.

Give A Pop of Color

Oh black, how we love you. It’s so easy to put on a look cool and sophisticated. But if you want to look styled, add a pop of color. A bright wide belt can break up all that black with a little surprise style.


Now that you know some ideas for how to wear a wide belt, which one will you try first? See more of my looks on the  Stiletto City blog and my  Instagram page.

The author may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.

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