How the humble belt became the street style set's ultimate styling tool

There’s a trend making a comeback that requires you to take a deep breath. Belts – particularly waist belts – were spotted cinching and nipping in silhouettes on myriad spring/summer 2019 runways. Maria Grazia Chiuri finished nearly every single look at Dior with a skinny logo-ed version, creating hourglass silhouettes. There were seat belt-esque buckled versions at Givenchy, while Marc Jacobs swapped traditional matchy-matchy trench-coat belts for contrasting leather buckled ones.

First popular in the Thirties, narrow belts that added definition to waists were the complete antithesis to the shapeless flapper dresses of the Twenties. Buckles made from plastic and silver in shapes such as diamonds and squares, often embellished with diamanté, became a focal point. When leather became scarce during the war years, canvas and ribbon became alternative options. Towards the end of the decade, they were being buckled much tighter to emulate Dior’s radical New Look, featuring A-line skirts, padded hips, slenderfitting jackets and, of course, a teeny-tiny waist.

Fast-forward to the Fifties, and wide belts, some measuring 5in, were being paired with everything from day dresses to longer sweaters. The Sixties and Seventies saw a return to a lower, relaxed waistline, replacing tight waspie belts with low-slung chain styles.

So it’s interesting, in this current climate of uncertainty, that we’re seeing a marked return to more tightly drawn contour lines. When Keira Knightley went to collect her OBE at Buckingham Palace late last year, she wore a lemon tweed skirt-suit from Chanel. The finishing touch? A patent-leather, rose gold belt, which created a fit-and-flare shape.

And with fashion month under way, we’ve seen plenty of recent examples of the street-style set pairing oversized padded jackets and knits with wide belts, creating a cocoon-like effect. Many have also been inspired by Marc Jacobs, adding simple leather belts to traditional garbarine trench coats. A cheap trend update? Now, that’s worth buckling up for.

Tracking the trend

Breathe in, 1971

Singer/actress Jane Birkin accessorised this Matson shirt-and-shorts set with a D’Naz belt.

Width matters, 1994

Diana, Princess of Wales, added definition to a white skirt suit with a contrasting wide black belt.

Tighten up, 2019

During New York Fashion Week the street-style set loved to add shape to more oversized silhouettes with simple leather belts.