Tighten your belt

Big belts are back, not just those tacky elastic ones that were the rage in the 80s, but ultra stylish belts that women (including collegians) are pairing with almost every kind of garment.

They’ve become the hot new fashion accessory. The big daddies of the fashion world including Cavalli, Chanel and Dior have strongly endorsed this trend in their latest collections shown at international fashion weeks. And BT’s already spotted celebs flaunting big belts at recent events in the city. Right from Sheetal Mafatlal, Twinkle Khanna, Aishwarya Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif to Raveena Tandon and Ramona.

“It’s a trend I simple love,” says designer Maheka Mirpuri who believes big belts worn high on the waist make for a very stylish look. Another big fan of this trend is designer Pria Kataria Puri who reveals that she’s been in love with big belts right from the time they were in vogue back in the 80s. “I had a huge collection,” she says. Talking about the trend, Pria adds, “Feminity is the key word here and silhouettes like blouses, dresses and gowns — especially those with the empire line cut, are hot favourites. Big belts help accentuate the waist making it look smaller.”

One big reason fuelling this trend is the current fitness rage. “Everybody’s got a super toned body and what better way to show it than with a sexy big belt,” says designer Lina Tipnis. She, however, cautions that this trend is best sported by those on the slimmer side. “Big belts give an impression of power dressing,” she adds.
So where exactly should you wear the belt? “For that ultimate style statement, wear it so as to give you that high-waisted look,” says designer Nachiket Barve. And what kind of garments do they go best with? “For casual dressing one can wear the belt on a blouse and jeans — not on the jeans but on the blouse,” Pria says adding that the belt sizes can range from anywhere between one inch to five inches.

Contradicting Lina, Nachiket adds, “Big belts look good with voluminous shapes as they accentuate the silhouette. Remember, either the top garment or the bottom garment need to be voluminous for the effect of belt to be seen. They go absolutely well when teamed with a Kaftan top or a shirt blouse with slim pants or even a tunic with leggings.”

And with belts, buckles too have become funky. No longer will just the metal buckle do, these days you could find anything ranging from semiprecious encrusted buckles to name initials, animal shapes, intricate bows and abstract designs… the range is endless.