Q&A: Why Are Belts the Most Important Thing in my Closet?

Q&A: Why Are Belts the Most Important Thing in my Closet?

Ok, I may have added to the original question, which was "Can you talk about wearing belts?" The thing is, I think they're the #1 thing you have (or maybe don't have) in your closet for fall/winter 2013. My relationship with belts has been hot and cold. At one point, I owned easily over 40 belts. Then the whole long shirt, skinny pants thing (Round One) happened, and I abandoned my old friend. Coming round to today, I'm back on the belt fan wagon. Yeah, that's a thing.

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But why? Imagine each of these outfits without the belt: the cute expecting mama would be lost in her scarf-top, the incredible woman in the middle would be drowning in what looks like a too-big-coat, and the badass in pink on the bottom would look way less curvy and way more like she's wearing a men's shirt. It's all about the belt.

Belts add shape, cinch in waists, and highlight the narrowest part of you. They instantly tie together patterns or help colors relate to each other. Also, they can easily serve as the third thing that helps tie two pieces of clothing into an outfit. A skirt and men's shirt are clothes-with a belt, they're an outfit. Those amazing oxfords don't hurt, either.

So what?

Look around and see if you've already got a belt or two you could wear over something else-a cardigan, a men's shirt, over the top of a skirt (not in the belt loops). Focus on your narrowest part and loop it there. If you don't have a belt, raid a friend or family member's closet and see what you find there. Or, consider looking at a secondhand store. You can always add extra holes with a hammer and nail-just be sure to do it on top of something you don't mind getting a hole in.

If you're interested in working with me as your personal shopper or in having me re-do, re-fresh, and re-imagine your closet, now is the time to contact me because I will be starting to charge for my services in the next month. Book me now while I'm still building my portfolio! And no, you don't have to be on the blog.