Belting it out

Thank you for your enthusiastic responses to my last post. I certainly enjoyed experimenting and then sharing the results. Ever since school started on Monday, I've been long on ideas for blogging but short on time to develop them. Fortunately, spontaneous outfit experiments give me something to write about.

Belts have become indispensible to my closet. I used to have none, and now I have many of them hanging around. Back in the day when I was young and didn't have the money or expertise to find jeans that fit, I used them to cinch in the too-big waist. Such horrific memories were associated with belts, so that's why I tended to avoid them. Now that I'm more savvy about picking clothes that fit, I need them less for the utilitarian aspect and more for the decorative purposes. The color and style of the belt is often the unifying element for a seemingly dissonant outfit, and the relatively low prices allow us to build up an interesting belt collection, which in turn leads to the creation of fun outfits. More economical than having to buy new clothes all the time, right?

A good example of what a belt can do is a tunic I received as a gift. Since my former co-worker brought it all the way back from India, I really appreciate it. Unfortunately, the tunic top was way too loose on me, and I didn't know what else to wear it with other than jeans. Since the tunic doesn't really mesh with how I usually like to dress, I don't wear it very much. Today I was determined to make it work. I thought about using a braided rope belt from Target because the contrasting color would make it stand out, and the dangling tassels will dress up the top a little bit. I really like the result:

When I went out in the evening, it was clear that wearing shorts is not the brightest idea. In the course of dressing for cooler temperatures, I took off the belt and did something else with it. I'm against surprised by how well it works out:

What's the moral of the story? Certain types of belts are great because they can be worn at least 2 different ways: 1) as intended and 2) as a necklace. Besides rope belts, those chain belts and jingly coin belts have a lot of potential. Whatever belt you choose, make sure it isn't rigid and flat as a pancake, or else you'll look ridiculous wearing an obvious belt.

Conversely, if you have long necklaces with clasps, you can wrap one around you a couple of times, clip it in, and call it a belt. I tried it a while ago with a long faux pearl necklace that had a toggle clasp. It worked like a charm.