Over the past year or so, my mentality on getting dressed has done a 180. My outfits used to exclusively revolve around a trendy statement piece, and while I still love a ruffle-y top or silver pair of pants, I’ve found myself styling outfits entirely out of basics more than I ever have. Every time I get dressed, I have to talk myself out of throwing on a pair of baggy jeans, crewneck sweater, and sneakers and calling it a day. My brain alerts my “this is boring!” radar before the thought even fully filters through my brain, but as I’ve navigated my newfound love for basics, one piece has consistently made them feel, well, a whole lot less basic.
Statement jewelry and shoes get constant love and credit for being able to transform an outfit in one fell swoop, but a statement belt? They go largely unnoticed, and I’m on a mission to change that. I feel that people’s minds go to logo belts or classic ones, and disregard the entire range of non-basic, game-changing varieties that live somewhere in the middle. With the rise of the sold-out studded Khaite Benny Belt, that’s slowly but surely changing, but you also don’t need to spend $600 on a trendy belt—been there, done that, says the Gucci belt sitting in my closet—to get in on the transformative magic a belt can hold.
Think about it: You’re throwing on jeans and a T-shirt, and your favorite jewelry is already layered on. You tuck the tee in, add a belt, and boom—it goes from errand uniform to intentionally styled look. You heard it here first, folks: 2024 is the year of the belt.
