Today, I give you: the belt. Deep Thoughts, by Jack Handy.
I wear belts a lot. They help define my waist, add a pop of color, and generally make me feel like my outfit is "finished". I have belts in a variety of widths/materials, from leather to elastic waist cincher-types, but I find I most often reach for one in the 1" wide range.
Skinny belts tend to slide around on me, and don't define my waist enough for my liking (they work better for belting thicker shirts or with maternity wear), and my 2-3" wide elastic belts look best with my Downton Abbey-inspired looks.
For my everyday 1940s look, I've found that a good 1" belt helps my me-made skirts fit better, and the $5 leather ones I've been getting from ebay are just the thing because they have a slight nub to the backside that keeps them from going on walkabout on my torso. Always a win. They come in a wide array of colors, and I recently purchased three (red, dark green, and yellow) to make some of my clothing combinations a little more wearable for warmer weather.
Take 2 on the green dress. I realized after I took the Palm Sunday photos of this dress that it really (really) needs a belt. (For the record: I did not gain 50 pounds this Lent; I realized those original photos may have given that impression. Although, it must be said, I did eat a lot of bread.)
Much better! Still a little on the 60s side of styling for me, but it is comfortable, and easy to wear, so I'm just gonna go with it.
New-to-me summer Danksos. My old summer danskos bit it right at the end of last summer after two hard summers' wearing, so I was very pleased to find this pair on ebay recently. They are sling-back, so I can wear them with or without the laces, and they have a slight 1" heel (enough to keep my high arches happy) but not so much that I can't run around in them. And the neutral beige goes with everything. I'm wearing them with tights here, but they are perfect for summer.
Outfit one:
Red twill skirt: me made
Percale cotton button down blouse: me made from vintage fabric and pattern
1" "turquoise" leather belt: beltparadise
Telephone Brooch: loveevol (similar, from same seller)
Shoes: not pictured, but they are Bass Weejuns via ebay
Outfit two:
Green button down dress: eshakti (customized sleeves)
1" dark green belt: beltparadise
Earrings: Mrs. Meow (etsy seller no longer in business)
Danskos: ebay
Belts are a major fashion must have for me. I have a relatively small (not 1950s model small, mind you!) waist, but I'm also super curvy and not very long waisted, so it's a cinch for my waist to get swallowed up in my garments without a - pun intended - waist cincher! :) I tend to gravitate most towards either very skinny belts, or conversely, extra wide ones, such a beloved (40s looking) faux black leather mult-buckle belt I bought for a song from Forever 21 years ago.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for this handy, easy to come by accessory and what it can do for our figures!
Love both of these timelessly pretty outfits. That dark, elegant shade of green looks terrific on you!
♥ Jessica