Belt yer outfit!

Oh look, another belt-themed blog post! Oh belts... how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

#3882647: Belt That Outfit:

I have been admiring this trend from afar, skeptical about its practicality (I love the look of a winter coat belted with a wide belt not part of the coat... but when you wanna take it off or just zip it open on the metro?) but loving the silhouette it creates.

When Adrienne showed up at my door wearing this cute grey dress with studded belt, I had to try it out on her. She already looked awesome, having taken a shapeless girly dress with great pleating work, and deciding to belt it, not just with anything - some black studded leather to add some edge - and topping the outfit with a black cardigan. The cardigan was a perfect candidate, as it had no buttons or enclosure of any kind - it was actually built to just hang.

And so we belted it. I think it looks awesome and I can't wait to try this look out more often.

Street Stylin' Style Tip: Belts! Perfect for weddings.

If, like me, you have multiple weddings to attend before the summer draws to a close, you may be feeling it in your wallet. Buying gifts, travelling and needing multiple outfits per wedding really add up. Borrowing is a great way of making a great-looking one-time outfit that doesn't break the bank.

Nancy was in the same situation and so we had an accessory date. Belts were the focus, as we were trying to give shape to a gorgeous but shapeless Banana Republic dress found on super sale. We finally located the perfect one: my wide black leather belt with snap and puckered front detail (handmade from second hand leather in Montreal by Deborah Adams, available at Lustre Boutique). It matched the other pleats in the dress and instantly gave Nancy a flattering hourglass silhouette.

We also had fun dressing Nancy up in a variety of other belts to match her fantastic black tube/black skirt outfit that day. She left wearing a faux leather green wraparound that I picked up in NYC as well as an extra-wide purple leather made-in-Canada corset belt from Bedo.

Spring Fashion Forward

Maybe it's pre-emptive but I'm starting to smell spring and it smells good. The thought of ditching my down-filled coat excites and inspires me... And so I turn to Chanel in order to "chanel" (ooh, bad word pun... sorry!) that energy into awesome outfit.

First a word about Chanel. Coco Chanel was one damn rad dame. She hipped us to short hair, the mini-skirt, the powersuit and pants when women's fashion was still in the dark ages. A lot of people have a real hate-on for the fashion industry, justifiably so, but I just want to remind y'all that at the heart of it, Haute Couture is about Art and Craft. Artists envision and design the wearable works of art that are then brought to life by highly skilled and trained artisans like embroiderers, beaders, seamstresses, etc. Though the final product tends to be unwearable and unaffordable, its essence trickles down to become mainstream fashion. I think we could benefit by returning to the idea of custom-made clothes made by local artisans, but I'll say more about that later and over and over.

Karl Lagerfeld, who aside from being damn hilarious, is the head of the Chanel House, is making sure that Coco's legacy lives on - and The Spring/Summer line is no exception.

Let's break it down:

Skinny Pants. This doesn't mean low-rider jeans that simultaneously give you plumber butt and muffin top. We're talkin' well-tailored trim pants, not just jeans. They can bunch the tiniest bit at the ankle for a more casual look.

Cropped Jacket. Finally, I can pull out my boleros from the summer of 2005 and not get funny looks from the fashion unconscious. Careful not to wear it over a pouffy dress - make sure there is space between the bottom hem of the jacket and where your dress or skirt starts to 'pouf', about the length of the black band in the photo. Otherwise, the look will be round and not tidy-tailored.

Belt Band. A fabric belt or belly warmer worn around your natural waistline, with your top tucked in but not tightly so you have fabric hanging over the top edge of the band.

Headgear. I don't expect the Montreal ladies to be sporting large floral and bird-themed headpieces this spring, but we can borrow Chanel's essence here: when we shed those toques this spring, tuck a brooch, flower or dollar-store bird in your tresses. Tresses. I can't believe I just used Cosmo slang instead of saying "hair".

Blousy Tops. What happened to shirts with little capped sleeves, thick hems and room to breathe? Hopefully this signals their return. This look is also great for dresses - look for a thicker band of fabric around the waist that the top will hang over.

Cautionary Tale. Maybe try to stay away from wearing all these items at once. Unless you're getting married - which seems to be the new youthful hipster trend these days - in which case you have my permission to wear whatever the hell you feel like.

BIG BELTS

I have always been a big Big Belt fan, since way back. My love for them earned me the nickname “Champion” due to the similarities my belts shared with those of the Wrestling Championship variety.

I have these fabulously oversized vintage belts from the eighties - in the beginning of the millenium, I would pierce extra holes in them and wear them low-slung on my hips. Now that the cinched high waist is back, I can wear them as they were meant to be worn: at the waist over a sweater, long shirt or dress.

As much as I love my vintage belts, I have indulged in a couple of the new ones:

1) A long green leather sash-like one that goes twice around the waist and can be tied in a bow and
2) a rigid purple leather one that just barely overlaps and does up with two miniature belt buckles.

There are a couple of things I have found while experimenting with them.

1) Wear them now, while it’s cold. In the summer, I would end up with a wide sweaty unbreathable band around my mid-section. I do not subscribe to the pain = beauty philosophy, so No, it’s not worth the all-day under-boob moisture overload. Maybe if you had a light fabric one, such as silk, though I have found that if this type isn’t fortified and backed with a stronger fabric, they end up scrunching up and looking like a dinky sized belt anyway.

2) Don’t wear them on top of your high-waisted pants. It’s overkill. I felt like I was wearing a corset all night. And really - it’s redundant. If you want to wear a belt over your high-waisted pants or skirt, make it a dramatic skinny one.

3)I have noticed a new trend in wide belts: using them to cinch a pouffy down-filled winter coat. Aesthetically, I approve of this look but will not be sporting it for the impracticality feature - zippers are plenty good enough and you have to keep your jacket unzipped to achieve the full effect, letting in the cold winter air.