It usually takes a couple of years for the trends on a runway to drip through the percolator of fashion commerce before large-scale integration sets in. What I mean by integration is that thing where after you clock a burgeoning trend, like take note that it’s coming even though you might not care to participate yet, you slowly undo that apathy and start to feel like your outfit is incomplete without the trend in question.

There’s typically a few months’ lag for me between noticing the trend and wanting to wear it but belts are an easy one to miss completely. Or, it’s not exactly that — but they’re not as easy to pinpoint.

They’re unassuming in that way that you know something is different but you can’t quite hone in on what. And they can be worn so many different ways — to accentuate a waistline, to keep a pair of pants up, or totally fecklessly as decoration. It’s kind of like when you get a haircut or grow out your eyebrows or have a spiritual awakening, and people are like, “You are different but I can’t quite tell why.”

That’s belts. They’re always around because they’re belts — an actually utilitarian artifact that makes clothing more comfortable to wear, but they’ve been back in the zeitgeist for, let’s say 3 years now, and it seems we’re at the point of genuine integration, so, if you want to dust off ye olde crystal buckles

Or you got your hands on one of the new, more modern iterations (The Row, Emme Parsons) but still find yourself wondering, “What does a belt even do for this outfit?,” here’s a visual short list of answers.

With that dynamism, I mean. Here in this plain look, I’m simply wearing grey trousers, a white t-shirt and blue suede flats — but the belt adds a bit of polish that creates the illusion of a greater sense of put togetherness even though I lost my wallet two weeks and still haven’t replaced anything that was in it.

Towards the end of the holiday season is usually when I start to feel a bit of dressing fatigue to the extent that I don’t care as much about saying the most with my clothes, but I do still want to look put together. Turns out that a belt is a great way to wear nothing out of the ordinary, but still feel like you’re dressed. Added a big chunky gold bracelet too because there’s room to play with the overall canvas.

I am still floored by the impact the simple change of belt or pair of shoes can have on an outfit. It’s like, if I was going back to the restaurant where I left my wallet to try and retrieve it in the last look, here I am ready to go back to that restaurant and splay across the bar with the grace of a Kelly.

What?

But let’s step away from the white tee and trousers now.

Shown another way, I had breakfast with my friend Rosie last week and she is probably going to kill me to including this picture here, but she was wearing:

A grey blazer with a leather knitted belt knotted over it and snaked a scarf through the lapels and into the belt while she was at it. Also reminded me that the best hat option for cold weather in a nylon bucket hat.

The scrappiest way to use a belt! Take a pair of pants that are big on you: maybe they belong to your partner, to a former version of you, to your parent, your sibling, your friend, wtvr!, and belt the hell out of them.

The Khaite belt and tube top in this instance afforded the khaki pants a bit of glamour they’ve never been able to experience wrapped around the legs of their true owner, while the shirt made them feel much more at home in their plainness.

In sum: belts are a worthwhile outfit add. The styles I have found most useful include:

• The most basic belt, in brown

Consider it a primer — the belt you use to get your toes wet and explore the ways your style can transform with the fell swoop and loop of a strap. Or whatever. This particular belt was actually a surprising revelation within the constellation of my closet because brown’s not a frequent color in my rotation but I have found that it compliments charcoal grey and faded black denim, or a black tee and blue jeans in an unexpected way — and because it’s so simple, it works with the rest of the palettes too.

• The other primer

Really good on outerwear, sturdy, durable, sleek, well made, and better priced than most. It comes in a skinnier version too, but I like to use it over a jacket, so width and weight of this one work for me.

• The studded party girl

The patent leather gold studded Khaite belt has turned out to be a great antidote to pretty casual clothes, making them (the casual clothes) seem more festive or just like they know how to have a better time than they do. I think the gold studs give a different, more polished vibe that is less rock and roll, and I can’t find that version of the belt around anywhere, so I’m including this squiggly buckle one, which is priced a bit better and gets the same job done on account of that patent leather band. (And not for nothing, belts are a great gift to give/get bc they among the annoying things you never want to buy for yourself, but which you’re happy to have once you have them).

• An Etro wildcard

This one caught my attention like a month ago, for probably the opposite reason to the Khaite one — it’s a perfect foil for a plain outfit (white tee, trousers) or a very sleek one (think a black tuxedo suit with patent leather shoe o something). My style errs more naturally casual — tons of jeans and like, shades of camel, so this guy might be too literal with the spoils of my wardrobe but if you’re a sleek all-black wearer, I love it for you.

• And here for your viewing pleasure, some Real Real spoils from past and present.

That concludes this episode. Have a great holiday and see you back here soon. Signing off yours,

Leandra