If you don’t have these 3 belts in your wardrobe, you are missing out on a ton of potential!

But first of all, let me address the need for belts in the wardrobe.  A belt is not something that holds your jeans up if they are too big in the waist. It’s an accessory. Just like shoes or bags.

You can keep them very functional (and miss out on all the fun you could have with them!) or use them strategically and give your outfits an extra edge.

Second, if you have trousers, jeans, skirts or dresses that have belt loops, you NEED a belt! Empty loops give the outfit an unfinished look, like you forgot to add something.

Just think about it – you have an effortless opportunity to make your look that little bit more stylish and interesting! Why would you want to miss out on it?

To make sure you put zero effort into adding this final touch, I’d highly recommend having 3 basic belts that are guaranteed to go with 90% of your wardrobe’s contents: black (or navy if your wardrobe is navy-based), brown and light neutral.

These will work with most of your wardrobe and effortlessly finish off the majority of your outfits.

COLOUR

What colour to go for will largely depend on the contents of your wardrobe, but in general black, brown and a light colour covers the majority of needs for most wardrobes. 

Navy is a good alternative if you don’t have much black in your wardrobe, but can be a challenge to find. (Hobbs have a nice suede one in stock at the moment). 

What shade of brown to go for depends on how dressy or casual your wardrobe is. The brighter you go on brown (e.g. tan), the more casual the belt will appear. Dark cognac brown is a good versatile option. Burgundy is another good alternative here, but think through how it will co-ordinate with what you have. 

What light neutral to go for, again, depends, on your wardrobe’s colour palette but in general, beige, grey, cream, taupe or nude are good options.

I wear a lot of cream in spring/summer so cream is the handiest neutral for me personally. Think what pieces in your wardrobe need a lighter-coloured belt and you’ll know which shade you’ll get the most wear out of. 

Another great option to have that I haven’t put on the must-have list, but would highly recommend having is a leopard print belt. It brings a chic touch to looks and easily co-ordinates with most colours. 

MATERIAL 

3 materials that I’d recommend considering are patent, croc finish and suede.

Why those? They have additional elements in them (shine and texture) that plain leather doesn’t offer. 

However, it doesn’t mean that you can’t go for smooth leather. Good quality leather looks well even when it doesn’t have any texture. 

I’d highly recommend putting a bit of budget behind these staples as they’ll serve you for years to come. But if you are on the budget, you can find suitable options on high street and put better quality alternatives on the shopping list for further down the line. 

STYLE

Go for a design as simple as possible – no extra hardware, now fancy buckles, no studs, etc.

You want the belt to be like a blank canvas – it needs to work with tailored trousers as well as casual pieces. Streamlined simple belts do the job perfectly. 

Don’t go too skinny or wide on the style. 1 or 1 1/2 inch is the perfect width. 

Skinny belts don’t look right with trousers as they don’t fill in the loops and wide belts might simply not fit through the loops. 

When choosing the length, aim for versatility – ideally you want to wear these belts with trousers as well as on your waist over dresses, so try to invest in a piece that offers both. 

You won’t need a light neutral belt if you don’t wear light colours in trousers/jeans/skirts.

The idea of a light belt is to minimize the contrast between the bottoms and the belt. When they are close enough on the colour value, it has a flattering effect on the silhouette. 

Black can look harsh beside light colours or some neutrals, and this is where brown can come in really handy. 

So evaluate the colour palette of your bottoms and determine whether you need all 3.

As for belts in other colours, like red, green, blue, etc, they are not staples and have to be factored into specific outfits so never buy them on a whim. They need a plan, otherwise they’ll just end up sitting in your wardrobe.