NEW YORK — There are buttery soft handbags I lust after, and beautifully detailed heels I can only dream of cramming my oversize feet into.
When it comes to belts, though, I've never really cared enough to covet. Sure, I've got one I wear with jeans, and a few out-of-date ones hanging in my closet. Belts were just never my must-have accessory.
But the wide, waist-cinching belts turning up on torsos everywhere and forecast to be a big trend for fall caught my attention. They serve the dual purpose of calling attention to the narrowest part of the body while adding personal style.
"It's a way to define the waist, add color, add interest and a way to make an outfit uniquely your own, just as a piece of jewelry would," says Gregg Andrews, a fashion director at Nordstrom.
That sounded pretty good to me, so I agreed to take one out for a spin.
I had visions of testing something edgy, like the black, studded Azzedine Alaia number Michelle Obama wears. But that vibe just wasn't right for my decidedly non-edgy closet, now filled with summery pastels and soft-colored prints.
I ended up with a 2 1 /2-inch thick, open-weave belt from Belgo Lux in tobacco-colored leather (retail cost: $48). Thebelt's design was pretty in a way I felt would work well with my feminine wardrobe.
I tried it with as many types of outfits as I could to gauge its versatility.
Shopping day was easy. I wore my belt out of the store over a plain scoop-neck white T-shirt with jeans.
On the second day, going to visit my kids at camp, I chose a close-fitting green tank top with a sporty flared pink skirt. I buckled on my belt, and it was easy as could be. A friend noted it worked well with the preppy color combo.
In both outfits, the belt gave me a more finished look, especially because I was wearing basic pieces with little jewelry. It felt good to be wearing a polished accessory.
And being strapped in gave me a feeling of power that made me walk a little taller.
However, day three was a challenge. I hadn't tried on my outfit ahead of my early morning workday and almost missed my train thanks to the extra beltfussing time.
I ended up in a short-sleeved button-down shirt with a chambray blue and white skirt. The proportions were off with the belt over the tucked-in shirt; it looked messy belted and untucked. But I found success when I retucked and lowered the belt for a lowslung, not of-the-moment, look.
I mixed things up for day four,wearing the belt over a puffsleeve black top. I wasn't sure the belt would look good over a dark color, but you could still see the delicate work of the belt's weave.
The next outing was another quick change, heading to dinner at a friend's house with my family after a day at the pool. While I had a few possibilities worked out in my head, it was another mad scramble that made us late.
But I felt confident in a belted sleeveless straw-colored top over a white printed skirt and a cardigan. At the end of the night, our hostess said she liked the look: "I thought you looked all put together."
Back to work again on day six, and I wanted to replicate one of Obama's looks: The unbuttoned and belted cardigan. I belted an open lavender cardigan over a white camisole and wore it with a blue and white microcheck skirt. I was happy with the outfit, though I wanted the sweaterto stay straight and had to adjust it when I stood up.
A co-worker complimented the belt as "interesting" and "intricate," and said it looked "handmade, of course." Another colleague coveted it in the way I never had before. "I want one of those belts," she declared.
Since my six days of testing, I've bought a big belt for fall, knowing that wearing it will be nothing but a cinch.
High Profile, Pages 43 on 08/23/2009