Summer Fashion: Outfit-Making Belts

--By Kim Moshtaghi

Jessica Simpson Snake Belt
$42.00
Available at: macys.com

Belts add a lot of flavor to an outfit. It’s the salt and pepper to the meal! Summery belts should be more easygoing-- less serious, but, more earthy and fun! A loose shirt, dress or pants can be transformed easily with an appropriate belt. You can make your waist and hips look smaller by belt placement. A nice white linen dress can look even more stunning by adding any color belt with bold accents.

Thick belts are always more purposeful in my opinion, unless you are wearing a ‘50s style dress and need a thinner belt to add diversity to the look, and cinch the waist a tad. I was very lucky to find some great summery belts that will set the mood for every occasion. I looked for light colored thick belts that are different and represent the summer months ahead.

My first pick is an adorable, shimmery Stone Stretch Belt from Bebe. It is a stretchy belt that will fit almost anywhere on the upper body; there’s room to get creative with it. What makes this belt stand out is the rockin’ three stones in the center. The shimmery band on the belt and the three big chunks of rock make this belt unique and suitable for the outfits in store for the warm months. White pants, denim dress-- you name it, and this belt will transform it to a sun goddess’s dream.

Michael Kors Double Belt
$52.50 (was $75-- save 30%!)
Available at: bloomingdales.com

Moving on to a more exotic belt, I found the Jessica Simpson Faux Snake Waist Belt. Jessica Simpson’s fashions are a hit or miss, but this belt is a hit! I love the thick yellowish exotic snake print. I love yellow, I love snake print-- the combo is magnificent! I’m glad Jessica is catching on, and now I can too with this belt. This belt would look hip and vixen-ish over a navy blue collared men’s shirt. Side note: visualizing items going with your existing wardrobe is very important. Once you can do that, you will get a lot more use out of the random pieces in your closet.

Next designer is my dear Michael Kors. Ah Michael, can you ever do wrong? Michael Kors has come out with a hot Straw Double Buckle Leather Belt. And, yes, there is a hot purse he came out with last year that was in the same straw leather family. The straw and white leather coexist beautifully together. The leather tabs and binding add an extra spark to the already flashy summery belt. Speaking of white linen dresses, this belt is a perfect completion to the dress.
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Kim Moshtaghi is a contributing writer for Adventures in the Stiletto Jungle. Born in Germany, Kim is currently based in sunny Del Mar, California, where she also serves as Stiletto Jungle's Director of Sales and Promotions. Kim has a communications degree, a third degree black belt, and a totally covetable Gucci handbag collection.