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Belts exist squarely at the intersection of function and style. Sure, they can keep a pair of too-large pants from sagging. But the right belt can also inject a dose of personality or whimsy into your outfit on days when you reach for your favorite white T-shirt and jeans. Or stylishly cinch in an oversize blazer or maxi skirt.
To help guide your belt search, we asked a panel of stylish women which ones they use to accent their denim, complement their sundresses, and buckle up their bike shorts. Their suggestions spanned the belt style spectrum, from understated black leather to exotic snakeskin and bedazzled options. Read on for their suggestions for belts to go with practically every outfit.
Update on November 12, 2024: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.
Under $100
J.Crew was name-checked by four different people we spoke to as the preeminent source for durable, affordable belts that won’t go out of style. “I love my J.Crew belt. The brand does such a great job of offering affordable belts that are still high quality,” says McKenzie DePinto, an account executive at Mansur Gavriel. If you’re in the market for your first belt, she suggests going for “something simple and timeless” like this black leather belt with a gold buckle. Style expert Alison Deyette says this particular belt “has been added to the closet of many of the clients I style” thanks to its ability to pair with pretty much any item of clothing in your wardrobe. If you’re looking for something a touch more unique, you can personalize it with a monogram (for an extra $10).
“My favorite and most worn belt is one I got from the men’s section of J.Crew in high school,” recalls influencer and content creator Gabriela Mannix. “It’s only gotten better with age, and holds it own against some of the other pricier belts I own.” Though the exact belt she picked up in high school is no longer available, she says this brown suede version is very similar. Her favorite way to style it is to “knot the belt so I can wear at my natural waist or hips, no extra notch needed!”
For a slightly more unconventional twist, content creator and real-estate agent Beth Doud Tomashoff recently bought the brown croc-embossed version of the belt above. “It’s very good quality for the price point. I was looking for a brown belt, and this one totally fit the bill and the price was right,” she says. It’s also available in raffia, straw, and leopard calf hair, if you’re in the mood for even more of a statement piece.
“I prefer braided belts for their versatility because I can wear them with pants with a variety of rises,” says beauty editor and brand consultant Hannah Baxter, who calls braided styles “the Swiss Army knife of belts.” And because a braided belt can accommodate a range of waists, it’s an ideal option for plus-size women. Baxter particularly likes this Brooks Brothers belt, which also comes in burgundy and brown. “Pair it with bike shorts and shit-kicker boots — trust me on this,” she says.
“If your goal is to be a one-belt pony, I’ll insist that it be this one,” says artist and designer Edith Young. The belt feels vintage-y (in a good way), and Young also points out that Nisolo is “an environmentally and socially conscious brand” (sold at reasonable price points to boot). Nisolo promises its belts are made with 100 percent vegetable-tanned leather and made by workers who are paid a living wage and have access to health care.
Under $200
“This is my forever go-to piece when it comes to a classic black belt,” says photographer and graphic designer Shini Park of this skinny (just one inch wide) belt. She promises it “looks great with everything” but especially “loves the effect it has on tailored trousers.”
Personal stylist and Kule content director Elizabeth Tamkin describes B-Low the Belt’s Milla belt as “very sleek and sophisticated”; she’s especially a fan of the minimalist, Bottega-esque metal buckle. It also comes recommended by content creator Ella McFadin, who says it’s a perfect everyday belt that would “look super cute paired with jeans or a chunky sweater. You could even style it over a midi skirt and tuck the sweater into it.”
Tamkin wears this Emme Parsons belt several times a week and receives “so many compliments on it.” It’s fairly long, which threw her for a loop at first, but eventually she grew to embrace the “tail”: “I used to always tie the tail, but now I really like the element of it swinging, like an actual tail,” she says. But she adds that it’s very adjustable with a lot of holes, so you can play around and find the length that works best for you.
Both McFadin and personal stylist Ilana Torbiner vouch for this black belt with dainty gold flourishes from Aureum Collective. “Aureum is a jewelry brand, and I really think of this belt as a jewelry piece — the gold detailing is very well thought out,” McFadin says. Torbiner also noted the belt’s hardware in particular; the custom-molded gold buckle gives it “a classy, dressier feel,” she thinks.
Under $300
Five of the women we spoke with recommend belts by French designer Isabel Marant. “She offers everything from super-classic to braided to a bit more Western and designed,” explains art director Madelynn Furlong. This hardware-heavy belt adorned with gold studs is a surefire way to add edge to an outfit.
Doud Tomashoff has owned this Anderson’s belt for three years now and says the pebbled black leather and shiny gold buckle still look like new. “I’ve worn it in the summer, in the winter. I’ve worn it a million different ways,” she says. “This belt is just one of those belts that I’ll have in my closet forever.”
“If you already have your staples and you want to start venturing into different colors, different hardware, or different shapes, Déhanche is a great brand for that,” advises stylist and content creator Jules Fox, adding that she loves their “super unique” pieces “that you won’t see everyone else on the street wearing.” She likes this Hollyhock belt in particular, which has a set of rings in place of a single loop, “for when you want to stand out and really spice up your looks.”
If you really want to turn heads, three of the stylish gals we talked to suggest this sparkling option from B-Low the Belt. “If you’re simply looking for something functional to hold your pants up, this is not that,” says Nicole Akhtarzad Eshaghpour, editor-at-large at Who What Wear. “However, it does look unbelievably cool with anything from a sweatshirt and jeans to a slip dress, so I would still recommend it.”
“This belt adheres to the equation I invented as a divining rod for my own shopping habits: Always aspire to ‘Polo Bar meets Dylan’s Candy Bar,’ where a classic — dare I say preppy? — silhouette becomes rerouted by an unexpected color palette,” says Young. Plus, this belt is reversible, so there are actually two palettes to choose from. “You can buckle this up on the days when you feel guilty about wearing the most boring pair of pants in your closet.”
$300 and over
Multiple sources we talked to mentioned Khaite’s Benny belt as the “It” belt of the moment. Torbiner says hers has held up excellently for several years now, and Doud Tomashoff, who bought a slightly more opulent version with gold studs, declares that she’s “obsessed” with it. “It really makes any outfit so much better and cooler. The inside is a very soft leather and you can just tell it’s phenomenal quality,” Doud Tomashoff says.
Fox admits that it’s certainly pricey but declares that this timeless black belt from The Row is worth the splurge. “The leather is so nice and elevated. It won’t show any wear and tear and you’ll be able to wear it with every single item in your closet,” Fox says. After wearing it on repeat for over a year, she reports that the hardware “has not tarnished one bit.”
Eshaghpour loves this “special but simple” leather belt from Loewe, which features a buckle inspired by the brand’s logo. “The buckle is a touch more nondescript than your average logo belt,” she says, “so no matter how many times you wear it, you won’t get sick of it.”
Additional reporting by Dominique Pariso
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