Skinny belts for women have been in and out of fashion since the 1940s, with their popularity often linked to body-hugging fashions. The term “skinny belt” is relatively new, originating in the early 21st century alongside the popularity of skinny jeans.
Skinny belts are narrow belts for women, usually no more than 1 to 1.5 inches (2.54 to 3.81 cm) wide. While skinny belts have gone out of style several times over the decades, the term “skinny belt” itself is relatively new. Originating in the early part of the 21st century, the use of the word “skinny” in fashion magazines to describe narrow belts likely stemmed from the simultaneous popularity of “skinny jeans,” or jeans with very narrow legs.
The popularity of skinny or narrow belts generally tends to run parallel with the popularity of skinny, fitted or body-hugging fashions. In the 1940s and 1950s, skinny belts were worn with very tight suit jackets or shirt dresses to further accentuate a woman’s waist. Patent leather belts in red or black were particularly common in the 1950s, and most women matched them exactly with their shoes and bags.
As Chanel-type suits of the 1960s came into fashion, the skinny belt fell out of favor, virtually disappearing from the mainstream in the 1970s when baggy pants, maxi dresses, and billowy tops were paired with wide belts that were better suited to the unstructured. clothing cut. The punk subculture of the late 1970s eschewed flared pants in favor of cowl pants, and therefore wearers also often wore thinner belts.
The straight-leg jean fashion of the 1980s brought skinny belts as a fashion accessory to complement denim from famous designer brands. Metallic colors were popular for skinny belts of the ’80s, and some belts were even made to look like stretchy gold chains, often with whimsical buckles in shapes like butterflies, hearts, or designer logos.
Skinny belts fell by the wayside back in the 1990s, as grunge fashion and unbuttoned flannel shirts, as well as hip-hop fashion’s choice of dropped-bottom pants, precluded the need for belts. pretty. Although rarely seen due to baggy clothing, the belts of choice to pair with baggy 90s jean styles were a traditional width, usually plain in style, and made of black or brown leather.
In the early 2000s, skinny jeans became a fashion trend, first worn by indie bands and celebrities. By 2008, they became the most popular and ubiquitous jean style for America’s most stylish young women. Skinny belts naturally followed suit, and were also paired with high-waisted skirts and worn over unbuttoned tops.
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