BUCKLE UP

BELTS ARE EVERYWHERE

After combing through every FW25 runway look, one thing became clear: from head to toe, there’s barely a body part left untouched. Once a simple tool to cinch a waist or hold up pants, the belt is now morphing into something much more interesting. Let’s break down this season’s biggest belt moves.

 

Belts for Your Head

Let’s start at the top. What happens when you turn a belt into a headband?

 

©@togaarchives

 

Toga is a brand that’s made leather belts part of their identity from the beginning, and now they’ve introduced a headband that borrows the silhouette and energy of their signature leather accessories. Styled over slicked hair and matched with a full black look, the result is an intense and fashion-forward piece that feels assertive without being aggressive.

 

The Neck Belt (the Choker)

The choker revival isn’t just nostalgia, it’s already happening. Once the emblem of 90s fashion, chokers have returned with newfound confidence. Case in point: Y/PROJECT’s latest version, which I also recently picked up. On days when the neckline feels too bare or empty, this choker-belt delivers a focused, deliberate accent to your look.

Y/PROJECT Chocker ©highsnobiety.com

  

If you’re wondering how to wear it without making your neck look shorter, balance it with a slightly lower neckline. The contrast softens the look and keeps proportions intact.

Designers like R13 and MARINE SERRE took the choker and gave it definition. Their use of belt-like materials and chunky fastenings gave the accessory an urban, structural quality that is more architectural than ornamental.

 

R13 PRE-FALL, MARINE SERRE FW25 ©@r13 ©fashionsnap.com

   

The Belt’s Original Home

Let’s be real: belts were made for waists. But this season’s waist belts go beyond function. With creative use of buckles, materials, and thickness, belts are now mood-setting tools.

Layering stood out as one of the season’s strongest styling choices. At 032C, a high-waisted belt styling visually slimmed the whole look.

 

032C FW25 ©fashionsnap.com

  

Always one for decadent rebellion, ENFANTS RICHES DEPRIMES dialed up the intensity with multiple layered belts. It created depth and drama. To recreate something similar, dig through your belt drawer and mix textures, widths, or even colors.

 

ENFANTS RICHES DEPRIMES FW25 ©fashionsnap.com

  

Of course, in everyday settings, two belts are usually enough. Brands like DOLCE & GABBANA and EGONlab understood this, designing trousers with dual belt loops that invite experimentation without veering into costume. With similar tones or matching textures, the look becomes interesting without becoming overwhelming.

  

DOLCE & GABBANA men FW25, EGONlab FW25 ©fashionsnap.com

   

VAQUERA pushed the idea even further. Known for playful scale and punchy styling, the brand introduced oversized belts that didn’t just accessorize, but announced.

 

VAQUERA FW25, ACNE STUDIOS FW25 ©fashionsnap.com

  

Leather jackets, already staples of colder seasons, were also reimagined through the lens of belt detailing. JORDANLUCA showcased longer cuts where the belt acted as an anchor, grounding the garment. Meanwhile, McQueen played with tension, wrapping belts from collar to shoulder in a way that felt deliberate and commanding.

 

JORDANLUCA FW25, McQueen FW25 ©fashionsnap.com

 

Among all the styling moves we saw this season, one especially stood out. Forget threading your belt through every loop or tucking in the tail. FW25 showed us that a little slack goes a long way.

COACH draped their belt over denim, letting the end fall naturally, somehow unbothered but deliberate at the same time. ANN DEMEULEMEESTER used a similar idea, where the loose belt became part of the garment’s easy silhouette. ETRO took a lighthearted route, coordinating their belt and scarf to move together in color and motion.

 

AV Vattev, COACH, ANN DEMEULEMEESTER, ETRO FW25 ©fashionsnap.com

 

All the Way to the Fingertips

This season, even other accessories got a belt makeover. MM6 Maison Margiela made a tiny black leather ring that looked like a miniature belt. It had the quiet pull of an object you keep glancing at without realizing.

 

©farfetch.com ©jentestore.com

 

PRADA worked belts into bags, most memorably with a leather bucket bag wrapped in a studded strap. It turned hardware into the main feature. It may not have changed the function, but it changed the feel.

©prada.com ©pinterest

 

Shoes That Buckle Up

Finally, down to the feet. Boots, loafers, and sandals all picked up belt details that added something extra. Kiko Kostadinov continued their belt‑boot pairing for the second season, keeping a thread of design consistency across collections.

Sacai used one gold buckle at the top of a tall boot that was small, but impossible to miss. It added shine, but also signaled care in the design. So, if buckling a belt feels like too much effort, maybe your shoes can handle it for you.

 

Kiko Kostadinov SS25, sacai FW25 ©fashionsnap.com

  

🎵 Head, shoulders, knees and toes… 🎵

FW25 confirmed it. Belts now cover every part of the body. They’re no longer just support pieces. They define, shape, guide, and signal. This fall and winter, treat the belt not as an afterthought, but as the spark that brings the whole look together.