Jennifer Lawrence rode her bike through New York City on October 14 in a plain white tank top and flared jeans. Nothing unusual there. But instead of a moto jacket, she layered on a thick leather belt decorated from buckle to back in silver studs, a piece too bulky to fit through her pant loops. It wrapped around the outside of her waistband instead, doing a job that had nothing to do with holding anything up.
That is the whole point of the belt right now. For most of their history, belts had a simple practical purpose, to hold up your pants, with style advice as utilitarian as matching your bag and shoes. The belts shown across the spring 2027 runways aren’t quite like their predecessors, often comically large or ironically tiny. They’ve become the accessory doing the most work in an outfit, and you don’t need a single new garment to join in.
What actually happened on the runways
Made-for-Lawrence belts dominated Spring/Summer 2027 runways. At Celine and Chanel, creative directors Michael Rider and Matthieu Blazy supersized the accessory to bustier-style widths. Over in the rest of Paris, the proportions kept climbing.
At Isabel Marant, low-rise belts came with oversized shell buckles, while at Acne Studios it was chunky leather belts with enormous ornate picture-frame style gold and silver buckles. At Valentino, Alessandro Michele put big belts back on the waistline with studs and western buckles and others set with gemstones, while at Hermès the versions were more streamlined and equestrian.
Milan told the same story from a different angle. At Ferragamo, belts were styled as decorative, waist-defining accessories, with some looks stacking two together, while Alberta Ferretti took the trend wider and chunkier, closer to Obi belts worn over sweeping skirts. Even the strict tailoring houses got playful: Christopher Esber put the flashy, studded belts that decorated Elvis Presley’s 1950s suits on his mood board. At the stranger end, MM6 Maison Margiela brought its belt up past the waistline to the chest, turning it into a bust decoration instead.
If a hard buckle isn’t your thing, there’s a softer cousin of this trend worth knowing. The cummerbund is making a comeback for spring 2027, with designers reinventing the tuxedo accessory as a statement belt for everyday outfits. Unlike a leather belt, it’s usually just fabric and a hook, so it’s the easiest version to make yourself out of something already in your wardrobe.
For class: low on the hips, soft on everything else
Pick a wide belt in buttery brown or black faux leather and wear it low, sitting on the hips rather than cinched at the natural waist. Put it over a straight-leg or slightly flared pair of jeans and an oversized cotton shirt left untucked at the sides but tucked at the front, so the belt peeks through.
Finish with canvas trainers and a crossbody bag you already own. The belt does the styling work here, so everything else can be pieces you’d wear on any ordinary day. If you’ve got an old fabric sash or scarf lying around, tie it through the loops instead of buying anything new. It reads as intentional, not improvised.
For work or internships: structure over soft tailoring
A wide belt earns its place in a smarter wardrobe when it’s doing a tailoring job rather than a loud one. Choose a mid-width belt in black or deep brown leather, worn over a longline blazer or a knit vest, with the shirt collar left open underneath.
Pair it with straight trousers in grey or navy wool-blend and loafers. Crisp shirting and tailored trousers provide a polished foundation for an unexpected waist accessory, and the contrast between classic workwear staples and a traditionally formal waistband feels fresh rather than fussy. Keep the buckle simple and matte rather than studded for this one; save the hardware for the weekend.
For weekends: let the buckle be the whole outfit
This is where you can go as big as the runways did. Take a plain white or ecru tank top, a pair of relaxed, slightly flared denim jeans, and wrap a wide studded or metal-buckle belt around the outside of the waistband, exactly as Lawrence did.
Flip-flops or flat leather sandals keep it undone and easy. The trick is pairing the hardware with pieces that are decidedly casual, since a statement waist piece against a lived-in T-shirt and straight-leg jeans transforms an otherwise ordinary combination into something far more interesting. Add a chunky necklace if you want more at the neckline, but let the belt stay the focal point.
For going out: cinch over a slip dress or a skirt
For evening, the belt becomes a waist-definer rather than a loop-filler. Wrap a wide belt, braided belt, or even a long woven scarf around the outside of a slip dress or a soft satin midi skirt, cinching it at the natural waist rather than the hips.
Defining the waist this way works with prints or coloured fabric belts too, which draw the eye in while adding a bit of playfulness to the whole look. Heeled sandals and a small shoulder bag finish it without competing for attention. If you own a silky scarf already, this is the cheapest version of the whole trend: tie it at the waist over a plain dress and you’ve made something new out of something old.
Belt outfit formulas at a glance
| Occasion | The look | Budget version | Secondhand version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | Oversized shirt, straight jeans, wide belt low on the hips | Faux leather wide belt, under EUR 20 | Thrifted men’s leather belt, resized at home |
| Work | Longline blazer, tailored trousers, matte mid-width belt | Plain leather belt from a high street shop | Vintage leather belt from a charity shop accessories rail |
| Weekend | Tank top, flared denim, studded or metal-buckle belt over the waistband | Studded belt from a high street accessories section | Secondhand studded or western belt from an online resale site |
| Going out | Slip dress or satin skirt, braided or scarf belt cinched at the waist | A silk or satin scarf you already own, tied at the waist | Vintage braided belt or scarf from a thrift store scarf bin |
What it actually costs
You don’t need designer hardware to get the shape right. On the high street, a plain black leather belt from Zara runs $17.90. A step up, H&M’s wide waist belt with a metal buckle sits at $39.99. At the higher end of accessible, Sézane’s best-selling Livie belt starts at $75. The shape and attitude matter more than the price tag here, so there’s no need to chase the most expensive buckle in the room.
Why secondhand is the obvious move for this one
Belts are one of the easiest things to buy used, because fit barely matters and quality is easy to spot. The easiest way to get your feet wet in secondhand shopping is to check the accessories section, since purses, belts and hats are often inexpensive compared with clothing and don’t take long to look through because fit isn’t as much of an issue.
Thrift and charity shops tend to be full of exactly the hardware this trend wants. Thrift stores are ideal places to find belts, jewelry, purses, scarves and watches, and sometimes you can find genuinely good pieces for very little. Give any belt you’re considering a once-over for cracking leather or a stiff, rusted buckle before you commit, since those are the two things that actually matter on a secondhand belt.
If your local shops come up empty, the men’s section is worth a look too: vintage men’s leather belts tend to be wider and sturdier, and they’re exactly the kind of chunky, low-slung piece the current trend is chasing. A worn-in leather belt from a father’s old wardrobe or a charity shop rail will do more for this look than anything shiny and new.