Then there was the controversial Diesel belt skirt, which tapped into the micro-mini skirt silhouette as part of the brand’s fall/winter 2022 collection. Since then, belts from the likes of Tom Ford, Max Mara, Loewe, Miu Miu and more have fronted campaigns and shows, with novelty belt loops, corseted silhouettes and double buckled belts making the case for a belt boom.

“In the last few years there’s been a shift,” New York-based stylist and creative Alexis Badiyi says. Badiyi, a self-confessed “belt-head”, struggled for years to find interesting new designs from contemporary brands, preferring the vintage pieces from her grandmother and mother’s collections. “I’ve been finding some incredible belts, and I think belts are having their moment again.”

Badiyi points to her long-time inspiration Elsa Peretti (known for her fluid silver designs), whose equestrian belt buckle for Tiffany & Co. Badiyi continues to spot references to. There’s Bottega Veneta’s luxe Horseshoe buckle belt and Tom Ford’s rendition, which was worn low-slung over a body-skimming ribbed dress during the brand’s spring 2024 runway show.

Meanwhile, novelty belts are gaining ground. Badiyi points out need-to-know indie brand Gemsun’s beaded Perlin and Kries belts, as well as Michelle Del Rio’s sold-out ceramic and cord belts inspired by the designer’s childhood beach finds. One that’s caught my eye is from Italian designer Sara Lanzi, whose ribbon-tied belt features several sequinned strands and is designed to be worn over the likes of full skirts to add an unexpected touch. Stringy and quirky, these are a playful way to accent a well-loved shirtdress or a beach look – Badiyi wears her Gemsun belts as a hair accessory or necklace. “Belts can be the jewellery of the waistline,” she adds.

Then there are the wider, corset-like styles. Loewe’s Jonathan Anderson, who has long enjoyed a statement belt, has designed sculptural pieces like the Obi and Gate for the house, while Alaia’s corset belts, including those that employ the brand’s signature lasercut Vienne detailing, are still sold by the likes of Matches Fashion and fetch a pretty penny on resale sites like Vestiaire Collective.

“I don’t find it to be an everyday piece but especially when worn a bit unexpectedly, it can be a show-stopper,” says Badiyi of Alaia’s corset styles, who for a shoot styled it with a white ribbed tank top and utilitarian skirt by Maryam Nassir Zadeh to create some tension in the look. “But it can also be worn with full Alaia and be more of an opening night at the ballet piece,” she adds.

There are also conventional belts with a twist. In this category womenswear brand Khaite shines, with its studded Benny belt and Julius belt, which features a sculptural buckle echoing the brand’s jewellery at its cruise 2023 show. Several designers are playing with off-kilter, slightly surreal buckles, from Bottega Veneta’s Drop belt to The Row’s Effy style, both of which Badiyi names as new classics alongside By Malene Birger’s Zoira belt.

Meanwhile, smaller indie designers are serving both form and function. Saks Potts, the Copenhagen-based brand known for its sequinned dresses and shirts in bubblegum hues, makes its Grith belt with a separate leather Airpod Pro case that can be attached via a D-ring – a kind of tool belt for the fashion set, if you will. Spanish brand Gimaguas takes this to the next level with its low-slung Rino belt, which includes flap pockets along its curved leather design for a Y2K nod to the fanny pack.

Badiyi encourages people to have fun with the accessory, with yo-yo-ing waistlines and a wide variety of styles to choose from. To start, knowing where your natural waistline is can help you play with proportions and widths. “A low waist to somebody else might not be a low waist to you,” she says. “Don’t get pushed into a trend but find what it means for you in the most flattering silhouette.”