I associate fanny packs with the 90s and early ’00s when butterfly clips and scrunchies were in. Well, the fanny pack got itself a major makeover! It has been introduced into the fashion industry as a belt bag, and you absolutely need it.
When I first saw the belt bag trend, I was on the fence. It is basically a spruced up fanny pack in my mind. But then… we got into Fashion Week and so many attendees were snapped with belt bags. It made me reevaluate the trend when I saw one influencer in particular actually wear it as a belt. She had the straps looped through her high-waisted jeans, and I was converted. If you find the right size and style, it looks like an oversized belt.
Here I am now, a converter to the belt bag trend. This post will break down how to wear a belt bag, the special trick I have to turn a regular crossbody into a belt bag, and all of the belt bags that I am coveting!
Read on to find out more, and let me know your thoughts in the comments!
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okay, how do you wear a belt bag?
The way to wear a belt bag is as simple as it sounds: wear it as a belt. There are 2 ways you can wear a belt bag. The first is with a pair of jeans or pair of pants with belt loops. The second (the option I chose) is to wear it with a dress.
One of my style inspirations, Olivia Culpo, wore the belt bag so well in the first option. She opted for a color of her belt bag that is the same as her pants. This is a great “introductory” way to wear the style if you’re unsure on whether it will look good.
how I wear a belt bag: with a dress
The way that I want to wear my belt bag is with a dress.
Personally, I find a bit more creativity with it. My advice for wearing a belt bag is to choose a dress with a naturally fitted waistline. This Lilly Pulitzer dress (in the style Christine) is absolutely perfect!
I love the contrasting of the solid color of the bag against the printed style of the dress. This style is creative without being too avant garde. I also prefer to have thinner straps on the belt bag with a dress. Similar to how I would choose a slim belt for creating a waistline on a dress, I applied the same rules here.
Think of the bag as the embellishment on the big, bold belts we all love, and this trend becomes significantly less dauting to wear!
turn a crossbody into a belt bag
All right guys, let’s have a moment of honesty. I don’t want to claim the credit for this tip. I actually combed through Pinterest trying to find a way to convert a regular bag into a belt bag. All of the belt bags I wanted were over $1,000, and thus impossible for me to buy.
This tip is super simple. First, take a crossbody with adjustable straps. Undo the straps so that it becomes undone. Then, wrap the straps around your waist. Lastly, redo the straps together with the bag in the front.
To show you that the bag I’m using so far is actually a crossbody, I want to share a photo of what this bag is supposed to look like.
When I first tried this trick, I was extremely skeptical. I was skeptical that this trick would work, or that the strap would be long enough to wrap around my waist. When it did work, my mind was blown.
The trick with this is to have a crossbody with adjustable straps that are long enough and wrap it around the top part of your natural waist. Most crossbody straps might not be long enough to be wrapped around your hips.
all of the bags I’m coveting
okay, let’s talk a moment about the belt bags I really want. I don’t think it’s any surprise that I am in love with the Gucci Marmont belt bag. That isn’t the only one I want, however. There are some styles that are more affordable, so here is a roundup of all the belt bag styles that I love!
It’s almost more fun putting together this list because it’s like I’m discovering something like blouses for the first time. I will say that the one style I’m not a fan of is the traditional fanny pack style. The belt bag upgraded itself from a fanny pack, and whilst I love the belt bag, I’m not a huge fan of the fanny pack style.
so what do we think of this trend?
Personally, I’m a big fan. It’s not something I will wear all the time, but it does have moments when it is super useful. I can easily see myself wearing a belt bag if I’m going off grocery shopping or clothes shopping. If there were ever any time I would wear my crossbody, I would actually go with a belt bag.
Also, you can see based on the widget above of the belt bags I’m loving that I clearly like the bags with more structure. I would love to know what styles you love!
Leave me a comment and let’s chat about it! I’ll see you all next week with a new post!
XOXO,
Claire
