Everything you need to know about Belt Layering

In this era of trend volatility, the Y2K revival is proving to be die-hard. Whether we like it or not, the Instagram feeds and e-shops of brands are flooded with mini tank tops, bandeau sunglasses, glittery accessories, and thongs soaring from the hem of micro skirts. But the real star of the past few catwalks is an accessory that does not instinctively make us think of the fashions of the past decade, yet in its most chunky and showy declinations, it is an integral part of the y2k imagination. Belts have dominated the past catwalks in the most varied forms: from Margiela-style dresses made entirely of thin strips of leather for the Balenciaga Couture to the jewel-like bands cinched around the waist by JPG, passing through the now timeless lettering version of Y-project (I love sex on the buckle). But among the various ways of wearing a belt there is one that is having particular success and at the same time smacks of deja-vu, catapulting us back to a rather recent past: belt layering.

According to Stylight, clicks for western-style belts increased by +30% between February and March this year, while on Google searches for 'belt layering' increased by +15%. The double-up look was a recurring trend on the catwalks of Men's Fashion Week Spring 2018, the year Martine Rose paired structured blazers with classic leather double belts and nylon fanny packs, in a sort of hack between formalwear and streetwear. In the same season, double belts landed on Prada's Bermuda shorts, in a final look with a preppy chic vibe, and on Gosha Rubchinskiy's grey tracksuits in the name of urban wear, demonstrating the versatility of a trend destined to last. Miuccia's passion for layering belts is indeed renewed in Prada's AW19, in which layering is the star of the catwalk, recreating the optical effect of a refined genderless corset through belts. 

Miu Miu FW22

Miu Miu AW22 campaign

Martine Rose SS18

Gosha Rubchinskiy SS18

Prada AW19

Gosha Rubchinskiy SS18

Miu Miu AW22

Prada AW18

Prada AW 19

Raf Simmons AW 19

Prada SS18

Prada AW19

Three years later, belt layering dominates Miu Miu's latest AW22 campaign where the brand's famous micro-skirts are enriched with double belts on the statuesque bodies of the holy trinity of celebrity culture: Emily Ratajkowski, Sydney Sweeney, and Emma Corrin. White tennis skirts, Argyle jumpers, ballet flats, and leg warmers but also shearling aviator bomber jackets, upcycled leather jackets, and boots and belts with multiple buckles, in an upgrade of the tomboy aesthetic. With belt layering, the business casual look meets y2k in a final result that speaks of Avril Lavigne and the emo belts of the 10's and at the same time tells of the sophistication of an outfit that can be worn casually at the office, thanks to restrained maximalism that can win everyone over.