Fashion Month is something of a crystal ball, and if New York Fashion Week has underscored anything, it’s that we can anticipate a future of funky cinching ahead of us. Get ready for double belting, a burgeoning trend that looks exactly how it sounds.
Daniel Roseberry forewarned of this trend with his Schiaparelli 2024 couture collection, which featured a corset and jacket made of belts. During New York Fashion Week, the trend only accelerated. Michael Kors was perhaps the highest profile designer to show this look yet, sending models down the runway in both pants and skirts fastened with two belts. Peter Do, in his sophomore collection for Helmut Lang, also offered his own take on the look, encircling a model’s waist twice, giving the illusion of two crisscrossing belts. And at Dilara Findikoglu’s show, she dressed a model in what appeared to be a cross between corsetry and a moto jacket.
The trend seems to persist across the rest of Fashion Month, as well. At JW Anderson in London, Jonathan Anderson showed industrial mock necks in both khaki and navy, cinched with two large belts reminiscent of a trench coat. In Paris, Junya Watanabe also embraced the unconventional styling method.
These designers aren’t the only ones to hop on double-belting. Los Angeles-based brand Mimchik—which counts Emily Ratajkowski, Reneé Rapp, SZA, and Addison Rae among their cool girl clientele—has been producing this look since at least May of 2023. Unlike the stacked belts that Kors showed, Mimchik spaces them out, keeping one at the waist and one around the apex of the hips, creating more of a layering effect. The Frankie Shop has also gotten on board, selling pleated wool miniskirts, also complete with the double belt.
Celebrities seem to be rubber stamping the trend as well. Elsa Hosk tested the waters at the Fashion Awards in December 2022 (what better a place?), when she wore a rhinestone-covered skirt and bra set from Miu Miu. While her skirt only had one belt, she also cinched the bottom of her bra. Camila Mendes tried out the look last week while promoting her new film, Upgraded. Styled by Molly Dickson, Mendes arrived at Live with Kelly and Mark wearing a black-heavy outfit, spiced up with a gray pleated miniskirt, secured with two black leather belts.
With London, Milan, and Paris ahead of us, we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for more double belting. Don’t be surprised if you see more of it—and maybe you’ll even want to give it a try yourself.
