Wide Belt for Me?

How do I know what width of belt would work best for me? I love the belted look, but I'm worried about my hourglass figure and the wide belt's effect on the proportions?

Try on one of your knit tops and a skirt that would support a belt. Then, instead of a belt, try a piece of cloth (folded scarf?) that you can fold to different widths. Fold it down to very narrow and now how that looks, "too narrow"; then fold it up to "too wide." (That's how I fit clothes. I go to "definitely too big," and "obviously too small;" eliminate those, and then move down or up from the remaining choices.)

Refold to move at about an inch at a time, down or up, from the wrong width. You can even try a 1/2 inch, if you have the patience. When you hear it sing, then measure, and you'll know the perfect belt width for yourself.

If you are trying a high waisted skirt, fold the waist down a little, and see if your shape looks better. As Stacy says, "Never crowd The Girls." If the waist is too high for you, the effect on your silhouette will be obvious.

Some of the Gang have tried this out for us in our SOStyled Laboratories (LOL):

Siepres:
Pres, I followed your instructions and thought the method was fantastic. I wore a basic black outfit so that there was nothing "tricky" that could interfere with the scarf. I discovered that belts in the 2" to 3" range are great for my shape (my favorite belt is 2.5"). Belts at greater than 3" masked my hourglass figure, and belts less than 2" made me look heavy. I may be able to get away with a 1.5" belt depending on the support pieces, but definitely nothing lower. Skinny belts make me look wide, and wide belts make me look skinny. Go figure.

This is a great idea and very easy to do. My only suggestion would be to pin whatever fabric you're using at the desired width. I didn't do this because I was lazy, but sometimes I had to refold the fabric; and pinning it would have saved me some trouble when transferring the fabric to my waist. This is very helpful! :)

CheryleB:
What a great idea. I have trouble with belt widths too, but I often wear a narrow belt over a jacket or sweater. I am a bit taller and have broader shoulders than many hourglass shaped women; but am quite short waisted so it can look like my chest is almost at my waist if I'm not careful. I have noticed that a dress or top with a wide band between the bust and waist gives great separation, while a belt in the same place gives the appearance of droop. Strange.