Waist Knot, Want Not
When learning to do pirouettes in ballet class, my teacher told me to focus on a point in the audience or the room so as not to get dizzy. I found myself practicing this same exercise when zooming through S/S 2015 lookbooks on Style.com. The unwavering staple this season is the belt, which cinched almost every waist that walked down the runway. Let’s focus on this trend.
Why so many belts? Why now?
The shape of a woman’s body is one of the most fundamental inspirations when it comes to garment design, her waist being the literal center. Traditionally, clothes that failed to highlight a woman’s curves were seen as “unflattering,” and thus undesirable. Yet as of late, clothes trending on both the runway and the street shroud the female figure under layers upon layers of fabric. We see billowing tunics, bulky jumpsuits, floor-length shawls, etc. This season, the American bathrobe meets Japanese kimonos — casual comfort combined with traditional refinement.
The relationship between a woman’s form and how she chooses to adorn it may indeed be shifting, but are we really ready to ignore a woman’s waistline? The prevalence of the belt this season makes me think not.
We’re told by critics that the future of fashion is all about sneakers, slip-ons and sweatpants. Form now follows function, meaning that rather than dressing for work, our clothes now work for us. But when you strap a belt around a woman’s waist, you’re basically pointing an arrow at her figure. In my world, functionality means being able to eat a large lunch. And if belts aren’t holding up pants, what function do they really serve?
We’re also told that gender is fluid in fashion now. Women are wearing everything from tailored pantsuits to overalls to jumpsuits. (And vise versa: men are wearing crop tops and skirts.) But by highlighting the shape of a woman’s waist, the belt still signifies feminine beauty, specifically the ideal, slender form.
Our clothes may say, “free at last!” but our accessories still have a firm grasp on womens’ waistlines.
This is not to say that belts are evil accessories of the patriarchy. To play devil’s advocate, belts can also be a sign of power in our society: think Karate belts or championship trophies. We praised them on the site last winter and applauded the collections they tied together beautifully this season. They are no doubt a necessary accessory, both aesthetically and functionally. Yet, at this moment in time I have to wonder how much breathing room some belts leave for progress.
Images via Style.com
