This Is How Easy It Is to Style a Gucci Belt

If there's one brand that has been inescapable over the past few years, it's Gucci. Since 2015, under the creative direction of Alessandro Michele, the brand has become one of the hottest fashion houses around. Thanks to Alessandro's exciting and fresh vision, countless other designers and high-street brands have followed the "edgy grandma from the '70s" trend. But the real secret of the fashion house's success lies in its accessibility. While some opt to wear the brand sunglasses to platforms, others dip a toe in with a bag or a pair of shoes. But one of the easiest ways to get the Gucci look? The now-iconic double-G belt.

It has a cool but goes-with-everything-in-your-wardrobe appeal that makes it a must for both diehard fashion lovers and your mum. To keep it interesting, the brand has reimagined the GG belts in different ways—from the classic black, brown and white offerings to embellished styles that will sate the more flamboyant dressers' fashion appetites.

I remember initially seeing a cast member wearing a GG belt in the 2002 movie Sweet Home Alabama. I'm sure they were a thing well before that, but this marks my introduction to the cult piece. Then, Gucci belts were resurrected by Michele back in 2015, paired with matching jackets or worn on low-slung trousers. But then there were more interesting outfits, including a metallic green suit with one of the now-classic brown GG belts around the waistband of the trousers. The combo still looks good even seven years later—not an easy feat when contending with fashion's constantly changing trends.

Street stylers were also quick to wear the belt. I've personally lost count of the number of times I've seen it out and about at fashion weeks. But deciding how to style a Gucci belt is down to you. Thankfully, it’s pretty simple to incorporate one into your outfits. To prove just how easy it is to wear, I've styled three versions of the belt—one thin, one medium and one thick, and annotated why I think it works in that particular way. So, whether you already own a Gucci belt or are thinking of making the investment, follow my guide for maximum wearability and inspiration.

Keep scrolling to see how to wear the cult item, and then shop my edit of the best Gucci GG belts below. 

1. THE THIN

Style Notes: My personal preference for styling a thin belt is to wrap it over a chunky knit. I love the contrast between something heavy and something lighter. Naturally, it also works well on high-waisted trousers, which often look best with thinner belt styles. 

2. THE MEDIUM

Style Notes: The medium-sized belts from Gucci are often seen worn with jeans. And I'm definitely all for that as an everyday kind of look. But if you want to make it feel a little more fun and maybe even fancy? Add it to your favourite dress. While I've opted to colour-match with a white belt and white dress, there's no reason you couldn't make it a black belt and clash it with a floral dress, or choose an embellished option to breathe a new lease of life into your trusty (if not tired) little black dress. 

3. THE THICK

Style Notes: I've seen a lot of street stylers wearing theirs cinched around a blazer, and I wanted to see if it was as good for me. Spoiler: It was. It's ideal for if you love an oversize blazer but don't want to feel drowned in it. I would be tempted to try this belt over a jumper dress, too. 

SHOP MY EDIT OF THE BEST GUCCI BELTS

Next up, the biggest spring/summer 2022 fashion trends to know. 

This piece was published at an earlier time and has been updated.