Trendy can be something of a polarizing word.  On one end are people that see trends as must-haves, and on the other, there are those that scoff at the idea of being influenced by anything other than their innate inner style.  Neither extreme feels right to me: I don’t feel obligated to wear any particular trend, and “inner style” is cultivated through outside influences, which necessarily includes trends, whether those purists want to admit it or not.

For me, the value of trends is in how you choose which ones to try, sometimes pushing your comfort zone, and ultimately making it work with your own unique sense of style.  Time and again, I’ve found myself pleasantly surprised when I tried something new to me that I was initially hesitant of.  This year’s over-the-top (literally and figuratively) corset belt trend certainly qualifies.  I’ve been a bit skeptical of the style since I first saw them sweeping social media – some of the iterations look far too much like waist trainers for my taste.  But as I started to get reader questions about how to wear this exaggerated belt look, I decided I would accept this as a fashion challenge and see how I could make it work while staying true to my personal style.

I arrived at this look after a lot of trial and error.  My initial inclination was to wear the belt with an oversized shirt dress, but that just disrupted the flow and volume that I love so much about that dress.   Next, I tried the opposite, but worn on top of a bodycon, this belt felt too literal, almost like I was wearing a Kardashian costume (not what I am going for!)  I like the idea of a corset worn over a classic button down, but the stretchiness of this belt did not work with my crisp Universal Standard Ebro shirt – I think it would need a more structured matte cotton corset to pair the way I’d want.  Oversized tees posed the same volume problems as dresses, but a cheeky graphic tee from Carmakoma ended up being just the thing.  Without the flowy jacket on top, the tee+belt combo really shows off my curves, but didn’t feel like *me.*  Once I added this pleated longline beauty from Elvi, everything fell into place.  I went with minimal flat mules and cuffed jeans to complete the look.

At just $11, this corset belt is an inexpensive way to try this trend. How would you want to wear it? Remember, combos that didn’t work for me may work for you – style is very individual, and I included all the possible looks I went through as an example of my thought process.

I’ve also rounded up a few more corset belt options in plus: