Dolce & Gabbana Belt

Dolce & Gabbana Belt

With the arrival of August, one thing is undeniable: Fall and Winter are coming, despite the fact that it continues to be more than 90 degrees outside in Georgia. I love winter clothing, probably because I have always lived in a climate that makes wearing your cold weather gear a rare treat – flip flops are temperature-appropriate footwear here at least 9 months out of the year, not to mention the occasional 70 degree day in February. I haven’t seen accumulated snowfall since January of ’04.

But those that live in cooler climates know that cold weather brings more than its share of wardrobe problems. The first one that always comes to my mind is the possibility that, in the pursuit of warmth, I just may end up looking like an enormous, round blob. I have the pictures from high school (and the nascent, hoody-wearing days of college) to prove that I have encountered this problem more than once, and based on what I see around me every winter, I’m not the only poor soul out there.

And then, some point a couple of years ago, I (along with everyone else following the trend) discovered the cinching belt. Hallelujah, praise the lord, it’s possible to have a shape even in a bulky sweater! They’ve since become a wardrobe staple of all weather conditions, but there’s no time that they’re more oft used than when soft, shapeless knits become wearable again. There are few things in my wardrobe that get as much use with as large a range of outfits, and they make even ratty jeans and a big sweater look pulled together and planned.

For this winter, I’ve got my eye on the a Dolce & Gabbana Belt on which I can find very little information – I know only that the color is called luggage and Zappos.com has it for $294. The color is perfect to wear with either black or brown (you can totally wear black with the right color of brown, I promise) and it compliments the winter’s key colors (purple and grey) very nicely. The criss-cross effect is so unique – everyone will ask you where you got it, and based on its small internet presence, you’ll probably be the only person you know to have it. So if you’ve got sweaters and dresses that need cinching (and honey, I know you do), I’ve solved your problem for you, and it’s not even cold outside yet. Buy through Zappos for $294.