There are examples of women wearing embellished chain belts that are more akin to jewelry, and other instances of sashes wrapped around the middle. Women’s belts are closely associated with corsets, which became popular in Europe in the 16th century.įrom the early Medieval period and onwards we see belts come in and out of women’s fashion, sometimes drape around the hips and other times cinched tightly around the waist. This development is not as new as we think, however. The newer development is the use of the belt as a fashion accessory that purposefully changes the silhouette. Belts were used to carry swords during the Roman Empire, for example. Using belts for these utilitarian purposes spans hundreds of years, with examples from a variety of different civilizations. We are all familiar with the media depictions of coin purses or swords hanging on a belt in historical and fantasy films or television shows. It was quite early in our history that we realized that by fastening a cord or band around our body we could restrain fabric and keep things close. The primary purpose of a belt always has been to keep things secure – especially loose garments like pants that can easily fall off.
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