How to Wear a Chain Belt: 3 Tips for Wearing the Accessory

A chain belt is a type of belt made out of linked metal. Rather than fitting through the belt loops of a pair of pants like a traditional buckle belt, a chain-link belt typically loops around the mid-waist or hips and hangs down, sometimes wrapping around the body more than once.

Chain belts come in several materials and designs, from simple linked metal to woven with leather to adorned with embellishments like rhinestones, studs, jewels, or charms. It has evolved over the years to serve different purposes and styles, making it both a functional wardrobe piece and a decorative accessory. Many wearers employ them as statement body jewelry or a dress belt to accent formal looks.

Wearers will typically not style a chain belt like most traditional waist belts. Follow these tips and tricks for styling this piece:

1. 1. Accessorize sparingly. Avoid saturating your look with loud accessories when styling a chain belt. Too many competing elements can overwhelm the outfit and draw attention away from your chain belt. Instead, pair your chain belt with solid colors and simple patterns (like plaid) for a chic balance.
2. 2. Fit below your waist. Most chain belts fall loosely around your midsection, hitting you somewhere between the waist and hip. Others, you should wear at the hip. Instead of making your chain belt as tightly as you can, wear it loosely.
3. 3. Play with style. This accessory typically comes in a silver or gold color base, but many chain belts incorporate black leather, colored beads, or statement charms. Use your chain belt as a way to add an unexpected touch of flair to your outfit.

As a versatile accessory, you can style a chain belt with different outfits to create casual and dressy fashion statements. Follow these tips to style a chain belt for various outfit ideas, from edgy street style to classic sophistication.

1. 1. Accent a dress: Adding a chain belt to a simple dress takes the look from daytime casual to nighttime sophistication. Accent a simple black dress with a studded, charmed chain belt, or wrap a gold chain belt around a flowy white dress for an elegant boho look. Chain belts are also a great way to cinch an oversized shirt dress. To highlight and cinch your waist, wrap the chain belt around your midsection.
2. 2. Upgrade a skirt: Style a chain belt over a circle skirt to cinch in your waist. Pair a layered chain belt with a plaid miniskirt or pencil skirt with a tweed blazer.
3. 3. Pair with pants: Accent a pair of tailored black slacks with a silver chain belt for a timeless and sophisticated look. A gold chain belt perfectly accents wide-leg, white wool or linen pants. You can also wear a chain belt with a jumpsuit, either low around your hips or cinched at your waist. Unlike when using a leather belt, you should choose pants without belt loops, especially if the chain belt is long enough to wrap around multiple times.
4. 4. Use as body chain: If you want to accessorize your midsection while wearing a crop top or baby T-shirt, use a chain belt as body jewelry. Simply wrap the belt around your exposed stomach to create a casual outfit for the summertime. This works best with thin metal belts, as chunky chain belts can distract from the waistline.
5. 5. Layer chains: You can either wear two complementary chain belts or an extra long one wrapped twice to create a draped, double-chain look. This style works well with solid pants, skirts, and dresses. Pairing a patterned piece, such as embroidered jeans or a floral skirt, with a double loop chain belt may overwhelm the eye. Instead, incorporate a layered chain belt into subdued outfits, as the belt will add an element of glitz.

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