All Three’s Waksal thinks of belts in a similar fashion; the brand refers to them as the “third piece”. “Belts are the basics of accessories — I’ve collected them forever,” Waksal says. “I love how something so simple can change an entire proportion.” Kegels agrees: “A belt can be a small detail, but it can give the whole silhouette a particular attitude.”
For Kegels, accessories are a fun way to play with coordination — and a way to stretch a material further. “I love choosing one leather and seeing it become a shoe, a bag and a belt — red shoes, red bag, red belt,” she says. “It reminds me of opening a Polly Pocket box and finding a whole little world, with everything belonging together.” Shoppers can then, of course, choose to pull one out, or buy all three.
This influx of accessories like belts and scarves reminds Wong of the ’90s and early aughts magazine ‘tips and tricks’ pages. “I’m seeing this sort of ‘service journalism’ — fashion tips and tricks — on social media and platforms like Substack, where people can share how they use belts and accessories to do something different with their outfits,” she says. Scarves paved the way, with the scarf skirt (a scarf tied around the waist) emerging as one of summer 2025’s biggest trends. This has since graduated to actual scarf skirts, which sold out at Dries Van Noten, Wong notes. This season, waist accents developed further with the rise of the cummerbund on and off the runway.
“Accessories have become an easy way for shoppers to add personality to looks without overcommitting to maximalism,” Rothwell says, noting that statement buckle belts were one of the strongest runway trends of the season, with cult styles like the Celine Maison 13mm and the Dior Médaillon dominating street style outside the shows. “Mass-market brands are already capitalizing on the popularity of the oval buckle trend in fall 2026 assortments, with entry price points up to 95% above the category baseline,” which refers to the entry price point for a standard belt at mass-market brands, she adds.
