How to Style This Thing: Taking Chain Belts from the ’90s into 2020

The hips don’t lie and we’re starting to feel it’s right.

by Team Yoyokulala | August 20, 2020

The ’90s marked an era of television that saw the birth of some of fashion’s most prominent style icons. Cher Horowitz of Clueless. Rachel Green of Friends. Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and the City. These characters and their distinctive styles have stuck with us for decades.

And with fashion’s preoccupation with the ’90s, the style lexicon of our favourite fictional characters have made for seasonal trends that have come and gone with the seasons. The latest of the lot brings us back to a wardrobe signature of Fran Fine from The Nanny. Second only to her infectious cackle, Fine’s maximalist style holds its own ground in television history. From glitter to neon brights and fur, Fine’s done it all. But on the rare occasion that Fine dials down on her #ootd, a chain belt would hug her waist for a hint of pizzazz.

Á la the iconic onscreen siren, designers from Virginie Viard at Chanel to Ricardo Tisci at Burberry sent models with chain belts slung across their waist down their Spring/Summer 2020 runways. At Chanel’s latest resort outing, chain belts continued their reign as THE statement accessory.

To configure it for the modern wardrobe, we went back and took notes from Fine. Considering the statement-makers that chain belts are, you’d want to take a pared-down approach with the rest of your #ootd. Reach for streamlined silhouettes and keep the colour palette monochrome or neutral. To give it a distinctively modern touch, opt for tailored trousers or tights while keeping the top uncomplicated with a bodysuit. To dress up the look for the evening, top it off with a jacket.

If there’s one thing to remember: the chain belt is the star of the show and the rest of your look, its supporting cast.