Skinny belts are narrow women's belts, usually no more than 1 to 1.5 inches (2.54 to 3.81 cm) in width. While skinny belts have come in and out of fashion several times over the decades, the term "skinny belt" itself is a relatively new one. Originating in the early part of the 21st century, the use of the word "skinny" in fashion magazines to describe narrow belts most likely derived from the simultaneous popularity of "skinny jeans," or jeans with very narrow legs.
The popularity of skinny or narrow belts usually tends to run concurrently with the popularity of slim, fitted, or body-hugging fashions. In the 1940s and 1950s, skinny belts were worn with highly-tailored suit jackets or shirtwaist dresses to further accent a woman's waist. Patent leather belts in red or black were particularly common in the '50s, and most women matched them exactly to their shoes and handbags.
As the boxy Chanel-type suits of the 1960s became fashionable, the skinny belt fell from favor, virtually disappearing from the mainstream in the 1970s as wide-legged pants, maxi dresses, and billowy blouses were paired with wide belts that better suited the unstructured cut of the clothes. The punk subculture of the late '70s eschewed bell bottoms in favor of stovepipe pants, and therefore the wearers tended to wear skinnier belts too.
The straight-legged jeans fad of the 1980s brought back skinny belts as a fashion accessory to complement denim from famous designer labels. Metallic colors were popular for the skinny belts of the '80s, and some belts were even made to resemble stretchy gold chains, often with whimsical buckles in shapes like butterflies, hearts, or designer logos.
Skinny belts fell by the wayside again in the 1990s as grunge fashion and untucked flannel shirts, as well as the hip-hop fashion choice of saggy-bottomed pants, precluded the need for pretty belts. Though they were seldom seen due to the loose-fitting clothing, the belts of choice to pair with the baggy jeans styles of the '90s were of a traditional width, usually simply-styled and made of black or brown leather.
In the early 2000s, skinny jeans became a hot fashion trend, first worn by indie bands and celebrities. By 2008, they became the most popular and ubiquitous jeans style for most stylish young women in America. Skinny belts naturally followed suit, and were also paired with high-waisted skirts and worn over untucked blouses.
