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When I was in high school, my parents brought my sister and I on a trip to New York City, and I had just two requests: To go shopping on 5th Avenue, and more importantly, to visit the Louis Vuitton store. Inside, I begged them for one of the brand’s signature monogrammed belts—complete with the gold “LV” belt buckle, of course. This was the late 2000s, when flashy designer logos were all the rage. For some reason, they obliged, citing the piece as an early graduation gift. I still have the belt today, though it sits collecting dust in my closet; I haven’t worn it in years.
Lately, big and brazen designer logos have been on the outs in fashion. The stealth wealth trend has ushered in an era of understated minimalism—where the hottest pieces of the moment are so discreet you’d never even know they were designer. (Cue: The Row’s Margaux bag, which is being dubbed as the “new Birkin.”) Logo belts haven’t had a moment since roughly 2016, when Gucci’s “GG” Marmont belt became a must-have, thanks to its then-creative director Alessandro Michele. But it seems that bold belts may be having a comeback—namely, because a crop of celebrities have been reviving them this spring, bringing back styles that say, “Notice me! Please!”
Model Bella Hadid, for one, recently stepped out wearing Gucci’s signature GG belt. It’s an accessory that can easily feel like a forgotten fad—yet, with her polished skirt suit, it somehow felt fresh, adding just the right amount of pop to her pared-back look. Ditto for Irina Shayk, who sported an Hermès “H” belt in New York City this week. In Cannes, meanwhile, Troye Sivan went the Prada route, when he paired a pair of dress pants and sweater vest with the label’s triangular logo plaque belt buckle. Again, the rest of his ensemble was relatively discreet, but the flashier belt made it all feel more fun and fashun.
The key to pulling off the logo belt in 2024 seems to be wearing it in a way that makes it a subtle focal point; Keep the rest of the ensemble simple, and never mix it with another logo. That’s not to say some celebrities have taken the logo belt revival to the extreme, however. At the 2024 Met Gala, actor Zoe Saldaña hit the red carpet in one of Chloé’s boho gowns—punctuated with a giant gold belt that read “CHLOÉ.” It was about as subtle as a neon traffic pylon.
Listen: We’re not saying you need to go out and buy a designer belt so big that you could see it from space, but it’s clear that the logo belt is having a renaissance. The new styling approach, however, is all about using it as a strategic pop of character—less about logomania. And if you’re like me and own one from the aughts, it just may be time to dust it off and try wearing it in such a way. Teenage me is thrilled.
