When the belt bag trend came out, I was on the fence. I mean, I get the appeal of it. It’s a hands-free way to store all of your things when you’re on the go. But some of the styles out there were, um…not for me, let’s just say that. There’s a fine line between an old-school fanny pack and a chic belt bag. Obviously, I wanted the latter.

Sometimes you have to wait for a trend to evolve before designers really get it “right” and for that, I’m thankful. I recently purchased this belt bag after shopping at one of their stores. One of their sales associates was wearing it with her yoga pants and I fell in love, I immediately copied/purchased her look.

But I think that begs the question of how do you wear a belt bag. Certainly, there are different rules compared to styling just a classic belt, right? Yes, there are certain style criteria I believe one should follow when it comes to styling such a trendy item. It’s not as easy as throwing it on and thinking you’re going to look like Kendal Jenner. You’ve got to think about how you put your belt bag look together. So here’s what I learned from my first belt bag experience.

How To Wear A Belt Bag: 3 Styling Tips

Make Sure your Belt Bag is the Right Size

Belt bags come in all shapes and sizes. Some super small, some gigantic. You want to make sure the size works for your frame. Being petite, I knew my belt bag had to not take over my small frame. You can find the dimensions for the one I purchased here.

Wear your Belt Bag on your Natural Waist
No matter if you’re styling your belt bag with denim or a dress, you want to tie it around the smallest part of your waist. By doing it at your natural waist, the bag looks more intentional, less sloppy, and feels like a part of the outfit, instead of an afterthought. I purposely went with these denim culottes because I didn’t have to worry about belt loops and the waist hits me higher than most of my jeans.

Your Belt Bag Still Needs to Be Practical
Some belt bags are so mini that, I don’t really understand the point. So you wear a belt bag AND still have to carry a purse? No thanks. I picked up my belt bag originally because Adam and I were going to a music festival and the venue not only have size limits on bags you can bring in, but I wanted to be hands-free for the day. This belt bag is large enough to hold my iPhone, cards, ID, chapstick, and a few other mini-miscellaneous things. Not huge, but it holds enough.