I've Noticed Every Single Chic Person Is Updating Their 2025 Outfits With This Simple, Elegant Accessory

As a fashion writer, I have time for every trend, big or small, old or fresh. That said it’s often the smallest and most understated of trends that excite me the most. Their subtlety gives them staying power, outlasting the flashier, show-stopping styles that tend to burn bright and fade fast.

Thankfully, the spring/summer 2025 runways delivered a wave of quietly elegant accessory trends that have been on my mind ever since. Of them all, the one I simply can’t stop thinking about is the refined and understated skinny belt.

Barely noticeable at first glance, the skinny belt has a way of quietly enhancing an outfit—adding a touch of texture and structure to even the simplest looks. Whether cinching the waist of a tailored blazer, defining the silhouette of a flowing coat, or elevating a chic pencil skirt, this versatile accessory is worth its weight in gold.

On the runways, designers like Peter Do, Lacoste, and Hermès embraced the barely-there belt, styling it with jeans, skirts and over dresses. And it’s not just luxury brands taking part—high-street labels are already playing with this growing trend, and producing some chic iterations in the process.

Model wears a skinny belt on the Hermès spring/summer 2025 runway.

What makes this trend even more appealing is how easy and affordable it is to incorporate into your wardrobe. I’ve found beautiful skinny belts for as little as £15, and they’re also a breeze to shop second-hand. Leather, being such a durable material, holds up remarkably well over time. Platforms like eBay, Vestiaire Collective, and Vinted are treasure troves for preloved pieces—I even found a pre-loved Chanel style currently on sale (linked below).