By 3pm, whatever I put on this morning has usually given up.
It isn't the belt
Half the women doing this aren't wearing a dress. A boxy shirt. A caftan. A cardigan gone shapeless by four.
Never at the true waist
She sets it higher, just under the ribs, over fabric with give — linen, jersey, a soft knit.
Narrow, not wide
Wide belts want a quiet outfit. Narrow ones disappear into the silhouette and let the fabric talk.
One color, every outfit
Not black — it disappears into dark clothes, does nothing for pale ones. Hers is deep red.
See the belts
Structure enough to hold a cinch, nothing that competes with what's underneath.