Belt bag, fanny pack, waist pouch, bum bag… It has several other names, but the beauty of it is that, as casual as it looks, it serves as an accessory that improves the appearance of an outfit.
If you’re not a fan of carrying a bag or prefer to be hands-free, a belt bag is the best option for you, and knowing how to style it is a big deal to avoid looking weird in public.
Thanks to designers like Telfar, COS, and Uniqlo reimagining the silhouette, this humble accessory is now a mainstay in the wardrobes of anyone who values both function and fashion.
There are several ways to style a belt bag. You can wear a belt bag over your shoulder, strapped across your chest like a crossbody bag, or around your waist like a thrift collector (just kidding), but here are five ways to style it.
A belt bag is a bag with a belt attached to it. That means you can wear the belt around your bottom’s belt loop to give your outfit a relaxed tone and also define your waist. This style can be used on casual, formal, and business-casual outfits without looking unbalanced or out of proportion, as long as your entire ensemble is styled appropriately with the right accessories and footwear.
2. Wear it over an oversized dress shirt/flowy dress
Belts naturally add structure and shape to flowy outfits, giving your waist a defined silhouette. Wearing a belt bag over a dress shirt, oversized tee-shirt, or flowy dress defines and cinches your waist, making the dress look a little more flattering.
Depending on the dress and how it’s styled, this belt bag style can give your appearance a chic, laid-back vibe or a city/urban look, especially with a sundress. It’s a style that looks chic and minimalist, like something you’d wear to a concert or an outing with friends.
3. Wear it as a crossbody 
The typical way of wearing a belt bag is over the shoulder, as it adds more swagger and a street-y character to your outfit. Avoid wearing oversized or bulky (with multiple outer compartments) belt bags in a crossbody style. Bulky and oversized belt bags often give a disorganised look.
4. Wear it on the shoulder 
Wearing a belt bag on the shoulder as a bag is one of the stylish ways to wear a belt bag with an effortless flair. If you are wearing a larger fanny pack, this is the best way to wear it without looking like you are carrying the weight of the world. This style can be done with casual and business casual fits, depending on your accessories and clothing options.
There are many ways to wear a belt bag incorrectly with jeans. There are different trouser styles: mid-rise, high-rise, and low-rise. How you wear a belt bag with these styles matters a great deal to avoid looking homeless.
With mid-rise jeans, wear the belt bag just above the waistband, and avoid wearing the belt too tightly to avoid looking bulky. For low-rise jeans, wear the belt bag a few inches below the waist, closer to the hip bone, but don’t let it sag.
High-rise jeans work well with a belt bag at your natural waist. It shouldn’t hover too far above the belt loops.
