How to Add a Unique Belt Buckle to Your Look
Belt Buckles are a great way to add some personality to your outfit.
Just as jewellery or a scarf can add a finishing touch to an outfit so too can an interesting Belt Buckle.
Elle Macpherson knows how to rock her street style with a belt buckle.
And the same belt buckle can look different on different outfits.
Now I know we don’t all have the same body type as Elle Macpherson but an interesting buckle can add interest to your outfit in a variety of ways. The key is to position your belt buckle so that it is most flattering to your figure.
A belt can be worn low on the hips if you are short waisted, this gives the effect of a longer torso.
If you have an hourglass figure then you should wear your belt at the narrowest part of your waist. 
You could also try putting a belt buckle over a jumper, jacket or coat
If you have a longer Torso you should position your belt buckle so that it sits higher up on your waist and go for a monochromatic look to match what you are wearing (black on black etc.) This will also help to elongate your legs.
If you are petite the Monochromatic look will work for you as well
Whatever your shape you CAN wear a belt buckle.
You just need to know where to position it on your figure to show if off the best.
And don’t think you can’t wear one if you are curvy.
It actually helps to emphasise your amazing curves.
You don’t have to be a cowgirl either (though Sofia Vergara does looks pretty amazing)
A unique buckle can add street cred to your style.
or your man’s..
.
Don’t be afraid to experiment and see how a belt buckle could work for you.
Here are a few I prepared earlier…
My unique, handmade Australian mosaic belt buckles
are available via my website at
www.brokenplatemosaicbeltbuckles.com.au
or brokenplatemosaics.bigcartel.com
Isn’t it time you updated your look?
Texas Stop Step Dancing
This is a little of what a Texas Two Step Class looks like.
Along with making my one of a kind mosaic buckles I have been doing a Texas Two Step and Rock n Roll class at the Coburg RSL on a Thursday evening. It’s so much fun! Margaret is an amazing teacher and people pay as they go – it’s only $10 per class. If you like country music and have a bit of rhythm it’s a fun way to learn.
If you want to know more just drop in to the Coburg RSL, 323 Sydney Rd Coburg on a Thursday evening. Very New Beginners start at 6.40pm, Beginners at 7pm and a more Advanced class at 8pm.
My Unique, One of a Kind, Handmade, Mosaic Belt Buckles
So.. apart from remaking my mosaic table (see earlier post)
visiting mosaics around the place
Mosaic Steps in Rio, Brazil
and enjoying photographing other peoples mosaics.
I also make mosaic belt buckles out of Antique Bone China plates.
Antique Plate but soon to become a Mosaic Belt Buckle
I hunt around in Antique markets and usually find a plate which has lost its cup and is looking for a new home and a new life. It’s like a ‘make over’ for Antique China Plates
Mosaic Belt Buckle Romanesque 299
So many old plates have been sitting in the back of a cupboard collecting dust so I turn them into a little piece of wearable art.
Old Country Roses Plate
The ‘Old Country Roses’ plate is one of my favourites. I actually have a set at home.. but it does make the most wonderful Mosaic Belt Buckle!
Mosaic Belt Buckle Romanesque 301
This is it’s cousin ‘Moonlight Roses’
Moonlight Roses
It makes a great buckle too.
Mosaic Belt Buckle Statuesque 178
The advantage with using the Bone China to make my Mosaic Belt Buckles is that it has such a beautiful lustre. Quality China makes quality pieces. It’s as simple as that.
Mosaic Belt Buckle
When we were living in Canada I found an Antique Store which had heaps of plates from the Estate of an Old Lady who had covered her walls in them. Friends would bring her plates to hang if they had broken the cup. They said if you’d stacked them on top of each other they would’ve been as tall as the Calgary Tower, which is 191 metres (626 feet) tall! That’s a lot of plates! For me it was like walking into Disneyland…
Art Deco Plate soon to become a Mosaic Belt Buckle
There were some funky Art Deco plates which made some amazing Mosaic Belt Buckles.
Mosaic Belt Buckle Romanesque 300
I might make one or two buckles from a plate depending where the pattern is on the plate and how useable it is. Interestingly the most beautiful plate doesn’t always make the most beautiful buckle and conversely a ‘less beautiful’ plate can make an amazing buckle.
These buckles were all made from the same plate.
Mosaic Belt Buckle Romanesque 164. This one is Sold.
Mosaic Belt Buckle Arabesque 169
Mosaic Belt Buckle Statuesque 131. This one is Sold.
I just used different parts of the plate to create three completely different mosaic belt buckles.
I love making my One-of-a-kind mosaic belt buckles. I also really enjoy the relationship I have with the people who buy my mosaic belt buckles. They often come back to visit, wearing their buckle and tell me the places they have been to with their buckle.
Mosaic Belt Buckle Statuesque 166
I get to create my buckles and then send them out into the world. They have been bought and sent to Canada, the U.S, England and Australia so far.
Mosaic Belt Buckle Arabesque 271
There are four types of mosaic belt buckles..
Burlesque .. is big and bold
Mosaic Belt Buckle Burlesque 41
Arabesque .. is smaller and more refined
Mosaic Belt Buckle Arabesque 336
Statuesque … has a squarer edge and is often fairly contemporary
Mosaic Belt Buckle Statuesque 140
and Romanesque .. is my favourite. She is modern and not afraid to be noticed.
Mosaic Belt Buckle Romanesque 265
If you have one of my buckles. Let me know. I’d love to know where it’s been.
If you are interested in buying one of my mosaic belt buckles they are available at brokenplatemosaics.bigcartel.com or check out my website at
Completion of the Table
Ok, so I’ve been really slack!! I left you all hanging in the lurch re the completion of the table! Sorry about that. I DID finish it, despite Melbourne’s Autumn being hotter than Hades (he was the Ancient Greek God of the Under world – did you know that?). Of course, by the time it had cooled down enough to grout it, it was too late in the season to sit around and use it, so it has been marinating in the Winter rains and will be ready to go come Spring!
Here’s a close up so you can see that I really did grout it.
Here it is sitting out amongst the Autumn leaves…
You will be happy to know that we had a lovely afternoon tea to celebrate the completion of the table..
There were raspberry and white chocolate muffins and cups of tea.. I don’t break up ALL of my beautiful china.
There were also still roses flowering in the garden..
(The painting is by a dear friend from Canada – check out her artist page Kari Lehr Art).
So the table was finished and celebrated but
I still haven’t grouted the other pot.
Looks like that will be this coming Summer’s job ( I might even do it in the Spring). I’ll let you know…
In the meantime I’ve been back at it making buckles and necklaces and earings etc.. for the markets..
If you are interested I’ve put the buckles onto the Big Cartel store – brokenplatemosaics.bigcartel.com
Trends for this Season
So as our long, cold, wet Winter makes way, in Melbourne, for Spring… here are some of the trends for the season.
I think that I can happily avoid the ‘tribal prints’ trend but hey that’s just me..
Here goes:
1. Print Clashing
2. Neon Colours
3. Florals
4. Pink
5. Pastels
6. And best of all….the Spring/Summer trend is Western
It’s easy to use accessories to keep up with the latest trends without having to buy into the whole look.
Check out my buckles at www.brokenplatemosaics.com.au
on Facebook (Broken Plate Mosaics)
or at brokenplatemosaics.bigcartel.com/
Cowboy boots and Chuckwagon races
So.. it’s Stampede time here in Calgary which means everyone dresses up in hats, jeans, buckles and boots and has a big party.
There is a parade
The husband seemed to like the parade..
Will and Kate were here last year.
There is a rodeo..
And Chuckwagon races.. ( don’t ask.. It’s too hard to explain)
There are fireworks and music and girls in flippy dresses and cowboy boots
There are interesting food choices too. Where else can you find Deep fried Oreos or deep fried Cheesecake or deep fried Mars Bar!
They like their buckles over here too.
I made this one from a plate like this one
It’s hot today though. I don’t think i can wear jeans when its 32C! I think I’ll eat ice-cream instead.
Happy Stampede!!
Scones and Champagne anyone?
I love Antique bone china. I know that some people might think that I don’t, because I like to make my buckles out of it, but I really do. I love the colours, I love the patterns and I love the delicate shapes.
Usually, if I am at someone’s house, I will admire their china from a distance. I wouldn’t want them to think that I had deliberately dropped Great Aunt Flo’s china teacup just so that I could make a great buckle or necklace out of it (though ‘old country roses’ does make a great buckle)
The other thing I like about beautiful bone china is the high tea experience. When we lived in Canada I would find any excuse to take visitors out to Lake Louise to have high tea over looking the lake.
I especially like it when a high tea begins with a glass of champagne before moving on to petite sandwiches, tiny pastries and delicious scones and cakes all served on beautiful bone china plates. There is really nothing that I don’t like about the high tea experience.
So when I discovered two enterprising girls who love to collect beautiful pieces of china and not turn them into wearable art I was intrigued. They are actually happy to rent out their beautiful china for anyone to use for a high tea, or a wedding or any event where a little added style and sophistication might be needed. Understandably I got quite excited!
A Vintage Affair have a wonderful range of pieces for hire for all sorts of occasions. They have been featured in a number of magazines.
Charming Vintage Tea also have a lovely range of pieces and they will deliver and set up the pieces as well as pick up and wash them afterwards. Sounds like a great idea to me.
Perhaps we should have an afternoon tea with matching buckles and tea cups!
Do you see any you might recognise?
Mosaic Shoes
If you like mosaics, as I suspect you do, then check out these shoes from Pisaverde in London.. They are a bit like wearing mosaics on your feet! I have particularly fallen in love with this pair
.
But these are great too…
And these..
They look like they do Summer ones as well..
If you see me post and I am wearing a pair you will know that I have succumbed! Be still my beating heart!
Winner and Losers
‘Winners and Losers’ starts it’s new season this week. In the First Season Bec wore one of my buckles as she tried to save someones life. Which perhaps suggests that my buckles may have super powers… just saying…
Unfortunately, taking photos from the T.V ends up looking like a photo through a fly wire door, but still it’s better than nothing I guess. Here’s the buckle she wore.
And here are some snaps of her wearing the buckle..
Here she is in deep conversation with Jenny.. (41 mins into the show)
And here she is visiting the poor girl in hospital ( looking suitably concerned).
Sorry for the fly wire effect but it was pretty exciting seeing my buckle on T.V for the whole show. and I thought it looked pretty good belted over a dress.
Suitably, when I took the ‘Which Winners and Losers girl are you?’ quiz. I was most like Bec.
Entering the World of Social Media..
..With a Buckle
She normally looks amazing… but to my way of thinking Elle’s outfit definitely looks better when she is wearing a buckle… What do you think?
