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Your vintage lace dress is sitting there in your closet calling for you, and you have the perfect occasion coming up. Yet, you're wondering what accessories will help you pull this look off with out feeling too dainty. Two word for you: the belt. A belt will break up the lace at your smallest part -- your waist -- and inject some personal style into your look based on the hue you choose. Don't shy away from bold color choices or thick belts. With a neutral palette like brown, you've got a lot of fashionista freedom.
Bright Hues
A great way to stun your audience, even if that person is just your boyfriend, is to wear a totally unexpected belt color like pink, orange or purple. Some bright hue like this will contrast nicely with your vintage brown dress and modernize it effortlessly. You can go with shiny fabrics, textured patterns within the same palette or a combination of bright colors in the form of a print.
Metallics
Give your vintage lace confection a little edge by going with metallic studs, sequins or sparkles. Belts of these ever-so-shiny hues will look amazing with your brown dress and define your waist with some serious bling. "Refinery29" says, "[l]ayering lace with metallic silver ... is a great way to break away from the prettiness of the trend," and this also goes for gold, bronze and gunmetal.
Black
Brown and black do go together, especially if you plan to wear black shoes or other black accessories. A basic black belt will break up the top and skirt of your dress, define your waist and, if you go with a funky material like leather, give you a rocker edge. "Refinery29" agrees and notes that "[a]dding leather toughens [your dress] with a hint of sexiness." Seriously, there is nothing cooler than vintage lace and leather when going out on the town, or even, maybe performing a little Madonna at the karaoke bar.
Cream
Cookies and cream go together for a reason and not just because the famous combination is utterly delicious. Try wearing a cream belt or one in another fabric for a beautiful contrast to your brown lace. Play up the delicate nature of cream with silk or choose a chunky white belt with big hardware on it for a less feminine approach. Either way, if you stick to cream, you can do no wrong.
