I want to start this post by saying that Zendaya generally has fresh looks on the red carpet. While I’m going to be honest and flat out state I don’t know whether to be excited or appalled by one of the outfits she and her team cooked up for Challengers’ 2024 movie release, it’s not because her outfit is a miss. She just brought back an early aughts trend I think may have been better left in the past.
That look would include none other than a big, low-slung belt worn as an accessory on the waist. Back in the day, I used to do that look sometimes on a more casual level with jeans and I’d even wear the belt over my belt loops, mostly because those things were so dang big but also because I thought I looked cool. If you lived through this era already, you probably already know what I’m talking about. If you didn’t, here’s Zendaya’s gown from the Paris premiere of the movie at UGC Normandie. The dress was custom made for her by the luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton.
It’s worth noting that a lot of Zendaya’s looks have channeled the tennis scene. She’s been in a lot of grassy greens and sheer tennis whites through the whole press tour, and this gown, while gorgeous and not wearable for an actual match, sort of gives off Wimbledon vibes. I mean just look at the shoes she shared to her Stories this week and tell me that’s not a vibe?
It’s also necessary to point out that Luca Guadagnino’s new movie Challengers is set years in the past (at least through a huge chunk of the film), as we follow Zendaya’s rise as a tennis champ, her subsequent injury, and then her new role as a wife, mother, and coach further in the future. So, that gigantic belt right at her waist is definitely giving some era appropriate vibes as well.
However, this is not the first time we’ve seen big belts making a comeback. Both low waists and big belts have been seen making a comeback in recent seasons. Free People’s selling low-slung, studded styles that feel new but also oh-so-familiar. Banana Republic’s still assuming we want to see a higher waist, but the brand is another example of the big belt making a comeback. As the corset look has been championed by Florence Pugh and Taylor Swift on red carpets, a corset belt has come in fashion, too.
I’m just saying, this look is dangerously close to being a real trend again. On the one hand, it’s nice to see something new(ish) come down the pipeline. Yet, while I am a person who loves having options when it comes to accessories, I’m just not sure this is a look I’d like to see really go widespread given it’s hard for most people to pull off. But if Zendaya and other stars continue to champion it? I guess it’s better than the butt necklace, but buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy fashion moment.