Latest fashion obsession: michelle obama's clear belt

Latest fashion obsession: michelle obama's clear belt

Much has been made of how Michelle Obama presents herself. From her buff upper arms (Bare today? Covered tomorrow?) to how she mixes items from the J.Crew catalog with precious designer pieces and whether she's doing enough – or if it is truly her responsibility to do more – to support American designers. Girlawhirl has no intention of entering the fray. She loves Mrs. Obama's breezy attitude towards fashion – that she makes it all look so easy – and hasn't seen an outfit yet (including that Tracy Feith number that provoked an internet uproar the morning after the inauguration) that she wouldn't love to wear herself. But the one item from the First Lady's closet that Girlawhirl intends to incorporate into her own wardrobe? That clear plastic belt…

Of course Girlawhirl has no intention of a simple case of style subterfuge. It would be too easy – and quite frankly too much of a strain on her budget – to just purchase the Sonia Rykiel belt that Mrs. Obama owns. Instead, she's found a crafty way to create her own one-of-a-kind version.

It starts with the clear belt itself. Once Girlawhirl was able to find it online, it turns out that it's not really all that expensive: $9.99 at LuxuryDivas.com. For the buckle, she found a pretty red antique Bakelite buckle in a local second hand shop. All kinds of buckles are available at fabric, knitting and craft supply stores, and online AcmeNotions.com has some antique Bakelite options.

It really was that simple – she snapped the clear belt around her buckle, trimmed the end with scissors – the clear rubber belt comes in one size, 46.5” long – and she was finished. Her antique belt buckle doesn't allow for holes, so Girlawhirl didn't have to make them, but if she had needed to, all she would have done was poke them through the rubber with a good sized nail and hammer.