As it is known, the expression is a figurative phrase that alludes to the physical act of pulling in one’s belt due to one getting thinner from hunger or lack of means. In other words, the expression is an admonishment to live more frugally or to reduce spending while one faces financial difficulty or is desirous of saving money. I believe that as a metaphor for frugality and prudence, it could be an expression made specifically for the impecunious nation we are right now. In that regard, we will be well advised as a nation and as individuals to take this figurative phrase literally. Below, I want to suggest that we should also regard the idea of a belt and how it can be worn as reflecting not just a moment in our time but also a current mood. That will require a detailed description of this piece of apparel, its uniqueness at an individual level, and its utility at a national level.
Belts were invented in the Middle East during the Bronze Age (3300BC - 1200BC). They were tied at the waist to secure clothing and to carry weapons and other necessary stuff. Now we wear them as accessories, which is fine considering that for millennia belts have earned a place in our lives, if not in our hearts. For today, I would like to consider a special type of belt, the figure belt. At the outset, it is hard not to like a figure belt given how intriguing it is and what it is designed to do. And it is hard not to accept that because it is thought-provoking, it is the ideal piece of accessory for its wearers and admirers especially when the time calls for national reflection on lifestyles. Why? Because a figure belt has the power to elevate private taste to the public. Because it can calm uneasiness about how to dress intentionally. And because right now, we can use it, metaphorically and literally, as a balm to our challenging time as a nation. Indeed, if by how we perceive and wear it, a figure belt can influence us to use our hard times as both a lesson and an opportunity for correcting our spending habits, its wearers and admirers may earn the moniker, a figure belt nation.
