Digital belt buckles do more than just hold up your pants. They send a message.
Some of the latest trends in belt buckles on display at the Name Game in Oglethorpe Mall.
Savannah Morning News
/John Carrington
One of the latest trends is lighted belt buckles that can be programmed to display personalized scrolling messages.
Savannah Morning News
/John Carrington
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Amy Morris
912.652.0358
amy.morris@savannahnow.com
Forget rings and watches. This fall, it's the belts that have the bling all buckled up.
LED
belt buckles that scroll customized, digital messages like an
electronic ticker tape are a huge hit with high schoolers this year.
Chris
Chang, part-owner of the Name Game kiosk at Oglethorpe Mall, says his
stock of buckles has been selling steadily since February and doesn't
show any sign of slowing down.
"People love attention, so I knew they were going to be popular," he said.
The
buckles are framed with either stainless steel or rhinestones and cost
from $40-$60. Each can house up to six messages of 256 characters each,
including numbers, punctuation marks and symbols like smiley faces and
hearts.
Chang
says 70 percent of his customer base is made up of girls, who usually
want their hometowns, nicknames or boyfriend's names programmed in.
The guys he sells to usually go for more risque messages. A recent request: "I'm Rick James, B----!"
Chang
figures the next thing to hit the belt scene are buckles with built-in
MP3 players. They come equipped with mini earphones and USB cables and
can cost more than $200.
"And yes, there are people who'll pay that much," Chang said.
Spotted
We
found Kristen Poppo of Woodstock, N.Y., in City Market reading "The
Mists of Avalon." The newly-enrolled Savannah College of Art and Design
sophomore had this to say about her sense of style: "I have themes to
my outfits when I decide to put an effort into it," Poppo said. "I'm
new to Savannah, so this is my angry, punk, intimidating look."
SPOTTED
Nan
Mtendaji , a former model who moved here from New York City in early
June, said her style is influenced by the different cultures she
encountered growing up while traveling with her parents (Mom was a
dancer, Dad a musician).
Now
a hostess at Il Pasticcio, Mtendaji only had a few minutes to explain
her sense of style: "I get up and wear what I feel," she said. "If I
feel like a ballerina, I do that. If I feel like a cowgirl, I do that.
It gets pretty extreme."
GEAR UP
Where
to find LED belt buckles: Name Game and Memory Tags (both kiosks in
Oglethorpe Mall), Keller's Flea Market on U.S. 17 and online at
www.scrollingbuckle.com
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