Volume is the name of the game for spring 2006, and to make it happen, designers turned their attention toward the most central focal point of all: the cinched waist. Hardly an outfit made its way down the runways without a prominent belt or sash to offset this feminine feature. Vera Wang and Giambattista Valli paid homage to Eastern tradition by cutting the dramatic dimensions with wide sashes; pretty ribbon belts graced the models’ waists at Oscar de la Renta (above); and Marni, MaxMara, and Bottega Veneta unveiled decidedly slimmer belts for more casual wear. For those with less-than-perfect abs, don’t panic: Unlike the midriff-baring craze of a few years ago, this season’s ultraforgivable silhouettes will turn any woman into a glamorous hourglass. —Carla Gonzalez-Hart