The other day I was listening to Kanye West and his song “Family Business” shuffled it’s way onto my iPod. One of the lines in the song inspired the title to this blog. And you know why? Because all I have been seeing in stores lately is sequins, glitter, and more sequins.
The big theme for this New Year’s Eve is sparkly! I walked into Charlotte Russe and was forced to put my sunglasses on — the sequins was so bright, it was like being slapped in the face by the sun. But the good news was, I found plenty of sequins and sparkly options at Charlotte Russe….and Forever 21….and H&M. Breathe a sigh of relief, you don’t have to spend a ton to look cute at midnight! Phew!
HOWEVER…..
I must warn you that if not planned out carefully, sequins can go extremely wrong. See, the thing is, the 80s and figure skaters totally screwed us over when it comes to sequins. You flashback to a show like Dynasty, and all you see are sequins and shoulder pads, and the last word that comes to mind is sexy.
Same with figure skaters. You are not going to be performing a triple sow cow when the clock strikes 12, so don’t add spandex to your ensemble to boot. But that doesn’t mean it’s hopeless. Here are some good examples.
Simple gold sequins by Calvin Klein
This works because not only is it shiny, but it’s simple and covers all of the necessary lady parts. You don’t need to do much more but add some simple black shoes and matching bag, maybe some earrings. Adding anything else will be too much.
Velvet by Graham & Spencer Ikat Sequins Dress
This works for the same reason as the first dress. This is appropriate for more of a sit-down dinner event vs. a club. The other thing about this dress is, because it is a more neutral color, you don’t have to be afraid of adding some color in other areas. Wear a bright pump or tights, etc.
This one I would advise to be a bit careful. Similar to the first dress, you want your accessories to be minimal. You can follow the example on the model with some silver bangles, but don’t get much crazier than that. This would obviously be for more of a bar/club setting, but do watch the length of this dress. It is advised to wear black boy-short undies and black opaque tights, otherwise you will be exposing all the goods — and no one wants to pull a “Paris Hilton exiting a car” when looking fabulous on New Year’s Eve.
Feeling like a sequins dress might not be for you? No worries! Stores like Charlotte Russe and Forever21 have a variety of sequins accessories you can add to items you already own. Beware of overdoing it, though. Just because you are doing accessories and not a dress doesn’t mean you can’t screw it up. Here are few things to remember:
- Less is more. You are already wearing sequins. You don’t need to add much else.
- Don’t mix sequins. You need to stick with one or none, for example, you can’t have a hot pink sequins scarf and then multi-colored sequins shoes.
- Watch the length. While many of these dresses at the cheaper stores are cute, there is less fabric, i.e. your butt is hanging out the back.
- Have fun. It’s New Years Eve and this style won’t last long, so try something you normally wouldn’t
The most important thing to remember is to have fun — that is what fashion is all about! Happy New Year’s!
~Corie Scarpaci