Sequins Are Totally Chill Now
Sequins are sparkly. Sequins are loud. Sequins feel like the holidays. One thing sequins certainly are not is relaxed. Until now?
A confession: For the longest time, sequins have made me squirm. I wear them dutifully every December because they represent the holiday uniform, but I've never felt truly at home in them. Walking around in a sequin skirt makes me feel like I'm wearing a Christmas light show that never shut off—like I'm trying my hardest to remind people that it's December and I know it.
Even if you're more inclined towards sequins than I am, you'll probably agree that they read as formal. Not every winter day is a holiday party; not every day needs to be fancy. But looking at this past season's runway, I noticed a trend emerging. Designers were playing with sparkle, spangle, and paillettes in ways that not only felt new, but distinctly chill.
For fall 2024, there were a lot of sequins on the runway, but they made me feel differently than other sequins. Seeing them didn’t intimidate me. Actually, seeing them made me reconsider my entire winter wardrobe.
At Louis Vuitton, models wore long gowns with sparkly paillettes that trailed the runway (formal!) but paired them with fuzzy mittens or chunky turtleneck sweaters (funky!) At Stella McCartney, a model walked topless, wearing only a blazer and a pair of denim jeans covered in silver sequins; another wore what appeared to be a formal sequin minidress but with her hands tucked into pockets, a small detail that nonetheless added a high level of nonchalance. At Dries Van Noten, my favorite look was a long sparkling skirt covered in blue, silver and purple sequins, worn simply with a pair of t-strap Mary Janes and a zipped gray turtleneck sweater.
Outside of the runway, J.Crew’s recent collections have also made me giddy about sequins for the first time in years. If you just type in ‘sequins’ on the brand’s search bar, you’ll instantly see what I mean. Models are wearing sequined party tops and skirts mixed and matched with cardigans, tank tops, polos, and even hoodies. The goal isn't to mute the sparkles so much as contrast them—these are sequins you can live in.
To me, the key to nailing the sequin look without feeling too fussy is to play up the textures. On the most basic level, sequins are small, shiny discs, so the trick is to pair them with their opposite: anything matte, fuzzy, or, yes, fluffy (another key texture of the festive season.) We’re always talking about mixing and matching prints and patterns, but mixing and matching textures feels far more fun.
At least, I definitely started to have more fun when I leaned into this idea. Instead of thinking of the day as either a sequin day or a fluffy day—I assume everyone does this?—I started trying to combine them. This quickly emerged as an easy way to make my more sparkly pieces more casual and cozy, and my fluffy items less pajama-adjacent. I am not one to wear jeans regularly, but styling a pair of vintage Levi’s with a sequin top just hits different. If anything, adding a sequined item often feels to me like clicking into place the final piece of a tricky outfit puzzle.
Why does this look feel so apt for now? Here's my theory: If there was one trend that ruled 2024, I'd argue it would be feeling or even BIG FEELINGS. There was a lot to process this year, a lot to think about, a lot to do. It makes sense that during the holidays, many of us want to wear something sparkly to add a sense of festivity to our days. But a lot of us are also craving something more like a hug, in the form of a big sweater or a fuzzy knit. From the runways to J.Crew, designers seem to be telling us that it's OK to have both. You can be a party girl and a cozy girl—and you can do it at the same time.
You Might Also Like
