Sequin Dresses (My first video-post)

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Welcome to my first video-blog on Fashionista Talk.com!

Every video-post will be accompanied by an article that builds on the ideas discussed in the video.  The following is both a written reiteration of, and an elaboration on, what I speak about in the video.

Today’s topic is the “Sequin Dress.” It really is one of the most glamorous statements in the history of fashion.  Who would have thought that shaped plastic pieces stitched to fabric could produce such a strong effect; especially when done right.

What initially attracted me to sequin dresses was how elaborate and detailed they seemed to be.  I came across my first sequin dress about 3 years ago, when I stumbled upon it at Marciano.  They weren’t even “in” at the time when I saw it sadly hanging on the sale rack; just waiting for someone like me to come along and adore it.  The poor little dress was “ahead of its time”; unappreciated and misunderstood.  Well, that day we both got lucky.

The first two pieces that I talked about in the video were the TopShop top and the Foley dress. I’ve included some pictures of me wearing the Foley dress to my friend’s birthday party.  As you can see, I tried to keep the light, airy quality of the dress by accessorizing it with equally light shoes, bracelets, and ring.  I know that I didn’t exactly follow my own advice of “keeping it simple when it comes to sequin dresses” but I felt like being really dazzling that night.  And the party did have a princess theme after all.

The next two items were the Foley + Corinna top and the Marciano dress (the one that started my collection of sequin dresses).  I included  pictures of me wearing it on different occasions.  When I wore it to the wedding, sequin dresses were so rare at that time and it was so different from the dresses of all the other guests, that it made quite an impression.
The Foley + Corinna zebra-print top served me well on my trip to Cuba.  I wore it with the shortest black shorts so that the top looked like the tiniest little dress.  I find that, on vacation, I am always more experimental and daring when it comes to my outfits.  The top is quite loose, which balances out the shortness of the shorts.  Had the top been form-fitting, wearing them would have produced an entirely different effect – one that might have made some of the more conservative guests a little uncomfortable.

The last four dresses were serious contenders for the position.  There was the black Foley dress, the two Alice & Olivia dresses and my new, gold Jay Ahr dress.  I’ve worn both of the Alice & Olivia dresses before, the black one to a dinner and the checkered one to the opera (picture included).  I love the square shape of the sequin pieces and how neatly they overlay.

My tip, when in comes to sequin dresses, is to keep it simple with everything else.  If you really feel like accessorizing it, make sure not to introduce an element to the look that visually competes with the dress.  I noticed that in some fashion magazines they do exactly that – attempt to intensify the look of a sequin piece my adding clashing bangles or heavy, leopard-print shoes.  It may look interesting in pictures of a magazine but I think it should stay there.  This approach may seem  “fashion-forward” in theory but looks disastrous in practice.

I also wanted to add that, in winter and fall, the sequin dresses can be worn with skin-tone or beige thights as well.  Better yet, if you complete that look with beige high-heel, platform shoes it will visually elongate you legs.

I hope this was helpful and informative.  Stay fabulous and have fun!