Alexia Admor Sequin Party Dress ($229)
Last week, I finally pinpointed why I don’t like Thanksgiving all that much: it’s just not fancy. I like my holidays to have glitter and sparkle and…well, magic. The fact that I love sending cards, giving gifts, wearing fake eyelashes, cooking up a storm, and rocking sequins should give you some insight into why I love Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and Christmas. Sure, you don’t need an excuse to do any of those things, but when one presents itself, I say, run with it. I’ve always been partial to sequined sweater dresses (or at least sequined dresses with sleeves) for winter parties. And the good news is, more designers and retailers are getting on board, so I no longer have to shop for 80s Christmas attire and Dynasty dresses on eBay to find what I’m looking for. (Though I’m still not ruling it out completely.)
But let’s be honest: the real gift of the sequined dress trend is that it has paved the way for sequined bridesmaid dresses and wedding dresses to officially become A Thing, which the APW staff has unanimously voted is the best thing to have happened to weddings since forever. So consider this your double-duty roundup for both sequin holiday dresses and sparkly bridesmaid/wedding attire. (Somebody PLEASE ask me to be a bridesmaid in your wedding and then choose a sparkly dress for me to wear like “sequins you can’t ignore” #4.) If this is your first foray into reflective evening wear, don’t worry—we’ve made sure to include a variety of sparkliness in this roundup. As for those of you who like to don your Miss America best whenever possible? I suggest you just scroll down.
Soundtrack for reading: Ooh Ahh… Just A Little Bit by Gina G.
JUST A LITTLE BIT 1. Xscape Plus Size Cap Sleeve Beaded Dress ($199) 2. White Tie Optional Dress available at Modcloth ($104.99) The APW staff is awarding a small trophy to the first person to send us pictures of this as their wedding dress. 3. Beaded Crepe Knit Sheath Dress available in sizes XS-6X at Eshakti ($71.95) 4. Red Lydia Rose Bright Embellished Dress available at River Island ($170)
A Little Bit More 1. Miranda Dress available at Virgo’s Lounge (£90, plus £10 international shipping) 2. Black Cap Sleeve Sequin Tunic available at Dorothy Perkins ($95) 3. Glitter Loop Back Dress available at TopShop ($28) 4. Dazzling Darling Sequin Dress available at Forever 21 ($24.80) 5. Spense Plus Size Sleeveless Sequin Draped Dress available at Macy’s ($68.99)
Sequins You Can’t Ignore 1. TFNC Bodycon Mini Dress Geo-Tribal Sequin available at Asos ($105.26) 2. Nicole Miller Sequined Blouson Cocktail Dress available at Lord and Taylor ($184.69) 3. Alexia Admor Zig-Zag Sequin Dress available at Lord and Taylor ($242) 4. Navy Sequin Mini Dress available at Dorothy Perkins ($89) 5. Gold Digger Dress available in sizes XS-4X at Bettie Page ($163)
Bonus: Skirts! 1. Pink Sequin Pencil Skirt available at TopShop ($110) 2. Sequin Velvet Miniskirt available at Nordstrom ($58) 3. Gold Sequin A-Line Midi Skirt available at River Island ($40) 4. Sequin Midi Skirt with Pockets available at Nordstrom ($78) 5. Asos Curve Plus Size Pencil Skirt in Rainbow Sequins available at Asos ($44.47)
This roundup contains affiliate links that help with APW’s bills, but all the items featured here are items that we genuinely like and would purchase ourselves.