Sequinly Obsessed

Maybe it's because my parents named me after an early 1980s "Dynasty" character, but I am OBSESSED with sequins this year!

3.1 Phillip Lim Sequin Tank Collage Dress in Pearl

Until last fall, sequins had truly been reserved for fancy and over-the-top evening-wear. We saw them paired with big hair, blue eye shadow and red lipstick. We cherished them for their 80s nostalgia, saw Texas beauty queens flutter them under bright theater lights or caught their bright reflections while watching RuPaul sing "Lady Marmalade." But this year, designers from Phillip Lim to Jenna Lyons at J. Crew have adorned the simplest pieces with sequins.

And they are fabulous.

3.1 Phillip Lim Sequin Fold-Over Shorts

Phillip Lim made a point to place shmancy sequins against raw hemlines or casual cuts. How interesting is his adornment of shorts, the most casual summer staple, with a smattering of sequins across every square inch?! Of course, I HAD to try on these shorts and the above dress on at Beanie + Cecil in Wilmington last week. They were both so freakin' fun! The shorts could easily be paired with a plain tank and strappy heels for a night out with the girls. The dress is a little more special, but still stays far away from the old-school, shoulder padded sequin dresses from the days of old...

J. Crew has also really embraced sparkle this season, making practical clothing with special embellishments. Check out the Parisian-chic striped tee turned sassy with sequins:

J. Crew Sequin Striped Boatneck Tee

You could easily pair this top with a denim skirt for running errands, white jeans for a casual luncheon or your Loeffler Randall black silk knotted pants for work (see For the Love of Loeffler blog post).

Also smashingly sequined at J. Crew...

Sequin Studio Sweatshirt

Sequin Skirt

Sequin Raye Tank (gilded and gorgeous in person!)

As you can see, sequins look fresh paired with more casual, basic pieces. Junxtaposing the flashy sheen with khaki chinos lets the sequins work their magic without any competition. But it also makes the embellishment approachable and, most importantly, wearable!

This fun and flashy trend will take you into fall as well, suddenly making sequins- dare I say- PRACTICAL?! Last year we saw sequins against black for evening, but watch out for J. Crew's fall collection, where they will knock your sequined socks off by pairing sparkly silver tops with army green cargo pants and brown tweed blazers!

This year, sequins have certainly established a Dynasty. Try some on and see how YOU feel.