winter wonderland: sequins

Today I'm back after an unexpected hiatus, but don't worry, I brought something sparkly with me! I think it's fair to say that we're waving goodbye to fall and hello to winter as we near the end of November. Sad as it is to see fall go, I'm definitely looking forward to the holiday season! There's something so unmatchably cheery about this time of year, and I intend to keep a song in my heart and a smile on my face, even as I enter the holiday season as a retail worker. I'll be smiling my way into a 5:30AM shift on Black Friday, and I'm one of the lucky ones! The store is opening at midnight, so I'm glad to at least get a little sleep before I have to go and face the hordes of bargain hunters.

But forget all that stress: I have something shiny to show you.
Yes, winter is the season of sequins! The season brings twinkling lights, shining silver bells, endless drifts of snow that sparkle in the moonlight, and you too can be a sparkly thing this winter. The cold weather makes it all the more important to keep your look "merry and bright" as you go dashing through the snow. (Can you tell that they've been playing Christmas music at work for a month already?)

I have to admit that I've always been afraid to rock the sequins. They're so glamorous, I was worried I wouldn't know where and when to deploy them for maximum sparkle effect without getting too tacky. (And since we're talking about sparkle, I hear that Breaking Dawn thing is going on...to be honest, you couldn't get me into that movie with an entire drag revue's worth of sequins, but lets see how many errant Googlers I can ensnare now that I've mentioned the Twilight saga and Edward's cold glittering body.) But this year, I couldn't be restrained any longer; I went shopping on Friday, and tried on a sequin tank top "just for fun." Is it any surprise that I came home with two of them? Oops.

Source: kohls.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

A sequined tanktop seems like a suspiciously versatile piece of clothing (and yes, I do feel ridiculous saying that). It's obviously appropriate for a holiday party (particularly the red one), and the champagne one will be great for zhushing up a "girl's night out" look. I can even wear it to work, provided I cover up my shoulders, which I would do anyway...have you been in Wisconsin in the winter? Brr!

In order to convince you to start sparkling this winter, here's a set I made with some of my favorite sequin-y statement pieces:

tis the season for sparkle by ficklekitsch featuring a sequin shawl

As you can see, I'm a big fan of sequined accessories. I find an all-over sequin look to be a little overwhelming or at least too much of a statement for most occasions. A sequined cocktail dress would be great for New Year's Eve or a particularly formal holiday party, but you'll get plenty of mileage out of a sparkling clutch or scarf. And who could resist a pair of glittery pumps? Okay, I can, but I really wanted to take them home with me too! There's only so much sparkle a girl can justify in one day's shopping trip.

Do you love to make yourself part of the winter wonderland with some sparkly fashion? Are you afraid (like I was) of looking "tacky" in sequins? I haven't debuted my sequins yet, but I'm actually really honestly excited about wearing them...isn't that just the best feeling?