Look of the Week: The humble sequin dress is fashion’s great equalizer
By Leah Dolan, CNN
(CNN) — Sequins? In November? Groundbreaking. Yes, when Salma Hayek, Doja Cat, Iris Law, Angela Bassett, Alex Consani, Emma Roberts, Vittoria Cerretti, Demi Moore, Kaia Gerber and her supermodel mother Cindy Crawford arrived at the LACMA Art+Film Gala on Saturday, each wearing a glitzy dress by Gucci — the official sponsor of the gala — it did for a moment feel like the label had made the most out of a closing down sale at the sequin wholesaler.
But don’t write off this partywear trope too soon. It really is fashion’s great equalizer. Affordable, accessible and offered by many mass market brands — most women will have worn a sequin look in their life. Whether you dutifully fish your favorite out for an evening occasion this side of daylight savings, or just have fond memories wearing one on birthdays, holiday office parties or New Year’s Eve countdown’s gone by, there is something familiar about the high-shine iridescence of a sequin-covered frock that we can all relate to. That’s what makes it so endearing to see them on the 1% at red carpets.
They were, however, once markers of extreme luxury. The first ‘sequin’ dates back to ancient Egypt, found by archeologists in Tutankhamun’s tomb around 1922. Small nuggets of gold had been hammered into round disks and sewn onto King Tut’s clothes to enable him to carry some of his wealth into the afterlife. In fact, most early sequins were sewn-on coins. Along with signalling affluence, clothes became wearable purses for travelers and attaching ones coins to a vest instead of carrying a bag was an easy way to avoid theft. Over the centuries, the gesture became more decorative and less about corporeal money management. A portrait from 1620 of a well-to-do English woman named Margaret Layton, for example, shows her dressed in a dazzling embroidered jacket flecked with thousands of small sequins made from silver, gold and copper alloy. While it wasn’t the gold coins of King Tut, these precious metals feel unrecognizable compared to the shiny plastic disks we know today.
Of course, the price tag of a Gucci sequin gown will probably bear more resemblance to Layton’s alloy embellished jacket. But at least these red carpet looks can be readily recreated at home. One complaint often leveled at luxury fashion is that it’s inaccessible, particularly in recent years: Prices were once aspirational, now they are astronomical. Some designs, too, have been rooted in fantasy, as designers propose their wildest and most uninhibited visions on the catwalk. Sometimes, these ideas are diluted and trickle down into the prevailing trends of the day. Other times, they leave those outside the industry bubble feeling cold.
But the sequin dress is easy-to-digest glamour. It’s simple yet effective, and pleasantly humble while still demanding attention. Plus, not every event requires 30,000 hand-embellished Swarovski crystals, or a one-of-a-kind archival designer gown. Sometimes all you really need, as Gucci reminded us, is a grab-and-go glittery frock that will do the work for you.
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