Here’s something you don’t often see when the daffodils are out: sparkly clothing.
I mean the appropriate “could be Christmas” levels of shimmer and shine: sprinkles of crystals on sweaters and jackets; tweedy fabrics threaded with lurex and sequins; metallic satin tailoring…and all that before moving on to evening wear.
These are clothes intended to be worn every day: at the office, for lunch with friends, for a weekend. We can of course wear them in the evening, but we don’t put them away for a particular event and it’s not a marginal trend aimed at twenty-five year olds of clubbing.
As proof, last week at Zara I counted no less than seven shimmering jackets, from a round-neck cardigan style in textured sequin fabric (£79.99, zara.com) to a short silver jacket adorned with glitter clusters (£109). ) and a shimmering gunmetal blazer (£69.99).
In store, these jackets were hung on the rail with baggy jeans, lest you have any doubt that this isn’t a party look.
Summer Sparkle: Michael Kors Sent Models Down the Catwalk in Shiny Gold Mini Skirts and Matching Handbags
The message: The shortcut to a chic-casual look this spring/summer is a touch of sparkle.
But is it really for us? Absolutely. Because we’re in the middle of a moment of everyday classics, and there are only so many you can take before you start craving an injection of something less subtle.
Bright separates work because they’re different, but they won’t change the DNA of a minimal, smart look the way, say, a bright print would. And they introduce another texture into the mix. Always good.
Most importantly, a touch of bling is a mature woman’s best friend.
Instead of wearing a white shirt under a jacket, try a fine knit Zara jumper (£22.99) or a cropped jacket with light-reflecting threads to wear with your jeans, and you’ll instantly look brighter.
Just mix a little shine into the clothes you always wear. Swap a plain, everyday item – a jacket, perhaps, or a knit top – for its sparkly or slightly shiny counterpart. That’s all it takes.
On this trip to Zara, I saw a woman walking out of the store in a pale blue cropped jacket covered in lurex thread and I was immediately won over. The yarn caught the light and made something simple look fun and fresh. Who made the rule that glitter had to be reserved for parties anyway?
By the way, tinsel is about to become the new bangs of fall, and silver and gold fabrics were all over the fall/winter runways, so you can consider this an investment moving forward.
Vibrant: Queen Maxima of the Netherlands looks stunning in a shiny bronze fringed skirt paired with a white shirt
Start slowly now – stick to simple separates, avoid black and bright colors – and prepare for something more festive come November.
You can pick up any item of clothing and find a sparkly version of it this season, but arguably the most useful is the crew-neck cropped jacket that you can wear over everything from t-shirts to fitted dresses.
The already mentioned Zara silver sequin jacket (£109) is one of the best, and sticking to the silver spectrum makes sense as it goes with everything and doesn’t have the party factor associated with loud colors and gold.
In addition to jackets, fine sparkling knits and lurex sweaters are popular. Cos has a shimmering, gunmetal gray ribbed knit shirt (£50, cos.com) to wear over smart trousers, or a beige jumper with a sprinkling of rhinestones on the shoulders (Zara again, £25.99), s will pair well with the top. trapeze skirts.
Shiny pants, from lurex-speckled tweed to sequin pants, are present in every boutique, but they are arguably more difficult to wear. I would focus on above the waist: it’s more flattering and easier to sit on.
Amanda Holden looks chic in a sparkling gold dress paired with a sheer top and leather biker jacket
Zara’s lightweight long-sleeved silver sequin sweater will pair perfectly with pants or a skirt. It comes with a matching midi skirt (both £49.99) if you want a set. I wouldn’t wear the top and skirt together but would adopt the tip of pairing the skirt with a polo neck sweater.
The alternative and easiest route to spring glow are accessories, namely the mid-heel, cut-toe (a bit square at the end) silver slingbacks, which are the shoe of the season and are available at all prices, including Ralph Lauren (£130, ralph lauren.co.uk) and Zara (£35.99).
There are also plenty of silver bags, including Jigsaw’s metallic leather clutch (£50, jigsaw-online.com), which is your event bag sorted into one.
But slingbacks are truly an investment to wear this summer and into fall. You can not be wrong.