The holidays are fast approaching, which means we're all in a frenzy strategizing for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There are certain other things we brace ourselves for every season, too, like an endless list of gifts we check way more than twice, and an inbox filled to the brim with invites. Part of getting into the festive spirit is digging into the normally neglected rack of party wear we tend to amass just in case. The one thing these closet staples have in common? Sparkles on sparkles. We love adding some shimmer to our day-to-day, be it through hidden lurex socks or full-on sequins. But, sparkly stuff gets showcased on an entirely different scale come party season. Head-to-toe embellishment is certainly a bold choice (even if it's a once-a-year thing), but it doesn't always have to be intimidatingly bold. Lately, celebrities have been embracing the glittery look, albeit in an unexpectedly subtle way — darker hues, longer silhouettes, and (our personal favorite) knitted fabrics that make for a more understated sheen. Get those holiday-dressing ideas flowing with some fresh-from-the-red-carpet inspiration, ahead.
At first glance, you might not realize that Carey Mulligan's Jonathan Saunders pencil dress from the 2015 Governor's Awards is coated in sequins. The covered-shoulders, ankle-grazing silhouette is quite different from the shorter, more playful disco dresses on the market. Plus, the mellow yellow coloring — dotted with silver throughout — is unexpected for the season, since most people save their pastels for brighter, springier days.
One of our favorite sartorial developments this season has undoubtedly been the rise of the sparkly knit. Julianne Moore did this trend remarkably well in a glittery tweed set from Chanel's fall '15 couture collection for the New York premiere of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2. The deep emerald hue is striking, but the thick knit, combined with a darker color palette, makes the glimmer more low-key and elegant.
Rachel Zoe also gave sparkling knits the red carpet treatment in a floor-sweeping Tom Ford number for the Glamour Women of the Year awards. Like Moore's green set, this long-sleeved maxi downplays the shimmer thanks to its darker hue — a rich, burnished shade of gold.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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