It's not New Year's Eve without a little embellishment.
For women, it's an excuse to be fabulous - even the most conservative will spring for a sequin or two on the glitziest night of the year.
Designers and apparel makers have made it easy to shine this season.
"Even if someone is a little shy and might not want to wear much sparkle or embellishment, it's the one time of year she can play with that," said Colleen Sherin, senior fashion director of Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City.
And the glamorous trend is widely available in styles for the fashion-forward and more traditional, said Tulsa fashion stylist Shannon Schroeder.
"Metallics are big - golds, bronzes and silvers," she said. "A new color that is a favorite of mine is called 'gilver,' it's a mix of gold and silver."
The fashion industry has taken a shine to using metallic and embellished fabrics and accents because they are universally appealing.
"It's been strong for several years, and I think the embellishment trend is not going away," Sherin said. "And especially at this time of year, it's festive and makes you feel pretty and happy, and it's perfectly appropriate for dinners and parties."
The quintessential party dress makes its way out of the closet every year Dec. 31, and the little black dress has gotten the shimmery treatment this year.
"There are some great, black-inspired looks this season," Sherin said. "The black embellished dress does not go out of style."
But she said other rich colors are also on trend.
"Jewel tones, the rubies and sapphires and amethysts, emerald greens, teal blues and bordeaux colors are all good choices," she said.
Schroeder prefers a combination of long and short.
"My favorite kind of dress this time of year during winter is the short dress, but I love it to have a long sleeve with bold shoulders," she said.
Shine on
But a dress is not the only option. Schroeder said a glittering New Year's Eve look can be built in a number of ways.
"It's always fun to put on a dress, but sometimes it's cold," she said. "You could do a sequin blazer or sequined motorcycle jacket with jeans."
Another of her favorite looks is inspired from a classic men's look.
"A new look a lot of women are doing is a take on the tuxedo. She can even take a pair of work black pants and pair them with a tuxedo blazer," Schoreder said. "It's very interesting, a lot of women have been doing them for a while on the red carpets or in Hollywood. It's kind of unexpected."
Another dressed-up but casual look comes in the form of embellished leggings - which is a hot, new trend, Sherin said.
"We have some great jeans and leggings with embellishments, sequin-embellished jeans and coated denim or glitter-encrusted denim," she said. "These treatments are a fun way to create a look for New Year's."
But if pairing a pair of sleek, shiny leggings or jeans with a jacket or top, make sure to balance the look.
There is such a thing as too much glitter.
"When you wear that look, you'll want something less embellished on top," Sherin said. "They would look great with a tuxedo jacket."
New Year's Eve makeup is shimmering
The perfect New Year's Eve look is complete with the makeup, and the look this season is full of sparkle.
"To make it exciting, have that shimmer, have that sparkle. It will change up your whole look," said Katie Stoll with Bare Escentuals bareMinerals cosmetics.
The essential evening makeup look - the smoky eye - can be taken up a notch this New Year's Eve, by trying different colors.
"What's great about the smoky eye it that it's not just (created) with grays and blacks, it's really about adding that color to it," said Rachael Evington, Bare Escentuals' business manager at Woodland Hills Mall. "You can do it with three different colors of plums or greens or blues."
And ladies are paying close attention to those lashes.
"People are starting to use more than one mascara - one for the top and one for the bottom," Stoll said. "They'll use one for volumizing on top, but on the bottom, they'll use our Flawless Definition that has a tiny comb on it. So it doesn't make you look like you have spiders coming from your eyes."
Or, if you want to pare down the eyes in favor of a bold lip, try an illuminated eye with a sheerer white, or iridescent color.
"Red has been really popular for the holidays and I think people will continue to wear red on New Year's Eve," Stoll said.
And when going for a festive evening out, it's all about putting on the gloss. Just make sure to reapply throughout the night.
"It's still about that glossy lip. We have a fun kit that is four small lip colors, and it's a mixture of lipsticks and lip glosses," Evington said. "It's small and portable, so you can apply it easily when going out."
Source: yellowbrix
