Holiday Bling Repurposed

DECEMBER HAS all the fun— festive parties, cheery music and lots of sparkle. Then come January 2 or at the latest,  January 6, it’s as if  there were a signal directing everything to shut down. Okay, the trees and wreaths probably need to go, but do all the celebratory trappings have to have an expiration date? Winter has plenty of dark days ahead. And then, as if things weren’t bleak enough, we put our holiday wear back in the recesses of our closet. Just like we ignore the “rule” about not wearing white after Labor Day, the end of the holidays doesn’t mean we need to pack away all our shiny stuff.

Last week on “Sunday Morning,” Jane Pauley apparently agreed, wearing a black jacket with tiny, glittery crystals over a black dress. On the British TV version of “The Voice,” presenter Emma Willis recently received raves for wearing a stunning, black-and-gold metallic striped Saint Laurent shirt.

A few guidelines for festive wear post-holidays: When you’re wearing sequins, crystals or metallics, keep the rest of your outfit on the subdued side. A gold-threaded skirt with a cozy, oversized sweater is a good look, the difference in textures balancing one another out.  Try that fab sequin jacket you wondered whether you’d ever wear again with a plain white T-shirt underneath. Bronze pants? Partner them with a wool turtleneck.

Tie a metallic sweater around your shoulders to add interest to a black turtleneck and black leggings. Wear a sparkly blazer with straight-leg jeans for a happier happy hour. Dial down the glamour of a shiny shoe with jeans.  A casual T-shirt and chunky boots keep a shimmery bag grounded.

Some shining examples below:

—Janet Kelly

LEFT: Celebrate all winter with Rebecca de Ravenel’s party-ready bow-shaped  Crystal-Embellished Clip Earrings  ($355, Moda Operandi). RIGHT: This satin Odessa Embellished Butterfly Pouch from Alice + Olivia ($177, Shopbop) is endearingly retro. Colorful embroidered butterflies and a sprinkling of crystals give the drawstring purse a fun feel right into the depths of January and February.

LEFT: All those black puffer coats this season need a little contrast. These Sequin Shimmer Gloves (available in black or pale gray, on sale for $46.99, Ann Taylor) should do the trick. RIGHT: Anyone see Jane Pauley last weekend on CBS’s “Sunday Morning?” She must have gotten the memo about not packing away the holiday cheer. She shone in a black blazer studded with tiny crystals.  Make like Jane in Baum Und Pferdgarten’s fitted Quilted Blazer ($259, Shopbop) with a shimmering polka dot print.

LEFT: Available in champagne, nude and black, Badgley Mischka’s Quinn Embellished Mesh Flat ($198, Neiman Marcus) charms with a jeweled butterfly ornament on its pointed toe. CENTER: Belts are a necessary accessory to show off the waist you’ve whittled down with Pilates, yoga, barre, etc. Cinch yours with this Clara Belt with crystal-studded buckle ($215, Revolve). RIGHT: One of my favorite ways to add some light to my face is with a metallic-edged black shawl that I got as a present years ago. I’m eyeing LouLou Boutique’s oversize Blush Metallic Wheat Fields Scarf ($48) as another way to stem the pallor because who wouldn’t want a sparkly scarf in blush?

LEFT: Remember how Ines de la Fressange styled her bronze pants? Follow suit by pairing these cropped Amos Easy trousers ($315, Farfetch) with elasticated waistband and side slit pockets with a close-fitting cream-colored knit turtleneck and patent-leather pumps. CENTER: Multicolored sequins are arranged in a glittering globe motif on Danish designer Ganni’s Sequin Mesh Blouse ($225, Orchard Mile). An oversized bow and those trendy balloon sleeves add to the festive feel. RIGHT: Add some extra shimmer to your day or night with this midi Beatrice Lamé Plisse Skirt  (reduced to $385, Farfetch).  Note the elasticized waist. The metallic skirt works as well with silk blouses as casual sweaters or hoodies. Also available at Shopbop (reduced to $192 for sizes 40 and 44).

LEFT: These High-Shine Tights ($42, Shopbop) from Falke are spendy, yes, but the lift they’ll give your practical black sweater dress or charcoal gray skirt is worth the splurge. RIGHT: Cozy doesn’t have to mean boring or dowdy. Case in point: ATM’s Metallic Cardigan ($395, Nordstrom) is sprinkled with sequins  that mingle with metallic threads in a soft alpaca and wool cardigan.

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