Shine on: Sequin season

Published on Monday 30 November 2009 19:45

HAVE you marvelled at the near-ubiquity of Dame Shirley Bassey during the past fortnight – all rooted, of course, in the near-relentless publicity drive for The Performance, the sprightly septuagenarian diva's first studio album in 20 years?

&#149 Shirley Bassey in all her sequinned glory

There have been interviews in which seasoned hacks have tried to probe into the ring-fenced private life behind her shimmering, glimmering public persona. BBC1 even had her lionized by Alan Yentob, with the culture guru respectfully considering how this feisty survivor had inspired a clutch of today's most successful song-writing talents (including Rufus Wainwright, Gary Barlow and the Pet Shop Boys) to pen her a number – only to hear, in most cases, their earnest endeavours being well and truly Big-Spenderised.

Perhaps most surprisingly of all, the great Welsh dame appeared on Graham Norton's couch as good as naked. Yes, in place of her customary armour of glitzy sequins, only a little black dress veiled her trim physique from public exposure.

Shocking, don't you think, to view the Bassey-Profundo so profoundly under-dressed, given this is one fashion season when no woman needs to rein in an enthusiasm for those dainty little discs of glamour?

It has never been easier to track down a sequined anything, from beret to bootee, halter-top to harem pant, for fashion dictates that sequins are no longer only for divas and drag artistes. They've gone mainstream and workaday. They're for every woman, everyday, and almost every hour of the day. I'm not suggesting that you should be turning up for your nine-to-five office day in a shimmering sequin-embellished fishtail gown. But River Island's black sequin waistcoat, or perhaps Next's matte sequin leggings might be just the job to breathe new life into a wardrobe of boring black careerwear.

And come the cocktail hour… well, there's no acceptable fashion excuse for failing the glamour challenge this party season. Next has a truly fabulous black sequined jacket in its Signature collection, while Miss Selfridge has a great sequin-encrusted version of the classic DJ. French Connection, Next, Monsoon and M&S all have ritzy, glitzy sequin-embellished party frocks. And everyone – yes, everyone – has sequin-dusted clutch bags.

And little wonder. Given that the message conveyed by sequins is fun, fun and even more fun, these tiny discs of shimmer and glimmer surely provide the ultimate in accessible glamour. And they're so much more cost-effective than the lavish Lesage embroideries seen only on 50,000 couture gowns (let alone precious jewels by Cartier and H Stern).

Sequins provide a quick-fix antidote to the dark wintry nights of our enduring economic recession. If you're going to treat yourself to anything this December, ensure it's smothered in the things. Now that Dame Shirl has switched fashion allegiance from her customary glitz to the little black dress, there must be ever so many sequins looking for a good home.