“Razzle dazzle ‘em and you’ve got romance ……Razzle dazzle them and they’ll make you a star”.
Lyrics from the movie Chicago
It’s true that celebrity stars do indeed Razzle dazzle us with their sparkling, shining and shimmering sequins. Nor is it a new phenomenon. Archeological evidence points to gold discs sewn onto clothing as far back as 2500 BC in the Indus Valley. And evidence abounds in the art and literature of the 13th – 19th centuries of metallic coins sewn onto clothing for safekeeping and to flaunt the wealth of royalty. But it was the 1922 discovery of King Tut’s tomb and the gold coin discs sewn onto his robes and garments that brought sequins into the modern consciousness; not as coins but as flashy embellishments for clothing.
Because the original precious metal discs functioned as portable wealth, the word sequin derives from the Arabic word for coin, “sikka,” and the term for Venetian gold coins, “zucchino.” Eventually, the French term “sequin” became the universal term to describe the metallic discs fastened to clothing — though Britain used the term “spangle,” they were constructed differently and now describe a particular type of embellishment.
While the public loved the flash and fun of sequins in the early twentieth century, metal discs were heavy and cumbersome, especially for the exuberant ladies wearing “flapper” dresses. Demand for light weight sequins was met in the 1930’s by electroplating, of all things, gelatin — Jello! This process did produce a light weight sequin but with a large drawback: gelatin melts when wet or warm, so doing the Charleston in the rain or a hot speakeasy, was definitely asking for a wardrobe malfunction!
Eastman Kodak then teamed up with entrepreneur, Herbert Lieberman, using their acetate film material to make sequins. Better than the electroplated gelatin, but prone to cracking and breaking easily. Lieberman’s company finally succeeded in the 1950’s by using DuPont’s Mylar to surround a plastic colored disc and today almost all sequins are made of PVC, vinyl or plastic, making them durable, ubiquitous and affordable. Sequins were no longer just for those who could afford the labor intensive hand work involved in attaching them onto couture clothing.
Today sequins are not just for the wealthy or celebrity stars. Nor are they just for celebrations and holidays like Christmas and New Year’s Eve. We find and wear them on every price point and category of clothing for both men and women – casual day wear, athletic clothing, blouses, jackets, dress pants and jeans, on shoes, hats, scarves, gloves and bags.
Innovation continues and the next iteration for sequins is from bio luminescent plant-based cellulose, already being used by designer Stella McCartney. And, two New York designers, Charlotte McCurdy and Phillip Lim, have created a shimmering dress covered in bioplastic sequins made from algae! H&M stores are also working on new ways to create sparkle with recycled materials. So history and science repeat by finding new and better ways for us to Dress with Dazzle.
So be the star in your life and add a little “Razzle dazzle” to your Purely Personal Style!
