Every New Year’s Eve comes with the same debate: stay in or go out. If you choose the former you’re most likely dressing for comfort. Sweatpants, a great movie, and food delivery are your three best friends that night. But if you choose the latter, getting dressed is a little more complicated. While you should always feel comfortable in what you’re wearing, New Year’s Eve does call for something a little extra. After all, you made it to the finish line of 2025, a year that’s gotten more dystopian by the month. That in itself is reason to throw on something celebratory.
On New Year’s Eve, that usually means one thing: sequins, and lots of them. It’s cheesy, yes, but there’s something about wearing a sparkly outfit on December 31st that just feels right. It’s like you’re manifesting, through clothes, that the next year will be bigger and brighter than the last. There’s a reason why the ball that drops in Times Square is adorned with over 2,600 crystals: We’re saying goodbye to 2025 and charging into 2026 with glowing, technicolor optimism. Wearing even just a few sparkly sequins on New Year’s Eve gives your outfit this energy. And why wouldn’t you want that going into the dark, hopeless abyss of January?
Not sold on sequins yet? Maybe these 10 photos of celebrities in their prettiest, sparkliest dresses will give you inspiration. All these looks are vintage, too, and easily can be replicated by scouring your favorite resale sites like eBay. Sequins and shine have been illuminating our New Year’s Eve parties (and outfits) for decades now, so get in on the fun with these ideas below.