Thank goodness for New Year's Eve parties, because for many of us, it's the only excuse all year to wear a sequined dress! Sequins have been catching eyes since as least the time of King Tut. The monarch's tomb held clothing with gold discs sewn right in! Not everyone could afford gold, but travelers sewed real money coins onto their clothing for security purposes while traveling, and sequins made of metal decorated clothing for fancy occasions long before the more lightweight sequins we know. The reproduction Plimoth Plantation women’s waistcoat shown here has over 10,000 hand-stitiched sequins to make it like the ones worn in the 17th century. Read the full story of sequins at Smithsonian's Threaded blog. Link
(Image credit: Ed Nute)