Our absolute favorite way to rock this season’s coveted metallic trend is with sequins. The small, shiny bling adds effortless sparkle to any outfit, usually in the form of an accessory like chic drop earrings or a shimmering wrap bracelet. But since we like to shake things up around here at Brit HQ, we’re adding the embellishment to plain white tees. As you’ll see, it’s a cheap and easy way to take this wardrobe basic from boring to blingin’.
Our sequined trim cost less than a dollar a yard, which makes it our go-to way to add sparkle to our wardrobe for the holidays. Plus, we found some killer matte sequins in black and gold, so if you’re after something with less shine, don’t be afraid of this material.
Can’t get enough of the Peter Pan collar? Neither can we. Thus why we created the sequined faux collar! Check out how we did this without stitches.
Materials:
– basic white tee
– 2 yards silver sequined trim
– Fabri-Tac glue
Tools:
– fabric scissors
First, hide the frayed end of your sequined trim by gluing it to the back of the sequins—you’ll have to do this every time you cut your sequins, so try and only snip when necessary. Next, place the glued-off end at the part of the shirt where the collar and shoulder seams intersect, then glue your sequins along the entire front seam of the collar. This will give your collar a more polished look while sneaking a little more sparkle into the mix! ;)
Pro tip: go with the flow of your sequins, which has a natural curve from the way it’s stored. Once you’ve covered the entire front collar, snip off the other end and glue it down at the opposite seam.
To make the actual bib of the Peter Pan collar, we’ll work from back to front. So lay the very middle of your uncut sequined trim at the center of the back collar and glue it along the seam until you reach the front trim.
At this point, you’ll want to lay out your sequins in your desired collar shape—we went for a classic round collar. Then follow your outline and glue the sequins onto the shirt. Don’t pull it too tight, otherwise your shirt will pucker like it ate a Warhead. When you get to the center of the collar, just lay down that end and move onto the other side.
Once both sides meet in the middle, it’s time to finish your collar. You may have to pull a few sequins off of the trim to make sure it’s a perfect fit. Then, hide the frayed string and glue down your ends.
So cute! We love how the sun catches every other silver sequin, which definitely dresses up this shirt. Looks pretty good with our brand new metal bangles too, no?
Want a sequined look with less shine? It is possible! Don’t believe us? Check out how we pull it off below, polka-dot style. (Obvs.)
Materials:
– basic white tee
– large, loose matte black sequins
– seed beads
Tools:
– needle + thread
– fabric scissors
First off, can we talk about these awesome matte sequins? We love that there’s a less shiny alternative out there, which makes wearing a sequined-dotted tee much less intimidating. Our polka dot pattern was pretty freeform—there’s no right or wrong placement. Literally, drop it like it’s hot and sew!
So start by tying a double knot on your thread, then pierce the shirt from the inside out and through the hole in your sequins. Next, just to add a fraction of a shimmer, string on a shiny seed bead, then sew back through the sequins hole and back through the shirt. Super simple. Then tie off a knot and cut your thread. One down, so many to go! But if that gets you down, you know what ya gotta do? Just keep sewing, just keep sewing!
Whoa, can you believe that those polka dots are actually sequins? Their flat finish really amps up this basic. We went with a more sparse polka dot layout, which makes the shirt infinitely more wearable and easier to pair with other patterns, if you so dare. (We do!)
We’re nuts about gold details on just about everything, so we had to add a gilded touch to this tee with gold sequined stripes.
Materials:
– basic white tee
– 4 yards matte gold sequined trim
– Fabri-Tac
Tools:
– fabric scissors
This might be the simplest tee of the three since you’re just wrapping the uncut trim all the way around the shirt. So easy. Once your sequined ends are trimmed and tucked, start at one side of the shirt and glue it along the bottom seam. When you finish the front, flip it over and follow the same seam until your trim meets where you started. Snip and glue here.
Again, when you’re doing this, don’t pull the sequins too tight—not only will it pucker the fabric, but it could pull the bottom of the shirt tighter, making the fit not as flattering as before. Now proceed with a gentle hand!
Next, add a second stripe of sequins to the bottom of the shirt—ours was about two inches above the first. Then, move onto the sleeves, which to be honest might be our favorite embellishment of the day. Just like before, glue along the seam, wrap the gold trim around the sleeve, and glue the ends together under the arm so it’s out of sight.
So simple. So chic! We love how the gold trim frames the torso, making it a perfect canvas for a chunky statement necklace. If you ask us, there’s no better way to amp up your everyday wardrobe!
How do you amp up your wardrobe basics? Would you ever add sequin trim to brighten up your tees? Talk to us in the comments below!
