No, I Won’t Be Doing Glitzy New Year’s Eve Style

5, 4, 3, 2, 1—Happy new year! It’s what most of us will be screaming when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve. Some of us might be partying at a blowout bash with a glass of Champagne in hand; others might be cozied up at home watching TV, taking delight in avoiding the crowds. Whatever your plans may be, though, you’ll likely still be wearing something a bit glitzy—dressing up in sequins is half of the fun of ringing in 2024, after all. But me? I’d rather be caught dead than wearing sequins this holiday season. Hear me out.

I’m not like a holiday Grinch or anything. I’m excited for New Year’s Eve too! I just hate the prospect of being told what to wear—or conforming to a uniform that everyone else will wear. Shimmering crystals and dazzling metallics are the unofficial dress code for New Year’s Eve, and the problem is, I already wear both of these things constantly. I do New Year’s dressing year-round. At the office, I will regularly stroll in wearing my metallic Saint Laurent boots. For happy hour with friends, I’ll change into grosgrain-trimmed trousers and a velvet blazer. Yes, I am tooting my own horn—I simply don’t need a holiday to dress snazzy! Sue me. 

By the end of the year, then, the idea of doing disco-ball-dressing seems anticlimactic. When you wear sequins on a regular Tuesday, sporting them for a New Year’s send-off feels, well, tired. Aren’t you supposed to step into 2024 feeling like a new-and-improved version of yourself? I’d argue that a New Year’s look should be something wholly fresh and unexpected. And no, I’m not saying that those who do embrace glitzy style on the 31st are basic or anything. If that feels new and fresh to you on the big night, then go for it! For me, though, I want to experiment with actually toning things down and experimenting with a whole new fashion vibe all together.

So what exactly should a glitzy fashion lover like myself wear when the countdown starts? I’d say, start with considering the New Year’s Eve vibe and location. I will be ringing in 2024 while on vacation in Tokyo with friends, so I’m thinking of channeling the city’s sleek, tailored, avant-garde fashions. I just so happen to have bought this fringed, knit Comme des Garçons dress on The RealReal, and I envision wearing it as a top with my favorite black dress pants. To me, that feels like a look worth celebrating in—stepping into 2024 with something I wouldn’t typically wear, like a new fashion identity or a new version of myself. Plus, I can always slip right back into my sequins come January 1st.