Fantasy Sequins

Gorgeous pics from Garance Dore.

Sequins were used for centuries across the Meditteranean, particularly around the Persian Gulf, but not quite as the sequins as we know them. Sequins - derived from the Arabic word sikka, which means coin - were used as a form of currency, and prior to our reinvention of them as sparkly, plasticy items to be scattered with gay abandon on ... well, everything, ornamental sequins were actually coins. It's likely the tradition of wearing sequins was derived from the ancient practice of sewing coins on to a girls dress to indicate how wealthy her family was (and how convenient - no scrabbling in the bottom of your handbag for 10c for the bus, just pluck it off the hem of your dress).

In the 13th Century, the local Viennese mint produced 3.5g gold coins known as zecchin, and later in Turky in 1478 a monetary unit was introduced called the sequin. Goddammit. I would have been rich if I could teleport myself back in time with a few key items from my wardrobe. The French of course reworked Vienna's zecchin, and called it the sequin (thank goodness that's what they got out of it - otherwise I could have been wearing zucchini), and of course started doing fabulous, artistic things with it.