What Are Those Things? – Embellishments!

You’ve seen all of those lovely beads and decorations sewn onto fabric and lace but, did you ever wonder what they were called? Here they are, a few of our favorite embellishments, in no particular order:

Rocaille Beads  – Pronounced “rō-ˈkī”. These are small round beads with a silver foil in the center. Also called seed beads, can be sewn on fabric, trim , lace or anywhere you want a little understated sparkle. 

Sequins –  Not ‘seqence’, not ‘sequences’, it is pronounced “See-quin“.  A sequin is a small, shiny disk sewn onto clothing  for decoration. There are several types of sequins:

Flat Sequins – completely flat discs

 

Cup Sequins – flat discs that have been stamped to make it appear to have some faceting. 

 

Shaped Sequins – Come in a variety of decorative shapes

Pailette –  Pronouned “Pi-ette “Although not technically a sequin, it is only a formality that separates the two. Pailettes can be of any shape or size but the tiny hole is at the top of the spangle, not in the center.

Aurora Borealis or A/B –  refers to the  light refract in a rainbow spectrum. A/B crystals and sequins are  the most popular accent for bridal gowns, headpieces and jewelry. Some are clearer and others are more opaque but, they all have some amount of a rainbow appearance.

Tulle – Pronounced “TOOL” – is netting that can be made of silk, nylon, or rayon; used primarily for skirts and veils.

 

 There are a lot of terms that will be thrown at you when you first start shopping for your wedding, and you may not know the meaning of all of them. When in doubt, ask. There is no shame in not knowing the term for a square sequin that has a hole on the top instead of the middle and I guarantee you will not be quizzed on it after the wedding!

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago