Zara Tindall’s embellished black dress is inspiring us to go for a quietly glamorous approach this New Year’s Eve

Zara Tindall’s black dress with sparkling trims is still inspiring us to go for a quietly glamorous approach this New Year’s Eve.

Most of us will have already found our perfect Christmas party outfits (if not worn them!) by now, but we’re still searching for some special New Year’s Eve styling inspiration. Not everyone will want to go all-out with a New Year’s Eve outfit after weeks of festive socialising, but we enjoy having another chance to wear a subtle bit of sparkle.

Understated elegance is what we’re aiming for this December and we can’t help admiring how Zara Tindall epitomised this with her velvet embellished midi dress in November last year. The King’s niece attended a VIP breakfast to celebrate the relaunch of Rebecca Vallance at Harrods and wore the most beautiful dress from the brand.

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This was the Eva Cut-Out Midi Dress in black and although the combination of adornments and cut-outs might sound like this dress was incredibly out-there, it was actually gorgeously minimal. Zara Tindall’s velvet dress had a high round neckline which helped to balance out the boldness of the cut-outs at the side and back.

It was the perfect mid-point between classic and modern design, with a fitted bodice and midi length pencil skirt. The dress was fully lined and had voluminous puffed sleeves that gave it extra structure.

Even without the embellishments this would have been a luxurious piece to wear for any special occasion - including a New Year’s Eve party - but the decorations took it to another level whilst still being very sophisticated. Running all around the neckline was a pearl trim and the cut-outs were framed by a trim made from metal, pearl and diamante beading.

These details have Zara’s dress an even more glamorous feel but having the beading in only a few select places made it more subtle and chic. The clear and white tones of the pearl and diamante adornments were a pretty contrast against the black material and kept this dress very neutral.

This is something to consider when you want to add a sparkly piece to your winter capsule wardrobe as it helps to tone things down and make them easier to style with your go-to staples whilst still having impact. Zara's dress was quietly glamorous and a more neutral outfit with a touch of sparkle like this is something that we think would be wonderful for New Year’s Eve.

If you much prefer tailored or velvet trousers to a dress, then black trousers and a satin or embellished top could be a lovely alternative. You could also go for a classic black velvet or satin dress but elevate it slightly with metallic shoes and a bag to get a similar effect. Zara Tindall accessorised her 2023 dress with a pair of simple black slingback heels from Aquazurra.

As the neckline and cut-outs of her dress were adorned with the beading she didn’t wear too much jewellery and instead opted for some pearl drop earrings that tied in with the trims. On a cold winter’s night we would throw a simple long black coat over this dress to finish off the look.