This is EXACTLY how you should wear bling if you’re over 50 – sparkles, shimmer and sequins can look classic everyday and aren’t just for parties!

Here’s something you don’t often see when the daffodils are out: sparkly clothes.

I mean proper ‘it could be Christmas’ levels of shimmer and shine: dusting of crystals on sweaters and jackets; tweedy fabrics threaded with lurex and sequins; metallic satin tailored … and all before you get down to the evening wear.

These are clothes intended for everyday use – the office, lunch with friends, a weekend trip. Sure, you can wear them in the evening, but they shouldn’t be put away for that special occasion, and it’s not some fringe trend meant for twenty-somethings.

To prove the point, last week at Zara I counted no fewer than seven sparkling jackets, from a round-neck cardigan in textured sequin fabric (£79.99, zara.com) to a cropped silver jacket applied with clusters of sequins (£109) ) and a shiny gunmetal blazer (£69.99).

In the store, these jackets hung on the rail with loose-leg jeans, so you’d be in no doubt that this isn’t a party look.

The message: the shortcut to smart casual this spring/summer is a touch of sparkle.

But is it really for us? Absolutely. Because we’re in the middle of an everyday classics moment, and there’s only so many of those you can take before you start craving an injection of something less subtle.

Shining sets work apart because they are different, yet they don’t change the DNA of a smart minimal look in the way, say, a bright print would. And they introduce a different texture into the mix. Always good.

More importantly, a touch of bling is a midlife woman’s best friend.

Instead of wearing a white shirt under a jacket, try a Zara fine-knit foil sweater (£22.99) or a cropped jacket with light-reflective threads to wear with your jeans and you’ll instantly look brighter.

Simply mix some shine with the clothes you always wear. Swap a plain, everyday item—perhaps a jacket or knit top—for its sparkly or slightly shiny equivalent. That’s all it takes.

On that trip to Zara, I saw a woman walk out of the store in a light blue cropped jacket shot with lurex thread and I was instantly sold. The thread caught the light and made something ordinary look fun and fresh. Who made the rule that sparklers had to be kept at parties anyway?

By the way, tinsel is supposed to be the new fringes of autumn, and silver and gold fabrics were everywhere on the autumn/winter catwalks, so it could be considered an investment that is emerging.

Live: Queen Maxima of the Netherlands looks stunning in a shimmering bronze fringed skirt paired with a white shirt

Start slow now – stick to simple separates, avoid black and strong colors – and work up to something more festive for November.

You can choose any outfit and find its sparkling version this season, but the most useful one is undoubtedly the round neck cropped jacket, which you can wear over everything from T-shirts to tight dresses.

The aforementioned Zara silver sequin jacket (DKK 109) is one of the best, and it makes sense to stick to the silver spectrum because it goes with everything and doesn’t have the festive factor associated with strong colors and gold.

In addition to jackets, sparkling fine knitwear and lurex sweaters are having a moment. Cos has a sparkly ribbed shirt in gunmetal gray (£50, cos.com) to wear over smart trousers, or a beige sweater with a dusting of rhinestones on the shoulders (Zara again, £25.99) will sit well on top of the A-line skirts.

Shiny pants, from lurex braided tweed to sequin pants, are in every store, but they’re arguably harder to wear. I would focus on above the waist: it’s more flattering and easier to sit down in.

Amanda Holden looks chic in a sparkly gold dress paired with a sheer top and leather biker jacket

Zara’s lightweight long-sleeve silver sequin jumper would work with trousers or skirts. It comes with a matching midi skirt (both £49.99) if you want a set. I wouldn’t wear the top and skirt together, but use the trick of matching the skirt with a polo neck sweater.

The alternative and simplest route to spring glamor is accessorizing – namely mid-heel, clipped toe (a little bit squared off at the end) silver slingbacks, which are the shoe of the season and come at every price point, including Ralph Lauren ( £130, ralph lauren.co.uk ) and Zara (£35.99).

There are plenty of silver bags around too, including Jigsaw’s metallic leather bag (£50, jigsaw-online.com), which is your event bag sorted in one.

But slingbacks are truly an investment to wear this summer and into fall. You can’t go wrong.