'Who said you can't rock a mini skirt at 65?!' - Shirley Ballas' elegant festive outfit is a masterclass in ageless style

Proving that fashion and style are ageless, the Strictly star encouraged fans to embrace confidence this festive season

Shirley Ballas smiling on the red carpet
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Shirley Ballas is used to being surrounded by sequins, but the Strictly Come Dancing judge was seen dazzling at home, as she shared an outfit picture to Instagram last week. Posing in a series of three images, Shirley's exceptional Christmas decor could be seen in the background, but it was the glam look from the star that was the talking point for fans.

Standing by her staircase, Shirley was photographed wearing a black mini skirt and embellished sequin blouse. To complete the look, she paired them with sheer black tights and heeled, black platform boots, giving the whole look a slightly more edgy feel.

Shirley Ballas reminds fans that fashion and style is ageless

A rallying cry to her fans, it was clear that Shirley was trying to remind her followers that when it comes to fashion and style, age really is just a number, and stepping out with confidence in what you're wearing, particularly over the next few weeks is so important.

The exact matches are unknown, and the sequin shirts we did find are selling out fast, proving how popular this look is this season. It's almost impossible to tell exactly what fabric Shirley's skirt is in the picture. The light catching sheen could make it anything from velvet to leather, so we've gathered a selection of sequin shirts and mini skirts that will give you Shirley's look at all price points.

Get the look

With outfits to source for both Christmas Day and New Year's Eve, Shirley's sequined shirt and classic mini skirt combo was a brilliant outfit formula that's easy to replicate on the high street this season.

Demonstrating how important it is to create a balanced look, Shirley's higher neckline and long sleeve balanced out her shorter hemline, ensuring the look was fun but elegant. When creating a mini skirt outfit, thinking about drawing the eye up to your top half, with a higher neckline, helps to elongate your silhouette.

Opting for sheer or opaque black tights, with a pair of boots also helps to balance out your figure, and if unlike Shirley, you're considering stepping into a mini skirt outfit for the first time, then tights and a pair of knee high boots will mean a smaller part of your leg is on show, giving you time to get used to this newer silhouette.

There's no doubt that Shirley looks fantastic in her festive ensemble, and her encouragement to fans to embrace themselves and their style ideals this season is the cheery, confident message that we're happy to get behind.

Rivkie Baum
Fashion channel editor

Rivkie is a fashion editor, writer and stylist with twenty years' experience in the industry. Rivkie studied design and pattern cutting at the London College of Fashion, and fell in love with styling and journalism, and has covered fashion weeks in London, Paris and New York, as well as shooting editorial all over the world.


Specialising in plus size fashion, Rivkie has long championed that style is for everyBODY and has appeared on a host of radio stations and television shows, pushing for greater representation for plus size women and fashion throughout her career. 

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