We often talk in fashion about making a look stand out through color, texture or prints, but one element that is often mentioned but not touched on very much is shine. Shine is a great style element that is more frequent than you’d think and that can take your style to the next level.

Let’s break down the ways in which you can add some shine to your outfits and how you can work with this element to take your looks up a notch.

 

 

The different types of shine

 

 

Through shine we understand any surface that reflects the light around it. There are many types of shine. For example, metals usually shine, but they can do it in different ways, as there are shiny metals and matte ones. There are also many fabrics that imitate metals, which we call “metallics”.

Then there are reflective fabrics that are designed to reflect light. Think of them as the safety vests one wears when doing some work on a car in the middle of the road. These fabrics are destined to capture light and strongly send it back.

And last, but not least, there are materials which shine, but which don’t have shine as their main purpose. For example, very polished leather creates a shining effect, even though leather is not a material you would usually associate with shine.

 

 

How to wear and mix shiny pieces

 

 

When it comes to wearing shiny garments, for best sartorial results, we encourage you to keep it balanced by wearing them with very matte, deep pieces. For example, a shiny bow tie would go well with a velvet jacket in deep burgundy. The contrast creates balance between the two and the result is a harmonious and elegant look.

Sometime you will find that some clothes feature only a part of them with shine. Basically, what you need to do there is to see whether you need to add another shiny piece to the look or if that is enough.

 

Of course, you can always go full-shine and wear shiny pieces from head to toe. We’ve seen such looks in Burberry collections. However, if you do this, be reminded that the pieces need to look really expensive and that such a combination only goes in a casual environment. Otherwise, you risk looking quite cheap.

 

The color of the shine will dictate how to mix colors. Usually, going for an analog color scheme (mixing two colors that lie closely to each other on the color wheel) will make you look more mature and formal, while a complimentary colors combination (mixing colors that lie on opposite sides of the color wheel) will make you look more casual.

 

 

Accessories

 

 

One of the best ways to add some visual interest to your outfits is to add shiny accessories. As we said earlier, wearing some metals that reflect the light around you is a wonderful way to keep it subtle but interesting.

You can either go for more cookie colors, such as pink or light blue, which go best in casual settings (usually these are painted plastic pieces), for casual metals such as copper or for precious metals, such as gold, silver or platinum. When it comes to metals in general (gold, silver, copper, platinum, etc.), one should note that these are neutrals and therefore, they can be worn with any color and with each other. In other words, you can wear your silver or gold with anything and you can wear them both at once.

 

Shine is a great design element that can elevate your outfits and take them to another level. Wearing pieces that shine will draw attention to your looks, it will make you more memorable in the eyes of others and, above all, it will make you feel more polished, which is what fashion is really all about.

 

Fraquoh and Franchomme

 

 

 

 

 

Further reading:

3 things you should know about wearing metallics

P.S. We want to hear from you! Do you wear shiny pieces? How do you wear them? In which contexts do you wear them? Share your feedback, questions or thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!