Adding Some Shiny

I’m always trying to find ways to make my casual clothes look more interesting while still keeping comfort a top priority. Lately I’ve been thinking about the idea of adding a shiny element. Not with jewelry or purses although those are great too, but with clothing and shoes.

Here are a few ways I’ve been adding the shiny lately.

1. Shiny Pants

Katie Holmes and Grece Ghanem wearing some reeeaally blingy pants.

First up are some blue pants from Tibi. They’re cotton but they have a finish on them that gives them shine. They kind of remind me of these that one of the Olsen twins is wearing (I’m not enough of a fan to tell them apart):

I really love these pants. I didn’t think I was going to like them so much when I first got them as they’re super baggy but I’ve been wearing them everyday because they’re so light and comfortable:

On the left: Old Acne Studios ball cap. Old cotton shirt from Dosa. Vintage Gucci bag. Tibi wide leg cargo pant. Dries suede sneakers. On the right: Old Caron Callahan Alice button-up shirt (the best button up for short people!). Tibi sheer sweater. Hunting Season tote bought used but it’s this one. Bottega Veneta Cha Cha slipper. La Bonne Shoppe Her socks.

On the left: Old Acne baseball cap. Baserange Nehru top. Same pants and shoes as above. On the right: Massimo Dutti leopard t-shirt. Toteme eyelet belt. Same bag and shoes as above.

I tried these pants on at Nordstrom a few weeks ago and loved them. I decided to get them in brown to break up the tyranny of “nice” black pants in my closet. It’s hard to see here but they’re made of a scuba-type material that has a subtle sheen:

Old wool vest from & Other Stories. Same Caron Callahan top as above. Same bag as above. Fforme Shim pants. Old boots from Dear Frances.

My Winslow pants from Tibi were my gateway into shiny pants. After I got the active knit sport ones (I love this current color) I started wearing them every day. They’re super comfortable and throwing them on to do an errand makes my outfit instantly look better. Here’s a picture of an Olsen wearing pants that look a lot like the Winslow. I like how she mixed the silky fabric of the pants with what looks like a knit cardigan:

It made me want to try pairing my Winslows with something textured:

This is what happens when your friends talk to you while you’re taking outfit selfies. Vintage cashmere men’s vest. Tibi Winslow pants bought secondhand. The Row Dune sandal.

And one more outfit with shiny pants because they’re just fun:

Bode Alphabet vest. Tibi zipper pants bought secondhand, but here they are. The Row Eel Loafers. Mine are older but I think these are exactly the same.

2. Shiny Shoes

Another way to play with The Shiny is to add a pair of metallic sneakers. There are a lot of options around right now. I screenshot this image awhile ago because the woman is wearing the wales bonner x Adidas shoes I own. I like how the outfit is very neutral except for the shoes.

Here’s my version. This is just a sweatpants and t-shirt outfit but the metallic shoes gave a little spice and contrast to all the matte cotton:

Tibi sheer cardigan from above. Le Bonne Shoppe Ease tee (this is the best oversized tee I have about three of them). Same bag as above. Winslow sweats bought used. Dries silver sneakers.

3. A Shiny Top

I’ve also been adding some extra with a top that has sheen to it. When wearing a lot of black it’s nice to have some different fabric finishes to give depth:

Tibi Liam blazer bought used but here it is. Same Toteme belt as above. Nili Lotan Jennifer tank. Here it is in white. I have no idea where my shorts are from, maybe VInce? Same shoes as above. Loewe Puzzle bag.

And here’s another one where I’m trying to dress up my daily sweatpants with a lace top and a shiny blazer:

Same blazer as above. Repetto lace leotard which I can’t seem to find but here's the shirt version. Free City sweatpants. Same shoes as above.

And that’s it for me! I hope you have a shiny week whether it’s from sunshine or a well-finished nylon xoxo.