My eyes! My eyes!

Thanks for being so good and patient, folks. After my camera revived, I wasted no time in completing the experiment. S. had a few good guesses, but the shiny purchase wasn't the American Apparel leggings or hot pants. I find gold leggings strangely attractive (though I much prefer the Alice+Olivia gold lurex version), but there is no way I'll go out in hot pants. I will, however, go out in the (drumroll please . . . ) silver cropped jacket purchased from Charlotte Russe.

The cropped bomber-like jacket looks very Michael Jackson, and I'll be the first to admit it. I'm not into the 80's style at all (and Jacko is negative 18.5 on a scale of 1-10), but I saw a lot of potential. I was curious how something like this could be worn by normal, everyday people. At $8.50, the price for good fun isn't all that high. A movie ticket costs about that much, but the experience is fleeting. A jacket like this, however, has a somewhat longer shelf life.

When I first saw the jacket, I envisioned this outfit:

[Charlotte Russe jacket, vintage mod dress, Capezio boots]

Much too go-go dancer in the actual execution, and I doubt I'll go out looking like this, but it's a fun outfit to try. It's got that futuristic cool, and it'll make a good outfit for a costume party.

Let's rewind to my original challenge: how to make this more suitable for everyday wear. There are two ways to do this. One is to let the shine make the outfit, but dress it down. The other is to tone down the jacket with other elements in the outfit such that the shine becomes an accent rather than the focal point.

For the former approach, a simple graphic tee and jeans will do the trick:

[Puma retro logo tee, Charlotte Russe jacket, Jak & Rae jeans, Aerosoles sandals]

I went with a ringer tee, sporty bag, light-washed jeans, and wedge sandals for a casual vibe. A dark pair of jeans and a pair of heels would have made this a good casua dinner ensemble.

For the latter approach, bolder prints are necessary. I love how the stripes draw attention away from the shiny jacket without clashing with it. Here are two versions of the outfit:

[Charlotte Russe jacket, Papaya tube top, Juicy Couture highwaisted flare jeans, Adidas sneakers]

[Charlotte Russe jacket, Papaya tube top, Geren Ford shorts, Aerosole sandals]

I like how a change of pants and shoes creates two very different vibes. I can see myself wearing the first outfit for errands and things and just want to be comfortable. In fact, I did wear it to go out to study. The second outfit can be something for a day on a pier somewhere (though not on the beach).

I thought I'd show a close-up of my new $20 sandals from Ross. Who knew that Aerosoles can make shoes that look this good? They've really stepped up their design game. I've been looking for a pair of brown sandals for the longest time. The wedges are really comfortable and they look sleek, just the way I like 'em.

Finally, this wacky jacket can be worn as gaudy as it was made. You've already seen how it's done with the blue dress--both colors are very bright, but they deserve each other. Sometimes two wrongs do make a right. Here's another crazy as crazy does combo:

[Charlotte Russe jacket, old shirtdress from KMart, Capezio boots]

The shine and the print are equally glaring, but the blank slate of a jacket tones down the print. This doesn't look as good as the first outfit, but it sorta works on some abstract level.

This lab session is over. Further studies may be performed in the future to ascertain the true potential of such a jacket. I believe that the lessons gleaned from this experiment will work not only with shiny clothing in general, but anything with bright colors and bold prints. Given the right combinations, different prints, colors, and finishes can coexist in harmony.