How to wear Metallics

I remember my dad once said to me when I came out of my room all dressed up, "Kung hindi ka matingkad, makinang ka naman." Lol! If it was a compliment or not, I couldn't care less. He was speaking the truth. Hello, orange nga favourite colour ko e. (Yes, go ahead, judge me and roll your eyes on me.) And while others have black and/or white as their staple, mine is metallics. Go bright or go sparkly! Haha!

Less skin, more sparkle

Metallics are tricky, though, which makes it terrifying or overwhelming to use. It can either instantly spice up or break an outfit. There's a fine line between looking fab and tacky when using metallics. Similar to colour-blocking or mixing prints, if you do it wrongly then, you'll be doomed. Nevertheless, if you do it correctly, you'll be stellar.

Here are some tips on how to look shimmery but not tacky:
1. Consider the quality of the metallic item that you want to use.
We've all seen those ghastly, super shiny, it's-just-so-tacky-it-hurts clothing items so you know what I mean. Hence, when buying a metallic-coloured item, look at the texture, the fabric and how the piece was made. I think this is the main point of what makes or breaks a metallic piece and what makes it work or not.

2. Keep it minimal. Keep it balanced.
Your metallic piece, whether it's your clothing item or accessory, is already a statement on its own. It's not sparkly for nothing. Make the piece stand out by keeping the rest of your outfit subtle or understated. If you're wearing a plain, monochrome-coloured outfit, you can go big with it. However, if there's enough texture/colour on your outfit, tone down or don't use metallics at all. It's all about finding the right balance. You don't want to look like you came out from 80's disco party or a walking Christmas tree. I repeat, keep it minimal and balanced.

3. Pair it with neutrals.
Related to what I discussed on the previous bullet point. A safe way to make your piece stand out is to pair it with neutral-coloured items in your closet.

4. Keep the palette of your outfit as monochrome as possible.
Another foolproof way to draw attention to your metallic piece for the right reasons. If the rest of your outfit belongs to the same colour family, it draws the attention to the metallic colour and you wouldn't look "too busy" to the eye.

I kept my outfit palette in the old rose/mauve shade so they would complement each other and my focal piece, which are the pants.

5. By all means, colour-block it.
If you're feeling more experimental and daring, you can also play with colours. This can be tricky as well, so choose colours that go together or choose one solid/richly saturated colour to pair the metallic colour with, such as green and gold, purple and silver, navy blue and gold, to name a few. The colour wheel or Christmas decor colour combinations can be a good reference. Then keep the rest of your outfit or your accessories toned down.

6. Use it with texture, too.
Match metallics with texture, such as chambray top or denim jeans, leather jacket, chunky knit or sheer lace (similar to what I used in the photo) to add extra oomph factor. With texture, be careful not to go overboard. To be safe, use a single texture and opt for textured items that have neutral colours.

7. You can also go full-on, head-to-toe metallic.
If you choose to go down this road, make sure to go for metallic items that are of the same or almost the same colour so you will look cohesive and not too shiny.

8. Own it!
Pretty self-explanatory, I suppose.

I'm not an expert but I hope this helps! (And I hope I explained it clearly? Haha!)
Now, go on and strut those sparkles.