Reflective and stylish?

November 27, 2021 4:30 PM

Are there any stylish accessories that are reflective to help me be more visible in low/dark light conditions?

I am moving to Seattle and suspect that walking about in the city known for grey skies/drizzle is a bit dangerous for pedestrians.

If it's dark, I'd like to be able to throw on something that's somewhat stylish -- like a highly reflective scarf/shawl and gloves. Ideally this is something I can easily keep in a my coat pocket. I can be open to the idea of maybe adding some reflective... um stickers? to my primary rain jacket, but I would like it to not look weird when it's normal day time. Needs to be workable in rainy conditions.

Specific product links are appreciated. I am open to some light crafting work with specific guidance, e.g., take this thing and sew it on the sleeves at the wrists. Ideally, I'd like personal recommendations of what has worked for you.

posted by ellerhodes to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (13 answers total)

In Finland I’ve seen people wearing reflective brooches and buttons that look stylish and funky - they light up when traffic headlights etc hit them making it much safer to walk in the winter dark. I can’t find a link to the specific one I bought at an art gallery there but I really recommend them.
posted by ozgirlabroad at 4:40 PM on November 27, 2021 [2 favorites]

Best answer: This is Vespertine’s whole thing - very pricy though! A lot of this stuff is marketed for urban cyclists so it might be worth your while to visit a commuter-oriented bike shop and see what they have.
posted by mskyle at 4:41 PM on November 27, 2021 [5 favorites]

Po Campo sells some cute reflective pins that are probably similar to what ozgirlabroad has seen in Finland.
posted by urbanlenny at 4:52 PM on November 27, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: The challenge is that it both gets dark very early, AND it’s often drizzly, causing lots of glare - reflective clothing can get lost in the mix when car headlights are bouncing off all the water. I encourage you to think about blinking red or white lights, which you often see on joggers or bicyclists in the city at night. It’s what I bought for dusk walks in the park. I know it’s not a cute accessory, but they detach very easily when it’s not dark. Your neighborhood, if it’s in the urban core, might be well lit enough to not need anything in particular beyond the reflective stuff probably already on your rain gear.
posted by WedgedPiano at 4:55 PM on November 27, 2021 [6 favorites]

Seattle Fabrics on Aurora has plenty of reflective tapes and webbing and lacings, I also have added some to matte clothing. WedgedPiano is right about lights being even better, but they’re easier to forget than your coat.
posted by clew at 5:50 PM on November 27, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Once upon a time I had a kickstarter funded jacket that was dual-sided, and once side was reflective as heck, better than safety vest. However, it appears to be a one-shot, never to be heard from again.

FWIW, NiteIze have a bunch of running safety gear such as lighted zipper pulls, lighted arm bands, and so on.
posted by kschang at 5:54 PM on November 27, 2021

Best answer: My family is obsessed with Proviz jackets. They look normal or normalish in flat light.
posted by so fucking future at 5:58 PM on November 27, 2021 [3 favorites]

I bought a couple yards of 4” reflective / hi viz ribbon to make a sash. It’s small enough to keep in a jacket pocket so I can wear it only when I need it
posted by momus_window at 6:09 PM on November 27, 2021 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Reflective Society from Portland specializes in "accessories that transition from stylish day wear [for queer people] to night-time visibility for bicyclists, pedestrians and dance parties." They also have some pinback buttons if you're not ready for a whole reflective denim vest.
posted by icebergs at 7:18 PM on November 27, 2021

Best answer: I have been gifted one of those nifty reflectors from a Finnish friend. There is a wide selection on amazon if you search "safety reflector pendant". The one I have is basically that same reflector plastic that you see in road signs, but fashionable to wear :)
posted by Tandem Affinity at 9:57 PM on November 27, 2021 [1 favorite]

What is stylish? In my commute by bike days, I went to a work apparel shop and bought a pair of bright white abattoir gumboots. I knew they were the coolest thing on the street. Coupled with velcro reflective ankle strips they were better than my pre-LED bike lights because they bobbed up and down.
posted by BobTheScientist at 11:51 PM on November 27, 2021

Best answer: GLOW is a UK social enterprise making reflective knitwear. They do have prices in dollars as well as pounds, although their stuff is not cheap even before whatever shipping is going to be.
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 1:11 AM on November 28, 2021

Best answer: We really love Moon Sashes and wear them anytime we’re walking our dogs after dusk. Moon Sashes are so easy to wear and slipping one over my head makes me feel royally responsible.
posted by WaspEnterprises at 5:14 AM on November 28, 2021