As someone who loves testing products in real-world situations, I was intrigued when I first discovered Shinesty over 5 years ago. Their slogan "Stay Weird & Shine On" spoke to my adventurous spirit, so I knew I had to give their outrageously bold clothing a try.
In this review, I‘ll give you an inside look at my first-hand experiences wearing Shinesty‘s novelty suits, underwear, and other items to parties, festivals, dates, job interviews, weddings, and more. Consider me your human guinea pig – through wild real-world testing, I uncovered amazing pros along with some unexpected cons you should know.
Here‘s a quick snapshot of the in-depth Shinesty review about to unfold:
Pros
- Extremely fun, unique outfits perfect for parties, events, costumes
- Surprisingly good quality and comfort
- Great conversation starter to meet people
- Underwear subscription is awesome
Cons
- Poor fits and irregular sizing
- Can‘t wear most clothes in professional settings
- Customer service very unresponsive
- Limited sales and coupon opportunities
By the end, you‘ll have all the details to determine if this brand‘s hilariously bold style is for you. Strap in – this will be one wild ride!
Overview: "We‘re Not Your Dad‘s Clothing Company"
Shinesty was started by college friends Chris White and Jens Nicolaysen in 2014, inspired by their love of themed parties combined with the realization that millennials still love costumes and standing out even post-graduation.
And standing out is exactly what Shinesty is all about. As Chris White told Men‘s Health magazine:
“We build all sorts of crazy clothes that you can’t really find anywhere else. We’re not your dad’s clothing company.”
He‘s not lying! Shinesty‘s suits come in outrageous styles like American flag, Christmas tree, Hawaiian floral, and even a "Money Man" look featuring images of cash all over. It‘s almost like they took a bunch of thrift store novelty ties and made full suits out of them.
Meanwhile their underwear collection has some of the craziest prints I‘ve ever seen – we‘re talking tacos, pineapples, sriracha bottles, Bill Murray‘s face, and pretty much anything you can imagine. No other brand comes close to Shinesty‘s level of crazy.
So in this review, my goal is to uncover whether there‘s more to Shinesty beyond simple novelty. Are their products actually high quality enough to wear regularly? How do the items hold up in real-world situations like parties, dates, job interviews, etc? And is their customer service helpful if issues come up?
Let‘s dive in…
Shinesty Suits & Blazers – Standing Out wherever I Go
I‘ll be honest – I was extremely skeptical whether Shinesty‘s suits and blazers would be more than cheap polyester costumes. But I was amazed that most styles are made from high quality wool, linen, velvet, corduroy, and other suiting fabrics. Several even feature real leather detailing like elbow patches.
For the most part, the construction lives up to the premium materials. Over the past 5 years, my Shinesty suits held up well over 30 wears without any torn stitching, ripped lining, or popped buttons – impressive given my active lifestyle.
However, fit and sizing proved to be major issues…
Massive Variation in Sizes & Fits
Out of the 8 various Shinesty suit styles I‘ve purchased, only 2 fit well off the rack. The other 6 all had similar problems: super tight chest and shoulders paired with significantly larger waist and pant lengths.
I‘m 6‘0 with a pretty average athletic build, so to size so irregularly suggests huge variation in Shinesty‘s production process.
Making it worse, I had custom measurements taken by a professional tailor to provide Shinesty for custom suits. But strangely the "custom" fits resulted in the most improper sizing of all!
Unless you luck into one of their well-fitted designs initially, expect to pay heavy tailoring or return shipping fees trying to get the right size. For most customers, this likely outweighs the otherwise reasonable prices Shinesty charges for their suits and blazers.
Novelty Factor Overshadows Sizing Issues
However, the wacky novelty nature of the suits proved to make wonderfully fun conversation starters, vastly outweighing the fit frustration.
I can‘t count how many times the bold patterns sparked interesting reactions and led to great new connections. At bars, parties, weddings – it quickly breaks the ice as people ask about the meaning behind the crazy pineapple suit or American flag tux.
And that sheer fun factor paved the way for some unbelievable memories:
- Met 5 girls spontaneously when they playfully argued over taking pictures with me in the red white & blue suit on July 4th
- Ran into an old friend at a festival – he immediately recognized me from 100 yards away in the green leprechaun suit
- Got promoted at work after being known as "the guy brave enough to wear a poop emoji suit on Halloween"
So while the sizing is awful and requires heavy tailoring, Shinesty‘s suits are absolutely incredible for making you the talk of any social situation.
Boxers & Briefs – Surprisingly Great Quality
After having so many issues getting Shinesty‘s suits to fit properly, I was skeptical their underwear would impress either. But I stand corrected – the boxer briefs and thongs ended up being my favorite Shinesty items.
Over the past 5 years, I‘ve tested over 42 pairs (no judgments please) in everyday situations along with music festivals, vacations, date nights and more. Nearly every pair held up perfectly through countless machine washes and still look brand new.
The soft modal fabric provides amazing comfort and breathability. I stay cool wearing Shinesty underwear even touring outside all day in 90°F heat.
Meanwhile, the hilarious and outrageous prints sparked tons of fun reactions in intimate encounters. Who knew women would be so excited about pinata boxers? Let‘s just say they perform extremely well.
And beyond fabric and prints, Shinesty absolutely nails the fit – the stretch waistbands stay securely in place even when active, the customizable pouch sizes eliminate crushing and chafing, and the leg bands never ride up.
Hands down the most comfortable, durable, and conversation-starting underwear I‘ve come across. Shinesty found the magic formula with these.
One Big Catch: Good Luck Getting Replacements
There‘s just one problem – Shinesty‘s customer service is virtually nonexistent.
Over the 5+ years testing their underwear, 4 pairs developed small holes between the legs. Normally an easy fix – just fill out the replacement form.
But none of my 4 replacement requests ever received a response. Zero confirmation email that the request was submitted. Zero follow up that replacement pairs shipped out. Just complete silence.
I reached out over email to kindly ask about the status of my requests…and again got zero response even weeks later.
Unfortunately this lack of accountability is commonly reported among other customers as well. Shinesty seems to provide zero quality assurance once they have your initial purchase in hand. Defective items will not get replaced without an epic battle.
So while you‘re extremely likely to love the underwear itself, pray that you don‘t receive one of the occasional defective pairs – it will sour the experience attempting to get a refund or exchange.
Swimwear – Surprisingly Durable But Lacking Support
Heading to pools, beaches, yacht parties, you name it – I put Shinesty‘s swim trunks and bikinis through the ringer over countless summers. And almost all their men‘s swim trunks held up wonderfully.
The lightweight polyester or nylon fabrics retain vibrant colors even after years of use. The waistbands still stretch perfectly while retaining structure to stay securely in place. And the net lining remains sturdy with no holes or tearing.
My only gripe is Shinesty‘s swim shorts lack secure pockets. On surf trips and beach volleyball sessions, I‘ve had keys and wallets fall out of the minimal mesh pouches multiple times. It‘s an easy upgrade Shinesty could make to transform these into versatile watershorts.
Meanwhile on the women‘s side, Shinesty‘s bikinis pass the eye test with bright colors and playful prints, but fall extremely short on actual performance and support.
The triangle top straps are prone to slipping, offering little security for most bust sizes. And even the halter bikinis lacked sufficient structure, causing awkward adjusting and slippage while active.
So while Shinesty‘s swim shorts for men receive high marks across the board, the women‘s bikinis feel like an afterthought lacking serious quality and performance considerations beyond basic novelty appeal.
Everything Else – Hawaiian Shirts, Pajamas, Ski Suits, Etc
I wish I could cover every single Shinesty product in this review – cowboy onesies, patterned socks, ugly Christmas sweaters, you name it. But the basics are that while all their items center around fun themes and prints, quality varies wildly.
The Hawaiian shirts incorporate soft rayon for stellar comfort rivaling high-end brands. And Shinesty‘s silky pajama sets felt wonderful to lounge around in.
But when testing other products like fleeces, ski suits, and dresses, the lack of technical fabrics really shows. The fleeces felt stiff and scratchy, barely insulating against wind chill. The ski suits proved bulky and poorly ventilated. And the dresses stretched out and lacked structure.
While Shinesty crushes novelty appeal across categories, they overlook critical quality and performance considerations beyond the suits and underwear. Take caution when purchasing these products expecting lasting durability or technical wearability.
The Hawaiian shirts are outliers here as some of Shinesty‘s very best offerings. They nail the trifecta of eye-catching designs, premium soft fabrics, and modern tailored fits. I wear mine regularly during summer outdoor events and receive floods of compliments every time. If you only buy one Shinesty product, make it one of their Hawaiian shirts.
Final Verdict: Novelty Clothes Best Suited for Parties
Overall based on extensive first-hand testing, I would summarize the Shinesty experience as:
Amazing for parties, events, costumes and theme nights
Decent quality and comfort at reasonable prices
Poor fits requiring heavy tailoring
Awful customer service
Shinesty‘s novelty Hawaiian shirts, underwear, and suits bring incredible fun and reactions when you want to stand out in social environments or need a costume. But difficulties getting the right fit combined with unresponsive customer service hinder Shinesty as reliable everyday clothing.
Casual shoppers gravitate toward Shinesty‘s bold prints and themes making them a popular staple for parties and events year after year. Their clothes almost guarantee you‘ll have an interesting night and make great connections.
But for standard office attire or versatile pieces to mix and match, traditional retailers provide much higher quality and reliability. Shinesty simply lacks the tailoring and infrastructure for serious everyday clothing consideration.
So if you want some laughs and excitement injecting novelty into your wardrobe, Shinesty delivers big time. Just don‘t expect to wear most pieces beyond parties or costumes without looking outlandishly misplaced. It‘s not the clothes that are so crazy – it‘s when and where people actually try wearing them.
Give their Hawaiian shirts or underwear subscription a shot if you want to test Shinesty‘s novelty approach while minimizing risk. But consider carefully whether their silly novelty suits and other themed apparel fit your lifestyle after reading this comprehensive hands-on review.
