Retroreflectivity: The science behind eye-catching clothing

Eye-catching reflective clothing is creating a buzz in the fashion world. A jacket or scarf looks gray until the camera flash hits it, and it pops to white. But, it’s not actually white.

The secret? Retroreflectivity. Glass beads coat the fabric and act as mirrors, so the light is reflected back and looks white. The individual beads are smaller than a grain of sand – invisible to the naked eye. When light hits the mirrors, they capture it and send it back. Brilliant.