If your last memory of studded clothing involves a Monster-fueled trip to Hot Topic, brace yourself: this season, those shiny metal accents are back. Last year, we clocked an unusual amount of studs on the Spring-Summer runways. The downtown darlings at Eckhaus Latta sent wooden clogs with studs along the vamps clomping down the catwalk; Wales Bonner showed a series of standout denim jackets with studding along the seams; and Our Legacy debuted a rack’s worth of studded leather belts in weathered shades of black and bone. You might’ve traded the canned caffeine for a tiny, espresso-filled ceramic mug, but the studded pieces we gathered below don’t judge—they’re just glad to see you again, and ready as ever to imbue your fits with a jolt of pop-punk energy. Here’s where to start.
Seven Studly Pieces to Swipe This Spring
The Very Swervy Shirt
You know there’s a whole word of shirts that exists between your Oxfords and your tees, right? When the former feels a little too dowdy but the latter isn’t pulled-together enough, reach for a button-up like Dion Lee’s sultry jersey number. The upstart Aussie brand might be best known for its bicep-hugging, barely-there tank tops, but its studded placket shirt harnesses the same energy to tremendous effect. Pull it on with faded black jeans and vertiginous boots to dial your night-out fits to 11.
The Steely Slip-Ons
Plenty of chunky, dad-adjacent slip-ons are cushy, but they also tend to give off a vaguely granola vibe. So if you’d rather not look like you’re at a retreat in the Catskills (but aren’t ready to compromise on comfort), Toga Virilis’s hulking, jersey-lined mules might be up your alley. When your shoes’s western-inspired hardware is only, like, the third most interesting thing about them, you know you’ve found keepers.
The Jean Jacket with Juice
When you think of studded outerwear, the biker jacket is probably the first silhouette that comes to mind. A tough-as-nails leather racer is never a bad look, but those telltale metal embellishments might look even better adorning softer fabrics like suede and denim. Take, for example, Wales Bonner’s glorious reinterpretation of the jean jacket, which reworks the menswear classic with a roving assortment of metal studs and a jaw-dropping rounded collar. It’s simple and dandyish, elegant and strong, and, somehow, retro-looking and very right now.
The Beatle-Approved Boots
You see that kicky heel, chiseled toe box, and the chunky studding along the welt? If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool city slicker who associates shiny rain stompers with a premature exile to the suburbs, Bottega Veneta’s patent leather Chelsea boots are the genre’s saving grace, thanks to a healthy dose of peak-Beatles energy.
The Big, Brash Belt
When’s the last time you felt starry-eyed looking at a belt? For us, it was approximately a second ago, when we caught another glimpse of this Our Legacy stunner, crafted from premium British leather hide accented with a trippy constellation of metal studs. The kooky Swedes behind the biggest little fashion brand in the world do a whole lot of things right, but their accessories are a consistent standout. Exhibit A? You’re looking at it.
The Cool-Again Clogs
Who says hippies can’t mosh? Eckhaus Latta’s square-toe clogs are made from grained leather and equipped with sturdy wooden midsoles, a funky update on the gardening staple. We’d probably avoid tending to your gardenias in ‘em, but they’ll look right at home with the brand’s freaky gradient jeans and a track jacket at the farm-to-table brunch spot.
The Tough Tote
You know what’s sturdier, spacious-ier, and a heckuva lot sexier than your free-with-subscription tote? A leather one—more specifically, Khaite’s leather one, a pebbled calfskin riff from the high priestess of fashion-girlie cool. It’s a carry-all that actually lives up to the mandate; the stud-embellished exterior eats wimpier canvases for lunch (and happens to be A1 at storing yours, too).
