Browse through any clothing catalog, and lustrous gold, silver and bronze-colored shoes and belts appear in all seasons. At holiday time, shiny tinsel-like threads brighten even casual clothing. So, what is the allure of these glittering, luminous fabrics? UC Davis design professor Victoria Rivers sought to find out more about the universal appeal of light-reflective materials through the centuries and has published a new book, "The Shining Cloth: Dress and Adornment That Glitter" (Thames & Hudson) in which she examines the historical and cultural use and meanings of such cloth. Rivers focuses primarily on non-Western cultures, and in particular, looks at Asian cultures, as she traces the use of silk cloth, and gold, silver, minerals, mirrors, beads, shells, feathers and even beetle wings to embellish cloth. An ancient reason for the enduring popularity of such materials is that people historically established systems of value in which hard, shiny or rare materials were highly prized. The items often were used in personal adornment, for trade and in spiritual connotations, Rivers says. "Tremendous energy and imagination, coupled with every conceivable light-reflecting material, have been harnessed to capture the gleam of the sun, the moon and the stars. Gold or Lurex, silk or polyester, the shine is what delights us," Rivers says. Rivers served as curator for an exhibition of collected shining textiles that opens April 9 at the UC Davis Design Gallery, running through May 5. Rivers has developed a Web site with virtual gallery, interactive pages and an educational component for teachers and schoolchildren to accompany the exhibit, , which also will be available April 9.