Have you customized a denim jacket? - YouLookFab Forum

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Have you customized a denim jacket?

Chris987

Veteran

Mary Beth posted about a year ago about a denim jacket she customized with patches, paint, and pins (sounds like a song title ...). I've been wanting to do something like that for a long time, and am finally going to get started. Here is her post with photos
https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....s-and-diys

I would love to hear from MB and others on how you customized a denim jacket, especially how you applied the paint. Before the patches or after? Did you just sort of splatter it on or was it more organized than that? What type of paint?

p.s. MB , LOVE your next step after you found the patches that inspired you ... ." Six weeks of thrifting and I found a 100% cotton denim jacket " ... for me I'd better plan for longer since my thrifting options and skills are not as fab as yours!

TIA for all ideas!

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19 replies

Latest reply was from Chris987

lyn67

Veteran

Very eager to find out how to DIY me, too! I just wanted to spray an older denim jacket with simple gold spray, the one we use for Xmass deco---but I don't know anything about it, may be some of you here can tell it is or not a good idea? (not only MB, but Brooklyn and may be others here which could advise as beeing a pro:-))). Will some metallic spray work on shoes, too? I know we have had some members here having success with this, too(for shoes and bags)---but forgot how that was done properly).

Joy

Veteran

I customized a black Jean jacket with a round cushion top made of sequins like an emoji symbol. I cut out out and sewed it on the back of the jacket. Little children , including grandchildren, cannot keep their hands off of it, changing the face. I wore it yesterday and love the way it turned out. I have several Jean jackets in blues, white and black and multi colors to match a pleated skirt. They are perfect for transitional weather. Buy them over sized and roll up the sleeves. I have also personalized them with collections of pins. Easy to remove.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I've had denim jackets successfully altered to customize the fit in the past. AND painted their silver buttons with gold nail polish for a warmer vibe. Worked well

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

I dug through my photos, and couldn’t find the ones from my original post, so I took some today.

I had a couple of mermaid patches I bought at Weeki-Wachee in January 2023, and decided I wanted to put them on a denim or olive/army green jacket. It took a couple of months of searching before I found this cropped denim jacket.

I follow The DIY Designer series on YouTube, and wanted to try her metallic foil tutorial.

The foils and glue were from Amazon
The craft paints are close to 20 years old. You can just about fabric paint.

The antique pin and the lace rose from some shattered Edwardian clothing I salvaged for the trims.

Mermaid patches are from Weeki Wachee.

The tiger patch (from my grandfather’s WWII regiment) and the Rutland Water patch (my grandma grew up in that area), was found in a tin of my grandma’s old sewing notions.

The name is my dad’s, from the Air Force in the late 1960s. It’s my maiden name.

I started with foils on the body of the jacket, using the video as reference, and then realized WOW THAT’S A LOT OF GOLD FOIL. I chiseled off what I could, used acetone nail polish remover and Goo-Gone, then washed the jacket. There were some gold spots left, and I liked that it looked more organic, so I just freehanded it. I put a lot of foil under the collar, so I can pop it if I want. There was a marked contrast between the jacket color and the gold, so I mixed craft paints, and used a water-dipped brush to fill it in and give some shading. (This also helped cover a couple of glue remnants I couldn’t remove, LOL)

Then I sewed on my patches.

Adhesive for foil: https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod.....&th=1

Foil Transfer Sheets:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod.....&th=1

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cjh

(website)

Veteran

That’s great! I don’t remember seeing the original post, so I’m glad to see photos now. I had a denim jacket in college that I “got” from a boyfriend. I embroidered flowers, a key, stars and decorative stitches along the seams and around the buttonholes. I have two jackets hanging in my sewing room closet I have good intentions for but no time amongst all my other hobbies.

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

@Lyn This option is also great on denim and leather, if you just want a light wash of shimmer

https://youtu.be/1EsvE4_UGd4?si=xxnG2eA2Be3ANWG4

Metallic foil leather shoes (I don’t know how long this lasts):
https://youtu.be/zNK3ZCGUItk?si=k0Bh0PWpFGqL5zoN

Making a leather jacket metallic (I’m going to do a separate post on a leather jacket I did last fall, using this tutorial)…

https://youtu.be/f93WbOIF_ok?si=LX204FmMmIdMjxNJ

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

This is a really neat idea. I haven't done it. Mary Beth's jacket is so cool-looking and inspiring.

Chris987

Veteran

lyn67 I too am interested in how spray paints work on clothing...

Joy, that motif you put on the back of your jacket sounds like so much fun! And of course the multiple pins idea is great and highly adjustable.

Angie, of course tailoring to fit is always a good idea, and the metallic nail polish idea one is great too.

Mary Beth thanks so much for providing SOOO much info!! Will definitely bookmark to come back once I've found the jacket to work with. I LOVE that you have so many family history items on your jacket! I have my grandfather's WWI dog tags but those might be tricky to attach to a jacket ... hmm...

cjh - great story! I had jeans in college on which I embroidered a Sagittarius and a rose. I meant to do more but never did and they are long gone now.

Firecracker, I totally agree with your your comments!

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

@Chris - depending on if the jacket has pockets, maybe you can attach/style the dog tags and necklace as if it were an old-fashioned pocket watch and chain.

Brooklyn

Veteran

Thanks for starting this thread Chris. And thanks for those links MB! Great stuff.

Can I ask MB: how does the denim jacket go in the wash?

I am very tempted to try putting a metallic coating on a jacket. I noticed in the video about the cargo pants that Orly emphasised the importance of drying the pants in the dryer and then ironing them to help the paint set.

And Angie would look fabulous in those pearlescent white cargo pants!

Cee

Veteran

Nope... I'd have to buy one first !

Chris987

Veteran

MB - fabulous idea about dogtags in the style of a ocket watch!!! Thanks!

Hah, Cee, I guess you are on team "don't wear denim jackets" ...

lyn67

Veteran

Thank you MB for the great links---now off to see if these foils and fabric paints are accesible/available in my neck of the woods, too(or online?)! Wow, she's badass indeed! Thanx again!!! (rubbing palms of excitement!)

Chris-I tried both my Christmass metallic sprays(gold and silver) on a plain piece of white cotton/linen canvas but to be true I was not really impressed about the result...:-(. Somehow it just wasn't providing the same shine like I see her doing with the foils (if I can see there well enough on the YT) will try to upload a pictie of my result here (in the evening)-it is much more dulled be it silver or gold, either....

My first and very original idea was to repaint in metallic gold a straw clutch which was unfortunatelly splashed with a good dose of dark soysauce at the japanese restaurant we were celebrating my DD's first BA in 2019- and couldn't wash it out ever since. Could't find a better idea than the Xmass gold spray--but didn't make it to my expectations--color didn't have enough shine to compare to any "gold" it just turned out some dark natural???

The other one, was to spray paint with silver spray a worn out acrylic(?) cuff but it didn't do either... No chrome shine achieved-like I wanted. Just a dull grey.

RobinF

Veteran

Such a timely thread! I just got a denim jacket this weekend at a thrift store and it is a bit too blue IYKWIM. I was thinking of dying it a dustier color or doing something with bleach to tone it down. Nice inspo here!

Murph11

Veteran

Oh, I like customized denim, and painting sounds like fun!

Years ago I saw the attached find as inspiration for the Levi's Trucker Jacket that wasn't getting much wear in my closet. I removed the collar, cuffs and waistband (and finished the bottom as opposed to the raw-edge find) and love my stripped-down version much better. It's lighter and less bulky.

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Levi's | Anthropologie Levi's Altered Trucker Jacket

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Chris987

Veteran

lyn67 - interesting comments about how the paint worked out. Good suggestion to try a sample first NOT on the final garment.

RobinF - good luck!

Murph11 what a great idea to remove collar, cuffs and waistband! I'm in the process of removing just the waistband from an older jackets I have.

I also discovered something similar on a button down shirt with a collar (it was thrifted and I was trying to find a way to like it better). If a shirt has a very traditional collar with that separate neck band piece, you can fold the collar inside completely and tack it down to get a band-collar look. No need to actually remove the collar! Something about the geometry of the pieces makes it work.

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

@Brooklyn - Great question! have only washed it once. I flipped it inside out, fully buttoned up, and did a timed cycle - 15 minutes, low spin. I may have put this in a delicates bag. Pretty sure I did. I removed the pin on the lapel.

I used about 1/2 teaspoon of my usual liquid laundry detergent and cold water. I unfastened it and dried it flat, and it came out fine. I think mainly, because it looks weathered and kind of vintage. If you’re going for an upscale, pristine designer look, I’d say hand wash.

TBH, I will probably hand wash this next time I feel it needs it, because now I’m thinking about that lace rose, which is oooooold.

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

@Chris - just a thought, it helps to have an idea in your head before you start your process. I knew I wanted my mermaid patches to be a thing, and the type of jacket I wanted. And I looked on Pinterest for Dolce & Gabbana and some other Italian designers, to see if there were any ideas I could grab.

If there is a storybook character, or an outfit you saw in a movie, or a specific era that interests you, like … The White Rabbit, or Robert Plant glamrock 1970s, or something you saw your favorite actor wear in a film, or the spring 2012 collection for your favorite designer….get on Pinterest and save some visual ideas to a board.

Chris987

Veteran

MB - fabulous advice. I am already thinking of something based on 2 patches that I know where to get 1) Duke Ellington my fave American composer & Jazz musician and 2) Linda Rondstat my fave Rock/Pop singer ... with some other musical motifs mixed in ... maybe some 1930s/1940s vibe would fit too...