Style Ish: DIY jackets
There are few things in this life better than a tried-and-true, genuinely DIY punk jacket. Whether denim or leather, it defies the conventional style notions that “less is more” and that statement pieces should be worn sparingly. If you’ve ever made one or known someone who has made one, you know how much time and LOVE goes into these beauts.
[By Ben Venom!]
Love it or hate it, these jackets are becoming increasingly mainstream though. Folks are putting their own spin on them, which unfortunately, is often a “high fashion” spin. There’s also the trend of them being mass-produced and made to LOOK DIY even though they’re actually cookie-cutter versions. Thurston Moore called that shit with 1991’s “The Year Punk Broke” and this sad photo of him holding an image from “punk” fashion editorial:
What do you think? It’s a well-known fact that I like fashion and art as well as punk music, and I’m actually pretty into this:
But “punk jackets” from F21 and H+M? Barftastic. The Picasso one seems legit DIY, but the one above smells of “designer” and a hefty price tag, which I don’t know if I can get behind. But I also don’t know if I can get behind criticizing designers for being inspired by a movement. It’s certainly not as bad as ACTUAL cultural appropriation.
In any case, I’m going to shut up now and suggest you listen to this ridiculously appropriate gem from Mary Monday:
[I gave my punk jacket to Ricky!]
And the moral of the story is: Whether you’re a trad and cover your jacket with Casualties and Crass patches, or you have a looser interpretation of the punk jacket, PLS PLS preserve the integrity of these garments by DOING IT YOURSELF. (Ew, did I really just ask you to “preserve the integrity” of something?)
For the record, I’m currently in the midst of constructing my own DIY jacket, which will not have any spikes or Oi! band patches on it. I will post a photo of it when I’m done. And by “done” I mean it will NVR be done because DIY jackets should be ever-evolving!
Ribbon Around A Bomb 