RE-WORKED Denim, We Love It All. Patchwork, Stitched, Embellished, Painted, And More Styles We’d Copy Right Now
I was recently gifted a stack of my dad’s old Levi jeans. They’ve all had to be retired over the years from getting too ripped and torn from yard work, and when he told me he had three or four pair I was happy to take them off his hands and add to my collection.
Some pairs fit me pretty perfectly, which is weird but I love. . . (Dad jeans are a thing too, y’all.) And I love wearing them during this glorious mom jean 80s 90s denim era we’re living in (click for more on my mom jeans admiration).
But some of them are seriously ripped. Either bordering on not-socially-acceptable-in-some-places ripped or with holes rips or tears that need to be reigned in with some mending so they don’t get any bigger.
There is lots of cool fashion inspiration right now for re-worked denim - be it patchwork, stitch work mending or stitch work embellishing as an art of its own, and I’m here for it. I also have another post on re-worked, patched, and embellished jean jackets, which you can check out here.
In Japanese culture stitch work mending is an art form, and it’s called Sashiko. It literally translates to “little stabs” and focuses on simple-patterned stitches. Whether it’s clean lines, concentric circles, cross stitch, starburst. . . Sashiko is all about embracing the uniqueness of the imperfection. Your stitches don’t have to be the exact same length or perfect distancing - any asymmetry will just add character.
I also like the idea of visible mending + diy patchwork, because. . .
- newsflash -
the fashion industry is, for the most part, a huge pollutor.
Mending your denim is the greenest, nicest, you can do to increase the lifespan of your wardrobe + keep your clothing from ending up in a landfill.
DIY Mending + Sashiko project inspiration:
Source: Wren Bird Arts
Source: Wren Bird Arts
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Source: Carlyn Clark
Source: Tikkido
Source: Nora Knox
Shop this amazing Sashiko pair of jeans by My Queens Wish on Etsy
Shop amazing patchwork and visible mending jeans from My Queens Wish on Etsy
I’ve also been mulling over cool patchwork and embellishment projects, which looks super cool and bohemian and definitely nods back to the 60s when it was popularized by the hippies and counterculture free-spirits.
(I also remember really really wanting a pair as a tween back in the late 90s or early 00s that — if my memory serves me right — were ankle cropped with fringe or pom poms around the hem, with funky patchwork up and down the legs. I thought they were so artsy and bohemian. I see pairs kind of like it again now - too funny how it all cycles back around, eh?)
Patchwork Projects giving me inspiration:
Source: My Queens Wish on Etsy
Shop these amazing patchwork jeans by My Queens Wish on Etsy
Source: Free People Blog
By MyQueensWish. Buy them here on Etsy
By MyQueensWish. Buy them here on Etsy.
A handful of the pairs shown here (like the two below and the two a few photos up) are from an Etsy shop called MyQueensWish that turns out some SERIOUSLY amazing apcycled one of a kind patchwork + embroidered jeans. Definitely worth saving your dollars to be able to rock such a cool pair that will never be copied!
By MyQueensWish. Buy them here on Etsy
By MyQueensWish. Buy them here on Etsy
Shop these amazing patchwork jeans by My Queens Wish on Etsy
Shop these amazing patchwork jeans by My Queens Wish on Etsy
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Shop these Patchwork Styles right now:
Painted + embellished denim project ideas:
If you’re looking to try something really fun and different think about taking some paint to your denim. Based on what I’ve read, laytex paint won’t wash out or ruin other clothing in the machine, and can take a regular pair of thrift store jeans to a place of high fashion magic. I love the Picasso portrait inspired pair here!
Source: Pop Sugar
Source: Brit Co + DIY Projects For Teens
The two pictures above show Blake Lively on the left wearing her super cute cherry blossom jeans from Rialto (which sadly for me retail for $495). The pic to the right of it is an awesome DIY job spotted that does a really good job at capturing the vibe! Well done.
Or how about embellishing? Whether you’re decking out your denim in pearls, rhinestones, beads, buttons, lace, bows — the world is truly your oyster. Or go for a really bold embroidery design and add a pop of fun that way! I love all of these. (The longer I look at all of these I can see how re-working denim could get tremendously addicting.)
The bows down the side? The bejeweled red fringe tassels? I truly can’t even.
My head is reeling wanting to up-cycle a dozen pairs of jeans now! But where to start?
Source: We Heart It
If you’re itching to DIY some denim I hope this article has given you some good fodder and idea inspiration for amazingly fun and bohemian re-worked jeans. If you make anything cool let me know! Send me a picture on Instagram or tag me @fireflyandfinch
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Originally published 04/13/2020. Updated 04/05/21.