Ok, I’m going to come right out and say it – I own too many denim jackets. I know I own too many. Anyone who looks at my closet knows I own too many. But that definitely did not stop me from wanting to try out this trend.
The thing with my denim jackets – you see – is that they are all just so different. I’ve got an oversized light wash one, an oversized medium wash one, one that’s appropriate to wear to work on casual Fridays, and an old fitted crop jacket from high school that magically still fits. But you know what I didn’t have in my closet? The perfect distressed crop jacket.
For someone who owns 4 denim jackets already, I definitely can’t justify dropping another $50-$100 on another one, even if it is a wardrobe staple.
I looked long and hard at the jacket that I really wanted. With the right base, I thought to myself, I could definitely recreate that thing.
And so that’s what I did.
Honestly, the most difficult part of a DIY denim jacket is finding the perfect jacket to upcycle. Sure, I could’ve cropped any jacket. But this one was the perfect one for the look I wanted.
When it comes to finding jacket to upcycle, there’s a lot you can do.
You can check out your local Goodwill, Plato’s Closet, or Buffalo Exchange. I’ve had great luck at all those places! And – don’t forget to look in the men’s section. Sometimes, those have just the right oversized look.
You can also try your hand at secondhand shopping online at a retailer like thredUP or Poshmark. With thredUP, you now have the ability to save searches and get daily email notifications about recently stocked items. When I was searching for this jacket, I had a saved search for Levi’s denim jackets coming in sizes medium and large. I missed out on a few gems but ultimately everything worked out because I found this one!
Try your hand out at secondhand shopping at thredUP using my link and get an extra $10 in credit and a discount on your first order!
Cropping it is the easy part.
I tried the jacket on, decided where I wanted it to fall, marked it with a pencil and snip, snip, snip. One round through the dryer later and the edges were perfectly distressed.
All-in-all, I definitely feel much better about trying this trend out for only $20 instead of splurging on the $100 Levi’s jacket I had my eye on. Thrifting and sustainable shopping win once again.
The only drawback? I can’t stop wearing this jacket with literally everything. Come the fall season, you guys will be seeing this nonstop if you aren’t already.
What do you think? Is this cutoff denim jacket trend one you want to test out?
