Saw a woman in a thrift store in Boise wearing the coolest patchwork jacket

I was at the Idaho Youth Ranch thrift store last Thursday, just looking for some jeans for my oldest, when I saw this woman in the aisle. She had on this jacket that was clearly handmade, made from maybe six or seven different denim and corduroy squares, all stitched together with bright yellow thread. It had these big, uneven pockets and the collar was lined with a floral print from what looked like an old pillowcase. It just stopped me in my tracks. It felt so different from the fast-fashion stuff you see everywhere now, all perfect and identical. It made me think about how my grandma used to make quilts from fabric scraps, and how that kind of resourceful, personal design feels kinda lost. I almost went over to ask her about it, but I chickened out. Has anyone else seen a piece of clothing recently that made you miss that handmade, one-of-a-kind vibe?

3 comments

3 Comments

ben_shah931mo ago

I get what you mean but I actually see that kind of stuff all the time now. My local farmers market has a few people who sell upcycled jackets like that, and I follow a bunch of makers on Instagram who do custom patchwork. It feels like that handmade vibe is making a comeback, just in different places than the mall.

tyler8221mo ago

That's a good point from @ben_shah93 about it popping up at markets and online. Makes my one attempt at sewing a patch onto an old pair of jeans look pretty sad (it fell off in the wash). But you're right, it's cool to see that DIY spirit alive and well. I saw a jacket at a flea market last month made entirely from old band t-shirts, and it was actually awesome. It feels more special than just buying something new off a rack.

phoenixp308d ago

Saw a piece online about how younger people are getting into visible mending and patchwork as a way to push back against fast fashion. It's less about looking perfect and more about having something with a story. That jacket you saw sounds way better than anything you'd grab at a mall.