You may remember a few weeks ago I posted this Military Jacket that Yours Clothing, a plus size store in the U.K. was generous enough to send me. The details I wrote at the time are at the bottom of the page. But I could not help but think of it as a canvas for embellishment. The buttons and pendants are Burning Man related and are mostly gifts from various artists for a contribution to their work, whether monetary or social media work, or a gift at Burning Man, like the pendant from  artist JennyBird Alcantara,  since Burning Man is a Gift Economy.

Mural: American Steel Studios, Oakland CA

Of course you can use anything, including glam brooches or patches or hand made buttons or vintage buttons or use old items from around your house or jewelry box or your Mom’s or Aunt’s jewelry box, or make your own buttons.  I think it’s more fun if it speaks to who you are.

Assembly Notes: It gets heavy and awkward.  When I went through all my drawers I had way more than I could use.  And it works best if you can anchor the items, i.e. secure at the top and bottom.  Many of my pendants are made to wear as necklaces and move more than I would like on the jacket.  I think it looks best if the larger pieces are at the top, and I put two large pieces on an arm.  But that is just my point of view.

This was my inspiration for the asymmetry, and I may fill in some spots or add to the other lapel, I will know more after I wear it more.  I had not done much crafting for several years until I retired recently and I had forgotten to pay attention to wearability.

I wrote this about the Yours Clothing “band jacket” in my prior post:

It is a UK Size 30-32 that fits my US size 26-28 body. The arms are a good fit for me as are the shoulders, so it is very comfortable and you know that is important to me.  And it is 100% cotton, which means that in the cool San Francisco Bay area I will be able to wear it most evenings since the temperatures stay in the 60°s here.  I have always been a pacifist so I think more of it as a “band jacket” but regardless, it is everywhere this season, and now it comes in our size.  There are epaulets on the shoulders, with buttons and similar details in the back.

Peace…affinity

photo of my embellished jacket: Great Scott Photography