I’ve always loved expressing myself through my fashion choices. Whether that be through Japanese fashion, Bright colors, or extreme looks, It’s a wonderful way to let other people know your vibe before you even officially meet. Also, looking cool just makes a person feel cool. Which is, you know, cool. (Have I said cool too many times already?)
Anyways, one of my big dreams was to make what’s called a ‘Battle Jacket’- A jacket usually considered ‘punk’ that has pins and patches to show the world your favorite bands in a cool and unique way. I had always wanted to create one of my own, but I had quickly come across a few problems- Firstly, I don’t have any cool jackets that I could turn into my very own battle jacket- secondly, I can’t sew, which seems to be a pretty required step if I planned on putting custom patches on my jacket. Overall, the road to making this jacket seemed like a pretty steep one, and after a while I pushed the idea to the back of my head.
On a recent trip to the thrift store, however, (which, really, is an amazing place to get clothes where you get to breathe new life into discarded items,) I saw something amazing. A black leather jacket, in my style and size. It was a little damaged, of course, but nothing a little bit of TLC couldn’t fix! So I ended up buying it without really thinking about it and the whole drive home, all I could think was gosh, I’m gonna look so cool. I arrived home, ran to my room and upon looking at it, I realized I had given up on the original idea so quickly that I didn’t really have any sort of plan for what I wanted this thing to look like.
After a moment of silent deliberation, I went to my twin’s room and looked at his battle jacket- A camo jacket with studs, colorful patches and soda tab chains. I quickly decided I wanted a different style than his. Don’t get me wrong, I loved his battle jacket, but I had always felt they should be personal, hence why they are always custom. I wanted a jacket that, even when I wasn’t wearing it, clearly belonged to me.
The next day, after some serious Pinterest-ing, I decided on a theme- Riot Grrrl. I loved the music style, and really, rock and roll girls will always be the epitome of a ‘cool girl’ to me. So, I had a jacket, I had an idea, and I had some spare time. Now to learn to sew. Originally, my twin had agreed to assist me, but by the time I had finished painting some of the patches I wanted on the jacket, it was past midnight. Guess I was figuring it out myself. Luckily, there were some amazing tutorials I watched made specifically for those making battle jackets with zero previous sewing knowledge, and so now it was finally time to tackle the project.
Overall, just the beginnings of the jacket took around six hours. I figured I’d add more as I discovered new bands, new pins, and new experiences. Really, battle jackets are like the journals (or blogs!) of clothing- a visual marker for where you are in life and where you want to go.
Oftentimes, I struggle to feel confident in my day-to-day life. Normally, the only place where I’m 100% confident in myself is ironically, a stage. (normally with a large audience of people. No, I have no idea why either.) So, when I wore my jacket out in public for the first time, I was really surprised when I felt that same stage-light level of confidence. Suddenly, I was one of the totally-awesome-rock-and-roll-girls I had looked up to in middle school. And yes, I sometimes get odd stares and rolling eyes from strangers, but I loved wearing my battle jacket, not only for the amazing childhood wish fulfillment, but because it screamed everything that was undeniably, 100% me.
I suppose what I’m trying to say here is that when you find something in life that makes you happy, pursue it. Some people might think it’s silly or not ‘worth it’, but happiness is worth everything. For me, making a battle jacket and getting to wear my creation made me more confident in who I am. So wear that outfit, start that hobby, do that one thing you’ve been too scared to start- start it today, for yourself.
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