Studs have been everywhere this Autumn/Winter and, from the looks of it, they seem to be staying well and truly put. The 2012-13 A/W trend has brought studs into the limelight and now they’re no longer only associated with punks. Nearly every brand and shop has something adorned with studs in all shapes, sizes and colours; whether it be shoes, skirts, bags, coats, trousers, jumpers, jackets, t-shirts etc… Is there anything that hasn’t been studded?
Personally I’ve always loved the studded look, even before it was thrusted onto the high street and into everyone’s wardrobes. However, with fashion I tend to play it pretty safe and I’m not one to wear anything too outrageous. I’ve always wanted a leather jacket covered in studs along the lines of something like this, for instance, by Toronto based designer Sharon Ehman:
These Toxic Vision jackets are to die for, but come with a hefty – over $1,000 (roughly £680) – price tag and I’m not quite sure I could pull it off. However, regardless of whether I could wear it into lectures or not, as a student I simply cannot afford to be splashing nearly three months worth of rent money on a jacket. My loan barely lets me go shopping as it is!
Therefore, I decided to take matters into my own hands and stud some clothes DIY style. It’s cheaper and the best bit is you have complete freedom of how you want to do it. So, follow these steps and learn how to get on board with the latest trend without spending a fortune!
Step 1: Buy your studs
I found some good value ones from www.etsy.com but although they were cheap, they came from Hong Kong which meant they took weeks to arrive! So bear this in mind if you want to make something for an upcoming event.
I chose to go with pyramid studs in the colours of silver, gunmetal and antique copper, and sizes 8mm, 10mm and 12mm. They come in all shapes, colours and sizes so spend time choosing carefully in order to get the right look. I bought 500 for just under $20 including shipping, which works out at about £12. I definitely bought far too many, so for 250 you’re looking at £6, which frankly is nothing!
Some good websites are:
Studs and Spikes – http://studsandspikes.com/
Studs and Punks – http://www.studsandpunks.co.uk/
Amazon, Ebay and Etsy – for individual sellers and bargains.
Step 2: Buy or find your clothing
I chose to stud a denim sleeveless jacket and picked up one in my local vintage store at home for about £12. Check out charity shops and vintage fairs to pick up something cheap. Look out for fairs in Leeds, either at uni or in town, and try shops like Blue Rinse, Pop Boutique and Best Vintage, which are all in the city centre, for some bargains.
Step 3: Work out your pattern
Don’t get overenthusiastic and launch into studding your clothes. Plan carefully and take your time to work out your design. I recommend cutting bits of paper out the same size as your studs and arranging them all over your item, as that way you can really visualise what the end result is going to look like. It may be fiddly and time consuming but trust me it’s worth it!
Step 4: Get studding!
Lay your studs onto the clothing and arrange them to your design, but don’t press them down just yet.
Once you’ve decided the pattern, push the prongs through the fabric, then fold each one down making sure to press it firmly. In the picture below it’s hard to see them but in the first pic they’re sticking through and in the second pushed down. To begin with you can do this quickly and easily with your finger but when it starts to hurt (not if, as it certainly will) use a pen or pencil.
Then stud as little or as much as you want! This is the finished result of my jacket and personally I’m really pleased with it. I’d recommend wearing it over a jumper or hoodie to show it off in these cold months; mine’s one or two sizes bigger than my normal clothing size so isn’t too snug a fit.
Just a comparison, but buying the jacket below would set you back £27 (and that’s been reduced from £45!). Mine cost me about £24 in total for the jacket and studs, however I still have hundreds of studs leftover that I can use for something else.
An another example, these shorts would set you back £45 and, yes, they’re Levi’s and they’re designer, but why not cut up some old jeans and create this look yourself, for a fraction of the price? All you would need is a ruler and a marker pen to line up the studs precisely and mark where each would need to go. Simple.
As I’ve shown, studs are a really easy trend to recreate yourself and one that doesn’t break the bank. I’m thinking for my next project I’m going to try and stud a leather jacket… wish me luck!
Image Sources:
1. Author’s own.
2. Toxic Vision https://www.facebook.com/toxicvisionclothing
3, 4, 5 and 6 – Author’s own
7. https://marketplace.asos.com/listing/jackets/studded-sleeveless–vintage-denim-jacket/378262