Saw a neighbor's old barn jacket get a second life as a vest

It was a heavy canvas Carhartt she'd had for maybe 15 years, totally worn through at the elbows. She cut the sleeves off, bound the armholes with some scrap leather, and now it's this cool, structured vest. Got me thinking about intentional deconstruction as a design step. Anyone else repurpose a 'worn out' piece into something new?

4 comments

4 Comments

morganl711mo ago

Actually read an article a while back about Japanese "boro" stitching, which is basically this whole art form built on fixing and reusing worn fabric. That neighbor's project totally fits that vibe. Turning a wrecked jacket into a vest is such a smart way to keep the good parts. Makes you look at every ripped pair of jeans or threadbare shirt as a possible project now.

jennybailey1mo ago

Hey @morganl71, got any tips for starting a boro project on old jeans?

kimr9114d ago

Friend tried this on a thrift store hoodie, turned out amazing.

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finley_smith1mo ago

Guess @jennybailey's jeans are about to get more patches than original fabric lol. That vest idea is way better than my usual move of just calling something "distressed" when I spill coffee on it.