A few seasons ago, standard square fabric patches in varying shades of blue made a splash when they were sewn on things like jeans, button-downs, skirts, and jackets, but recently, the trend has taken a decidedly bolder turn arguably thanks to trendsetting designers Phillip Lim and DKNY, both of which walked denim pieces down recent runways covered in fun, retro patches.
Since then, however, it seems the cool kids—i.e., street style stars, models, and bloggers—have adapted the look by customizing their own jean jackets or faded skinnies with a variety of cool, colorful patches that they pick out out themselves.
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What we love most about the trend is the fact that there’s a certain element of nostalgia associated with it: World War II-era aviator jackets, 1960s hippie denim, and, of course, Girl Scout uniforms were all covered in patches. Another thing we love? It’s literally a cinch to DIY (not handy with a needle and thread? That’s why iron-on patches were invented!)
Since the holidays are coming up and we’re all going to have some much-needed downtime, we think a denim jacket is the perfect project to tackle. In the gallery above, we got you started by sourcing 12 killer iron-on patches to add to your plain denim jacket, pair of jeans, or any other piece you have in your closet!
