Item of the week: the patchwork denim jacket

What it is:

In the era of upcycling, brands have taken to adopting the DIY look in
designs of their own. One method the aesthetic has been translated into is
through patchwork detailing, formed using contrasting materials that are
layered or sewn together in an either haphazard or more geometric fashion.
On the runway, such a technique had been particularly applied to denim
jackets, providing an update to a classic and recognisable design for both
men and women.

Why you’ll want it:

DIY and upcycling trends have run rampant throughout design circles in
recent years, first arriving as offsets to being stuck indoors during the
pandemic and continuing into the present day as modes of creative
sustainability. Many brands taking on the patchwork trend in particular
have leaned heavily on this sustainability aspect for their own pieces,
often creating patchwork garments from scraps of leftover materials to
reduce waste. Either way, their iterations of the look allow consumers to
get in on the trend in an effortless manner, with garments that are
on-trend and have a slight edge on more classic styles.

Where we’ve seen it:

Patchwork denim jackets were a popular outerwear option among the menswear
designers specifically for the autumn/winter season. At Botter, for
example, the patches came in elongated shapes and jumped between light-wash
to darker denim that were placed in a disorderly manner. Other designers
took a more methodical approach. Ahluwalia’s denim blazer incorporated wavy
shapes as the patches, while Natasha Zinko’s bomber jacket donned various
pocket details in different shades of denim. Andersson Bell, on the other
hand, layered denim to create an alternative silhouette and superimposed
patches on as prints.

How to style it:

Aligning with the styles on the runway, the patchwork denim jacket works
very well with, if available, coordinating pants in the same patchwork
style. This easily rounds off what would be an eye-catching, effortless
look. However, if such an item is not readily available, denim-on-denim is
still a good way to go. Select one of the shades from the jacket and match
it to a pair of jeans in the same tone to keep the outfit cohesive. Pair
the look with chunky black boots or a simple pair of sneakers.

Patchwork denim is an update to what is a classic material, and this only
goes further when it comes to applying the technique to the staple denim
jacket.