DIY: BLEACHED DENIM JACKET

Yesterday I finally decided to bleach my old H&M denim jacket. I ordered it online for around £26 since I had a discount code. I was so excited at the time because it looked really similar to Cody Simpson's denim jacket from his European tour. When it came it looked completely different to the picture, much darker and less faded which was pretty disappointing, but it was so cheap compared to the others I had looked at that I decided to customise it myself! A couple of year's ago on Halloween (great time for impromptu DIYing) I tie-dye bleached my dark jeans a la Isabel Marant. They turned out great but took WAY longer than expected, about five-six hours. I don't really wear them now because they are pretty baggy and the cut doesn't suit me very well, but chalk it up to an experiment!

Before

For this DIY I wanted to bleach the sleeves then slightly lighten the body of the jacket as well. I used thick citrus bleach mixed with warm water, but any bathroom bleach will do. I didn't measure it out properly but I used roughly a litre of water with a litre of bleach. I always wet the part I want to bleach first with water, in this case it was the sleeves (note: the bleach, just like the water, will seep up about an inch above where you end it). This makes it take longer but is important because it also protects the denim a bit from corrosion.

I secured the sleeves by attaching a clothes peg to the shoulder and underarm and pressing the sleeve seams together. Then I placed it in the bleach/water solution and timed it for an hour to start, although I kept checking basically every fifteen minutes because I'm so impatient! Something I've noticed from other DIY tutorials is that the bleaching time completely varies so you just have to watch it like a hawk.

After three hours of the sleeves being bleached I put the entire jacket into the solution and left it for one last hour, just to fade the body a bit. Then it's done bleaching! To finish off I rinsed it in cold water then packed it straight in the washing machine with a bit of fabric conditioner and a persil liquitab. Once it's washed and dried you can admire your new, totally unique wardrobe piece!

After

Some things to take note of - bleach is a highly corrosive substance and even diluted can do real damage. Make sure to wear gloves of some sort, your skin will not thank you for a bleach bath! Also bleach is unpredictable, and so the results of your jacket will be as well but DON'T WORRY, this makes it unique and one of a kind! Lastly make sure you wash it several times before you wear it because it will REEK. After a couple of washes though the smell will fade, and you can be happy with your one-of-a-kind piece.

xoxo Toramarra