the jean jacket tour

pins & patches galore

now that the weather is cooling down, it’s time to bring our beloved outerwear out of storage and to the front of the closet. i have denim jackets in various washes: white, black, light blue, and dark blue. the featured collectible for the month is my most-worn style, adorned with pins and patches. it’s a hand-me-down from my fiancé, who originally bought it secondhand.

i’ve mentioned before that i typically like my clothes a little worn in—a bit distressed and even grungy at times. i mostly shop secondhand because i like garments that have a story behind them. having owned this jacket for years, it has the kind of wear that doesn’t come out easily in the wash. the collar is frayed, there are random paint streaks, and half of the buttons don’t clasp. still, i cherish it all the same.

this is an exploration of the various things i have affixed to this jacket, with respect to the music-related accoutrements and memories attached to this item.

the jacket is by Plain Pockets, which was a retro JCPenney brand.

the pins & patches featured on the right side:

• Tina Turner’s Private Dancer album cover

• a yellow smiley face—you can still see the glue residue from when i first tried to attach it, since ironing didn’t work. all of the patches are now (rudimentarily) sewn on.

• a sparkly purple heart-shaped pin that reads “Black Girls”—i think i got this one when i attended Afropunk ATL or a similar event

• a Pokémon trainer pin (Kanto Region (Thunder Badge)) that i picked up at a clothing swap

• a Minnie Mouse silhouette pin

• an ice cream cone pin from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

• a good ol’ safety pin

coincidentally, there was a GIF in the comments of this tweet from the “What’s Love Got to Do With It” video, in which Tina Turner struts in a denim jacket (also i’m 31, thank you very much)

on the right sleeve:

• a patch for Art in the Age, a Philadelphia-based spirits brand

the pins on top of the right pocket:

• merch from the band BOYTOY, who i saw open for La Luz at The EARL in 2015 (the image is two people shotgunning smoke between each other)

• Sonic the Hedgehog

the pins under the right pocket:

• a pink donut with sprinkles (one of my favorite sweet treats)

• “I <3 Waffle House” (Forever I Love Atlanta)

• “I’M A ‘90s BITCH,” a pin that i got when i saw Icona Pop open for Marina & the Diamonds at Center Stage Theater in 2012

on the left side:

• a pin that reads “Sister Resister” in a circular pattern from Otherwild (the same company that made the “The Future is Female” tees)

• an Album 88 patch—this is the radio station of my alma mater, where i deejayed from 2015-2017

• a Warpaint patch that i got when i saw them at Terminal West in 2016

• a Bart Simpson pin

• a gummy bear pin (one of my favorite candies)

the pins on top of the left pocket:

• “I <3 US”—the heart displays the Black Power fist in front of the Pan-African flag. i got this one from the Black Student Alliance when i was in undergrad.

• “Free-range dream boat”

the pins under the left pocket:

• “F*CK FEAR” from the bar Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room & Ping Pong Emporium, most commonly referred to as Church. they have two locations: one in Atlanta and the other in Athens, GA. my best friend got this one from the Athens location. i spent many nights out at the ATL location on Edgewood Avenue when that street was the hot spot in town.

• “Someone on the Internet loves me!”—one of many pins i collected while working at Warby Parker from 2014-2016.

the lone patch on the back of the jacket:

• a patch for Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Multi-Love, which came in an album bundle i purchased in 2015. i hope to add a large back patch someday!

i’ve even practiced embroidery on this jacket, including adding “321” to one of the sleeves.

i’ll conclude with a photo of me wearing the jacket so you can get a feel for how i style it. often, i will wear it with other denim pieces for that Canadian tuxedo flair, but this time i chose my PLEASURES x Outkast ATLiens tee.

cameras used: iPhone 11, Sony Cybershot DSC-H2, Fujifilm Instax Mini 8