My inspiration for these pants came from Jlinsnider, an ecclectic store on King Street in Charleston, SC that drew me in with its window display featuring animal bones. The item that grabbed my attention was a pair of deconstructed denim shorts with all kinds of bleached holes and nebula patterns. The women I talked to in the store created the effects themselves on top of thrift store shorts, and were reselling them under the store’s brand name. Brilliant! As soon as I came home from Charleston I started experimenting, but, sadly, I had to keep my school’s dress code in mind, meaning I couldn’t have any of the rips or holes the Jlinsnider pair did. So I played with these ideas, and ultimately ended up with a slightly toned down yet edgy pair of patterned jeans.
Here’s what you’ll need:
1) A spray bottle (I used one that has several spray options for both fine and thick blotches)
2) Newspaper to cover your work surface with (This is crucial! bleach splatters can go in all directions and you want to protect your workspace)
3) Jeans (or some other article of clothing you’d like to space-ify)
4) Bleach.
All you do is fill your spray bottle with a little bleach (you won’t need much), and spray away! The particular pair of pants that I used for this project took to bleach very nicely, and you could actually see the chemical reaction happening. However, not all jeans will take to bleach as well. It may take longer for the bleach to soak in and show up, or it may not work at all, depending on the pants you are using. However, do not just leave your pants soaking in bleach! If you forget about them, you will find your pants full of holes. Regardless of the results, rinse your pants out fairly soon after application, then toss them in the washing machine. You can always apply another round of bleach once they have dried. Also, do not wash your bleach into storm drains! Bleach is toxic and will wreak havoc in streams and rivers.
For project pics, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/86405222@N02/sets/72157631562901789/
To explore Jlinsnider, visit http://www.jlinsnider.net/
ecouturier 