Do It Yourself: Burberry Trench
While we do enjoy the season's ample offering of ultra-feminine and ladylike looks, every now and then our inner bad girl craves something with an edgy twist. And while that longing can be satisfied by a bevy of looks—like channeling the '90s grunge era with a swirly babydoll frock and combat boots or creating a biker-inspired look by pairing a pretty blouse with slim leather pants—nothing reflects that tough-girl spirit like an insanely cool studded trench. It's slightly dangerous, a little bit punk rock, and very chic all at the same time. Plus, it's a must-have piece for your wardrobe this spring, which is precisely why we're creating our very own in today's edition of
D.I.Y.!
So what's the inspiration behind this amazing do-it-yourself challenge? The super sleek trench coats from Burberry Prorsum's S/S 11 collection, of course! For spring, Christopher Bailey put a biker spin on the British brand's iconic jacket, showing a variety of styles and silhouettes that were heavily studded, banded in black leather, and cinched with neon patent leather belts. The Bonded Nappa Biker Studded Trench ($7995, 800.284.8480) featured above is our personal favorite, as it contrasts the jacket's warm honey hue with rows of polished gold spikes running down the sleeves. The resulting piece has a luxuriously edgy look that is surprisingly versatile, as it can be styled with a rugged ensemble or juxtaposed against a slinky, ultra-bright frock—no wonder we're so obsessed!
Now if you agree that Burberry Prorsum's studded trench is a wardrobe necessity this spring, but are on a strict budget, we know just the person who can help: Erica Domesek of
P.S. I Made This! The D.I.Y. guru gave us some amazing insight on how to create this key piece, and though it might seem like a time-consuming project, we promise the results are totally worth it. So grab a classic trench and round up all those extra chopsticks you can find, because today she's sharing all the secrets on how to craft a one-of-a-kind studded trench with just a few, easy-to-follow steps!—Jessica Baker
INGREDIENTS:
-H&M Trench Coat ($60)
-Approximately 400 chopsticks or candy apple sticks
-Handsaw
-Gold spray paint
-Chalk
-Glue Gun
DIRECTIONS
Before you begin: if you're particularly good with a handsaw or know someone with a power table saw, proceed with Step 1. For those of you who don't have those tools handy, you can make an alternative version of this trench by purchasing and using gold studs instead. If you choose to do the latter, please refer to the second set of instructions and note that this project will get a bit pricier.
1. Cut down chopsticks or candy apple sticks to about an inch with a handsaw or ask someone with a power table saw to cut down for you. You should end up with 164 pointy ends for each sleeve.
2. Once you finished cutting the sticks, it's time to paint them! Make sure you're in a well-ventilated area and are working on a flat surface. We suggest protecting your workspace with old magazines or newspaper.
3. Apply a layer of gold spray paint to the pointy tips. Leave them on your workspace for approximately 15 minutes or until dry. Flip them over and spray the other side.
4. Before you apply the spikes to the jacket, use white chalk to outline a rectangle on each arm, starting at the shoulder and ending at the elbow. You want it to be large enough to fit approximately 24 rows and five columns, but this will vary depending on the size of your jacket and how many spikes you want on it.
5. Space the gold spikes evenly in each row and use dabs of hot glue or super glue to secure each spike onto the jacket.
6. Wait approximately 10 minutes or until the glue is completely dry before wearing the trench.
If you choose to use studs:
INGREDIENTS
- H&M Trench Coat ($60)
- 17 bags of
Tree Spikes ($13/bag of 20) in Gold
-Leather hole punch or X-Acto knife
-Chalk
DIRECTIONS
1.Before you apply the studs to the jacket, use white chalk to outline a rectangle on each arm, starting at the shoulder and ending at the elbow. You want it to be large enough to fit approximately 24 rows and five columns, but this will vary depending on the size of your jacket and how many studs you want on it.
2. Create small holes using a leather hole punch or X-Acto knife where you would like each stud to go.
3. Press the post of the stud through the small hole and screw the back onto the post.
Runway image, courtesy of Burberry/article from whowhatwear