I haven't done a fun denim DIY in a little while, so when I found these rocker jeans by Hudson I had to add them to the list!! I saw them being worn by Lucy Hale (Aria) on Pretty Little Liars (yes, I've started to get a little sucked in!) and the wheels started turning. (For those Pretty Little Liars fans, you can head over here to HelloGiggles to read the post with the full TV tie in!)
The actual jeans on Lucy are by Hudson and they’re an ode to the Union Jack flag, in a deconstructed way. It's Brit punk, fo sho, and I wanted to try my hand at remaking them!
The key to remaking this piece is the base....
...a pair of black jeans that can be bleached and re-dyed with red and blue shades to match the original piece.
Here’s a rundown of the supplies you’ll need:
1. Dye and dye remover/bleach – I grabbed a few shades of Rit Dye to match as well as their Dye Fixative, but I ended up going with some basic bleach as well)
2. Any sort of clips/clamps
3. Black Jeans (Forever 21 has perfect and cheap options here or Levi's has great skinny black options here as well)
*Not pictured: rubber gloves. They are an awesome idea to keep your hands from getting covered in dye.
I began with a pair of black jeans that I had in my collection and created an accordion style fold (lengthwise) across each pant leg - it’s a basic gather and pinch fold. I'm wanting to create a striation with the dye to try to emulate the streaks in the original jeans, so instead of dipping the full pant in bleach, I'm trying to only have it cover smaller portions.
One the jeans were pinched, folded, and clipped...
...I began the dye removal in the kitchen. I filled a pot with boiling water, the dye fixation liquid, and then bleach to make the process go a bit faster.
After I was happy with the amount of color removed, I dried the jeans and began to remove the clips to begin the dye adding process!
I grabbed dye in blue and red as well as some straws that are helpful in applying and blowing the dye to make streaks. (You can really use anything for this step - paintbrushes, q-tips, get creative!) If your pants are completely dry or depending on the kind of material that you're working with, the dye might not stick immediately. Feel free to add a little water - use a damp paper towel - to help make the dye really adhere.
After letting the dye sit and dry, I quickly gave them a rinse under cold water, and then tossed them into the dryer to set everything in place.
Post DIY, I have pants that totally match the original Hudson ones!
They have this rock star/Jackson Pollock-ish feel to them which makes me feel like Gwen Stefani!!
Such a fun way to add a little bit of flair to an old pair of jeans!!
