Balmain is one of my fav designers right now, but their badass blazers are just slightly out of my budget range (or more like thousands of dollars out of my budget range.) I wanted to rock a blazer that mimicked the awesome shoulder silhouette of Balmain's blazers (here) so I finally put my love for shoulder pads to good use.
Here's what you'll need:
- blazer (I got a men's blazer at a vintage store for $15.00)
- shoulder pads (I used two sets from JoAnn Fabrics, $3.99 each)
- thread (any color will do, you won't see it)
- knitting needles ($1.29)
TOTAL COST: $33.00 (price depends on what sort of blazer you start with...but any way you play it, this version is much more affordable than Balmain's beautiful jackets ranging from about 4K-13K)
As you can see from the photo below, the blazer was pretty slouchy before (it is a men's blazer, mind you.) The reason I couldn't resist it is because of the leather lapel and sweet buttons.
I started by sewing a pair of shoulder pads in half (so the round end touches the flat end.) Then I stitched together a normal shoulder pad with a half shoulder pad, so that both are stacked facing the same direction.
Next, stitch the knitting needles along the top seam of the shoulder pads. Place the knitting needle/shoulder pad combo so that the top seam of the shoulder pads (where the knitting needle runs) lines up with the shoulder seam of the inside liner of the blazer. Stitch the shoulder pads into place, but be sure to only stitch into the liner (not the outside layer of the blazer, otherwise you may see stitches from the outside.)
When I finished installing my double-whammy sets of shoulder pads, they were so big that I sort of looked like a linebacker. So then I went ahead and cut the shoulder pads into thin strips, so that the blazer hangs more naturally.
Because we're dealing with shoulder pads here, I would be sure to pair the blazer with a pencil skirt or skinny jeans in order to look slim and trim. I might even cinch mine at waist with a neato pin to make the silhouette more dramatic.
Whether you're trying to channel Michael Jackson or Margaret Thatcher, a great blazer can make a statement.
Song to get you going: Devo - Gut Feeling
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