Lust List: Bow & Drape Custom Denim Jacket

I imagine that Nina Garcia would have included the denim jacket in The One Hundred; if not, everything I ever thought I knew about anything will require strict reevaluation. (I should probably just pick up a copy for good measure before launching myself into an existential crisis, shouldn’t I?)

In any case, I love a good denim jacket. I’m partial because I’m a 90s baby; I grew up wanting to be like the girls in every Guess ad shot by Ellen von Unwerth. Subjectivity aside, however, it’s practical and versatile—making it an outerwear essential—all the while lending character when tossed on over any base—which makes it the ideal accessory. Make an office ensemble casual or grunge up an otherwise too perfect Herve Leger—take your pick.

I’m partial to Rag and Bone or vintage Levi’s: the former, for a slightly more feminine, cropped fit, and the latter for a more androgynous look. Granted, they’re two entirely different looks, but both share the accomplishment of having perfected the art of denim. Perhaps it’s better likened to a science: fit, comfort, stretch (or lack of), wash, cut, hardware etc. are all crucial to creating the perfect denim anything. Forget one and all bets are lost.

Detail isn’t just paramount. Detail is everything.

Stumbling upon emerging e-boutique Bow and Drape was a happy coincidence. Here was the manifestation of customizable basics (think denim jackets, Breton tees, grey sweatshirts, simple zip clutches) beyond L.L. Bean limitations, where quirky patches and rhinestones are welcomed. Sparkling hamburger and shakes—how appropriate, given Moschino’s latest collection—with embroidered initials? You got it. Sequinned kittens and unicorns? Of course. Most of it is too cute for me, but Bow and Drape is certainly a concept I support, and aesthetic I can admire.

It was their “AC Slater” denim jacket that had me hooked, though. Perfect wash, perfect hardware, seemingly perfect boyish, 90s fit. And while I’ve been seeking a simple, basic version of this jacket my whole life, it was begging to be personalized.

We are our brand, after all. And who better to represent ourselves than, well, ourselves?

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Shop Bow and Drape.