Make Your Own: Military Chic
Brooke Moreland, founder of Fashism.com and all-around-cool-girl, shows us how to get military chic.
The first time I ever entered an Army Surplus store was at age 13. I desperately wanted to buy a pair Doc Martins, which at the time was the ultimate badge of conformist individualism. They were counterculture, but in a way that was totally safe. Basically, it was the perfect item for a rebellious, but still totally insecure pre-teen. But my parents were having none of it. “A hundred bucks for a combat boot?” my dad asked, stunned. “No way, if you want combat boots, we are going to the Army Surplus store.”
I thought about this story when, a few weeks ago, I was flipping through various magazines trying to anticipate my spring wardrobe. I kept noticing one trend over and over. Military. Military fashion has inspired many mainstream designs over the years, and every few it comes into prominence again on the runways. Now is one of those times. Balmain has a military jacket. Marc Jacobs too. I wonder what my dad would say if I spend $11,000 on a Balmain jacket. Seeing how I have nowhere near enough money to even entertain such a notion, I decided to return the Army Surplus store to see what I could come up with.
After a few seconds of online research, I discovered Uncle Sam’s Army Navy Surplus store. I quickly honed in on the Women’s Vintage Blazer for $28.76.
I purchased it immediately. And instead of having it shipped, I decided to pick it up in person at the outpost in NYC so I could browse around and see if I could find some more treasures. While at the store I snatched up a bullet key chain for $6.50. When I got home, I removed the key ring and popped it on an old chain I had lying around. Voila, a necklace!
When I tried on the jacket, I immediately loved it. It fit like a glove. However, I was not so keen on the big plastic button holding it together. It looked a little too cheap. So I decided to replace it. I located a gold cameo in a sewing shop in Manhattan’s Garment district for $2.50. Similar buttons can also be found on Ebay or Etsy for a range of prices.
So now that I had my jacket looking spiffy and my new necklace, I wanted to find some basics to wear underneath. I wanted something simple and monochromatic. American Apparel was the natural choice. I scooped up some green tights for $14 and the Sebastian Tellier “Sexuality” dress for $26. For shoes I went with these Shuler and Sons booties that I already had in my closet.
So there you have it. Military chic on the cheap. Total outfit cost (not counting previously owned items): $77.76
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