Chic Challenge: Girl Power Dressing!

Knowing as I'm sure you do, dear loyal readers, how much I love a challenge I thought I'd let you know about a challenge I set myself to replicate this Emilio Pucci gold jacket, most famously seen on Gossip Girl:

...within a 2-hour time frame.

Difficulty

Easy

I feel marginally hypocritical saying so as there were a few things I did wrong, learnt from and would do differently next time. However those issues were more choice-of-method-related and I endeavour to guide you accordingly so as not to end up in quite the same boat.

Time

This tutorial actually took me somewhere between 2 and a half and 3 hours, in fact I feel I should have been even slower and more cautious. That said, a 20-hour-plus job this baby ain't!

You will need

A skimpy metallic gold jacket, I was slightly extravagant and picked up mine for £20 from Ebay but I'd say look anywhere second-hand as you may be lucky with car boot sales and charity shops

6m of gold sequinned trim

Short, sharp scissors

Glue gun

2 sponges, ideally rectangular like these - yes, it's all glamour at DIY Fashion HQ!

Flat shoulder pads mine came with the jacket

Gel pen

A few fabulous steps

 

I made sure my line was a gentle curve and measured out opposite points on either side to ensure it was symmetrical.

As you can see I used round sponges but I'd recommend something narrower like rectangular or oblong-shaped ones. You kind of need to mould them down so that they're totally smooth and curved rather than angular at the edges, reaching a pointed peak on one side.

Then glue them to your shoulder pads so that they're ready for positioning inside your jacket. Make sure you get the placement absolutely right and symmetrical.

Now it's time to add a fabulous sequinned finish...

...and you should have something rather uncannily resembling this:

Like I say, it didn't turn out exactly as I had planned. I could have made my sponges narrower and smoother still at the sides, so that they formed gentler slopes. I might also sponge it down with some gold metallic paint as and when I've got a minute because, you know, working full time and living by myself is a lifestyle so boundlessly generous when it comes to leisure time needing to be filled! All joking aside, that advice should make your version easier than mine with better results.