The Patch Whitney Needs to Sew Onto Her Denim Jacket ASAP
Tulipcake Banana Leaf Patch, $10, available at Alternative Apparel.
I pretty much live in my DIY patch-covered denim jacket. It's the first thing I ever wrote about for Fashionista, actually, and the things I said about it then — that the investment of time and energy it's taken to gather and sew on patches makes it all the more dear to me, and that it's the garment in which I feel most like myself — are all still true.
Many of the patches on my jacket are vintage ones that I picked up at thrift stores or flea markets, and others are gifts, like the commercial fishing boat from my friend's summer in Alaska or the mandala I got from a stranger at Burning Man. But every once in a while, I'll buy a patch brand-new, too, if it's special enough.
This banana leaf one immediately caught my eye when I was browsing ethical boutique Alternative Apparel. I love that it was handmade in the U.S. by indie artist/embroiderer Tulipcake, but I also just love the design. Having grown up in the Philippines before moving to New York, I miss seeing banana leaves everywhere (and eating off of them in lieu of plates, which is a thing that sometimes happens in Manila). Here's hoping that adding this patch to my most-worn jacket — which I plan on doing pronto! — will make me feel a little closer to home, even when I'm far away.
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Tulipcake Banana Leaf Patch, $10, available at Alternative Apparel.
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