04 Apr RE-purposing

What do you do when you ruin one of your favorite/most reliable items in your wardrobe? Well…you either get creative or buy another. I’ll go with get creative for this one. We all have that item in our wardrobe that just works with just about anything. It’s the kind of piece that you confidently and consistently wear without much thought due to its versatility and simplicity. These chinos were the perfect color and fit, and were perfectly distressed due to the many wears they received. I practically lived in these pants. So much so that I ruined them by unknowingly sitting on an ink pen that I brilliantly placed in my back pocket without the top. Needless to say, the pen broke and left a permanent ink stain to remind me.

Instead of trashing them and purchasing a new pair, I ordered 4 colors of fabric paint, poured a glass of Malbec and began my paint splatter project. All of this to conceal an ink spot. Worth it you may ask? Absolutely. My once stain-less and highly coveted chino was now a blank canvas prepared to be given a new lease on life. To be honest, I like them more now than I did when I originally purchased them. The ink stain is unnoticeable and the finished result is a one of a kind pair of chinos with unique character.

Spring is here, so I decided to debut them with a vintage lightweight and deconsturcted striped jacket. I added my favorite loafer of the year to the mix, and topped it off with a vintage silk scarf. Life gives you lemons…you know what to do.