“Here’s to the fools who dream. Crazy as they may seem…” The Audition Song, or “Fools Who Dream,” is one of my favorite songs from the movie “La La Land,” and maybe even one of my favorite songs of all time. I love how the lyrics express the necessity for art, even if it’s messy and heartbreaking. Anyone who has put their heart out there in creating something knows the vulnerability and chaos involved.
Well, the danger in creativity was in full force when I decided to paint the lyrics to the song on a blazer. I had never done this before, and searching on the web there weren’t really any examples of people doing this except for a few artists painting on denim. But I wanted to paint words on a black suit. What kind of paint would be the most opaque? White paint is notoriously tricky and can just disappear. And would I even be able to have good enough penmanship to paint on fabric. Okay, my penmanship is actually pretty good. But could I do it with a paintbrush?
At first, I thought the best way to create this suit would be to find a really opaque white fabric marker. I googled the best white paint markers, tested a few of them on the inside pocket of the blazer, and it was like disappearing ink. The white did not show up at all. It had to be paint then. So I googled the best opaque white fabric paint, and what I found was Jacquard Super Opaque White Textile Paint. It was available at my local Blick art store, so I picked up a bottle to try. Testing it on the inside pocket, it worked!
This is the blazer I found to paint on. It’s from Uniqlo. It seems that all the blazers I’ve done makeovers on have been from Uniqlo. They are perfect for me because the XS size fits me with no alterations needed. And they’re super cheap, so I don’t feel like I’m taking a big risk by messing up an expensive article of clothing. This blazer was $39, marked down from $69. I decided to try it on the blazer first before buying the matching pants, which were also $39.
I painted the blazer a section at a time to allow the paint to dry. People wonder if I used a template or masking tape to line up the words. Nope. I just started painting and hoped it would all be straight enough. At first I was really nervous, but as I went along, it was really fun and I knew my letters didn’t have to be perfect. In fact, the imperfections make it cooler because then it’s obvious it isn’t printed fabric but actually hand painted.
So after having success with the blazer, I bought pants and painted them too. By this time, I was painting confidently and quickly. Oh, the great thing about Uniqlo pants is they hem them for free at the store. Gotta love the cost-saving.
I’ve worn this suit in public now, and let me say you can’t be shy wearing it. People will stare. But in a good way. I saw women turn their heads and whisper to each other about it, and I was asked who the designer was. It was me! I think I’ll wear this out a lot more. But I won’t jump into the river Seine in it barefoot. If you know the La La Land song, you’ll know what I mean.
