How Do You Customize Denim Jackets?

You have a plain denim jacket in your closet, but it feels lifeless. It’s a blank canvas, but you’re not sure where to start, leaving it looking boring and just like everyone else’s.

The denim jacket is the ultimate platform for self-expression. In my 20 years at DiZNEW, I’ve seen it transformed from a simple workwear item into high fashion art. For a designer like Dean, the jacket is a three-dimensional canvas. Based on my experience, the possibilities are almost endless. 

We’ve done everything from simple screen prints to incredibly complex hand-beading. It all starts with understanding the different methods available to you.

You have an amazing design or photograph you want on your jacket. But you’re worried about it looking cheap, peeling off after one wash, or just not capturing the detail you want.

When a brand comes to me wanting to print on denim, we first discuss the artwork. The right method depends entirely on the design’s complexity and the desired finish. Here are the main professional techniques we use:

Screen Printing: This is a classic method where ink is pushed through a stencil onto the fabric, one color at a time. It’s incredibly durable and creates a bold, vibrant look. It’s perfect for brand logos, band art, and graphic text.

Direct-to-Garment / Digital Printing : Think of this as a highly specialized inkjet printer for fabric. It sprays the ink directly into the cotton fibers. DTG is the best choice for printing complex, multi-color images like photographs or detailed illustrations because it captures every nuance.

Foil Stamping : This technique uses heat and pressure to apply a thin layer of metallic foil to the jacket. It creates a shiny, eye-catching effect in gold, silver, or other colors. It’s a great way to add a bit of luxury.

Other Methods: In my factory, we also do things like paint splattering printing  and wax coating (WAX printing) for more abstract, textured finishes.

You found a great vintage denim jacket, but the fit is all wrong. The body is too boxy and the sleeves are too wide, and you think altering something so tough is impossible.

Altering a denim jacket is a common request. While it requires an industrial sewing machine to handle the thick fabric and seams, it’s a straightforward job for any experienced tailor. The most common alterations are to create a more modern silhouette by slimming down the body and taking in the sleeves.

However, you can go much further than simple fit adjustments. A huge trend I see with high-end brands is structural customization. This is where we get really creative. We can cut a jacket apart and use “splicing”  to insert panels of a different color denim, or even entirely different materials like leather or corduroy. 

This completely transforms the garment from a standard piece into a unique designer item. On top of that, we can add distressing, such as rips and frays, to give a brand-new jacket a perfectly worn-in, vintage feel.

You dream of adding a beautiful floral design or a cool logo to the back of your jacket. But the thick, dense denim seems impossible to push a needle through by hand.

The difficulty really depends on the method. Hand embroidery requires a lot of effort. You’ll need a very strong, sharp needle, a thimble to protect your finger, and a good quality embroidery hoop to keep the thick fabric taut. It’s a slow process best suited for smaller, personal touches. At my factory, we use computerized embroidery machines.

These are powerful enough to stitch through multiple layers of denim without any issue. We digitize the client’s design, and the machine executes it perfectly every time. This is the only practical way to achieve large, detailed back pieces. A great alternative that combines the best of both worlds is using an embroidered patch.

We create the detailed embroidery on a separate piece of fabric, which is then sewn onto the jacket. This gives a cool, layered look and is perfect for adding branding to sleeves or chests.

You are ready to get your jacket embroidered, but you have no idea what it will cost. You’re worried that getting your custom design stitched will be surprisingly expensive.

When a client asks for an embroidery quote, the first thing I ask for is the artwork. Here’s what determines the final price: first, there’s often a one-time “digitizing” fee, which converts your image into a stitch file for the machine. The main cost, however, is the stitch count. A simple outline of a design has a low stitch count and is relatively cheap. 

A design that is completely filled in with thread has a very high stitch count and will cost significantly more because it uses more thread and takes much longer for the machine to run. But embroidery is just one option. My insight is that many other embellishments are becoming popular.

We do hand-crocheted flowers , add pearls  and beads , and even integrate hardware like chains . A huge trend for 2025 is adding rhinestones . These are all highly manual, specialized processes that can create a truly high-fashion, one-of-a-kind piece.

Customizing a denim jacket is easy, with options from printing and patches to detailed embroidery. Understanding these methods helps you transform a basic garment into a true statement of personal style.