I try to hate studs. I try to hate spikes, but Jak & Jil keeps pulling me back in.
They started out innocuous enough. Studs. Spikes. It used to be you could only find them at Hot Topic or some bondage shop on Folsom Street, worn by disgruntled suburban youth and sexual ‘deviants.’ yeah, yeah. But then… studs started seeping into mainstream fashion. I remember the very first time I was floored by them, Louboutin for Rodarte‘s studded heels got more lethal one season than the next.
A few years later… and studs are everywhere. They’re still at Hot Topic … I checked this Christmas! Hey, my brother is a skater/motor cross kind of guy. I don’t know what he likes. Anyway… studs… also at Nordstrom’s, Wet Seal, Zara, H&M, Nieman Marcus… and I’m still caught in lust when I see them on Jak & Jil… as noted above. Yeah, a stud crown is different… but aren’t all studded items? After all, studs can quickly communicate, ‘Hey look at me, I’m edgy!’ The fashion equivalent of telling people you’re ‘laid back.’ Take note… if anyone tells you they’re ‘laid back’ be prepared, they’re probably neurotic messes who have occasional lapses of serenity due to medication.
I don’t know.
But in all seriousness, I’m one step away from either going postal with the stud trend, or just buying a bedazzler and studding everything in sight.
Loading ...Images via Jak & Jil and style.com
{ 31 comments }
For some reason I’ve never been into studs but yeah, if you can pull it off, more power to ya! Maybe it’s because I’ve seen too many folks wearing them in SF. It’s practically a uniform in certain parts of the city.
.-= Tami´s last blog ..Norah Jones The Fall =-.
I know what part of the city you’re talking about!
I like ‘em. I had a pink studded bracelet when I was a teenager
.-= WendyB´s last blog ..Characters Welcome, Fortunately for Us =-.
I might avoid wearing them as frequently now that they are on the brink of being over done. But I don’t think I’ll ever stop wearing them all together.
.-= Rachel´s last blog ..Jean-Paul Gaultier for Target =-.
Personally, I love spikes. They’re edgy…and dangerous, which is why I never wear them. I’m afraid I would impale myself.
.-= Christa´s last blog ..Current Style =-.
I LOOOOOOVEEE studs and spikes. Maybe I’m still holding onto my teenage punk phases somewhere in my wardrobe, but I’ll never give it up. Evah.
.-= Stephanie´s last blog ..Wishlist Wednesday: Accents =-.
The jury is STILL out for me. LOL.
.-= Alicia´s last blog ..…iRock… =-.
I have the same dilemma! But, what can I do? That headband is beautiful plus, I think I will always love those Rodarte shoes…
.-= Tamara´s last blog ..+ Extinction in Technicolor by Gonzalo Cutrina + =-.
I just can’t do the studs and spikes. It is not that I hate them, they look great on some but it is just not me. That is how I feel now but knowing myself and can change. Will see
Love them! I think they’re one of those fashion things that never goes away!
.-= Libertad´s last blog ..Tschüs! =-.
I’ve never really liked them… just not my style!
.-= Leia´s last blog ..Sandro =-.
I will never stop loving studs and spikes. NEVER! (OK, famous last words, but I anticipate adoring them long after they’ve fallen out of favor.)
.-= Sally´s last blog ..Ask the Chics: Fashion in Academia =-.
I’m so so on them but I do get drawn in by the wonderful images and possibilities so it can’t hurt. Anything goes!
.-= Make Do Style´s last blog ..Bringing back blue and brown =-.
I like them when the punks wear them, but not the posers & fashionistas. I seriously considered buying a Bedazzler for Christmas, though. I decided against it b/c I could foresee myself bedazzling everything from underwear to dishtowels. And then I thought, Woah! Not sure I want to be visible from space. heehee.
.-= Nickie Frye´s last blog ..Vintage Capezio Doctor Bag =-.
On me, spikes would look ridiculous, but for others – rock them if you love them!
A homeless guy once yelled out “Fucking Tranny” to me while I walked passed him wearing a studded pair of booties – it’s official. I have arrived. LOL!
XO Amy
.-= Midtown Girl´s last blog ..Weekends in the City: NYC Shopping Events & More! =-.
Love them!!!
I did purchase a bedazzler a year or so again and at first I went crazy then I slowed down. Maybe it’s time for it to make an appearance. . .
.-= Amy´s last blog ..vintage blouse =-.
If you can pull them off with confidence, I say go for it. Meanwhile I will stick to softer accessories that beg for a little more touching.
.-= Megan ´s last blog ..Oakland, CA: Buy a Dog, Get One Free =-.
i had a bedazzler back in the day, but sadly, they’re rather shoddy plastic devices and quite space-consuming for things that just push in the prongs on studs. i personally prefer a sturdy pair of pliers. anyway, i voted “leave ‘em” even though i actually love studs. i ordered packs of studs from angry young and poor and put them in hoodies and purses and even textbook covers through my teenage years, so they have a bit of sentimental value. it used to be rare occurrence that i would stumble across studded items in the bland retailers of suburbia, so of course i would snatch it right up.
now, however, the studs trend is so overblown that studs are everywhere and the design aspect of putting studs into something seems a bit arbitrary and lacks imagination. coveting a studded item isn’t as exciting as it used to be. so now… i TRY to leave ‘em.
I think I like them, but only when used in certain ways. Overuse can be a deterrent as well. However, sometimes you find that one item that uses studs and spikes and it looks great.
.-= Sheena´s last blog ..Clandestine Giveaway: Perricone MD Advanced Face Firming Activator =-.
Ugh.. I’m with some of you: SF stud overload has left me biased against them, unfortunately.
.-= Korka´s last blog ..Want to C my little c? =-.
Studs I like, but spikes look better on others. Love the Statue-of-Liberty vibe in the top image.
.-= Miss Cavendish´s last blog ..Daniel Hechter, Cintra Wilson, and Me =-.
I agree w/ Stephanie — I’m probably holding onto my teenage punk years too! And one of these days soon they won’t be such a big trend anymore and then it will be cool again to wear them!
.-= stacy´s last blog .."Rad – ical" =-.
They scare me a little but wait until you see what Queen Michelle has to show us all on Monday, it might help you decide you truly love them!
Queen Marie
x
I don’t care, I LOVE THEM!!
whether overdone or just plain out, some things I will just always like and studs and spikes fall into that category. For sure they feel overplayed right now, but if they actually fit in your personal style it’s great to take advantage of the fact that you can find so many different options right now.
.-= Kristen´s last blog ..Fashion Dare: Winter White =-.
i don’t mind a few studs here and there, but i really am not a fan of the spike!
.-= hanako66´s last blog ..winterizing dresses =-.
The thing is with studs/spikes is that they’re beautiful shapes in their own right but they’ve become pedestrian by adorning anything and everything…. I don’t necessarily have stud/spike fatigue, just that maybe if they were used in a different context that would be great… or as Kristen said, integrated into your own style, they’re still great.
.-= susie_bubble´s last blog ..Slow Burner =-.
I love ‘em, but only in certain circumstances. I already did the spike/stud thing, way back in the ’80s, when it was already a decade old. I won’t wear them myself, but I do like seeing them on others.
.-= enc´s last blog ..Toga, Toga, Toga! =-.
omg, the spikes look sharp, they could hurt somebody
i dig the spikes! i have a bedazzler and i rock star all my clothes with it.
.-= tony´s last blog ..Bedazzler Stud & Rhinestone Setter =-.
Keep rockin’ the spikes! I build all kinds of stuff with leather, spikes and studs. My goal is to bring back the whole spike/punk revolution, one jacket at a time!