The Battle Jacket War Division

January 13, 2016

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The mighty Battle Jacket is a possession that many metalheads hold dear to their blackened hearts. Whether or not you give a shit about having one or not is up you, but as metal-heads we’ve all seen them worn in metal magazines, online, and at concerts/festivals. There is no denying that a man or woman’s battle jacket is a symbol of what they represent musically, and we should respect that. There is also no denying that battle jackets hold a very iconic role in rock n roll and heavy metal culture. Many well-known metal musicians have them and wear them with pride.

Fenriz

When you see someone sporting their battle jacket you can pretty much instantly gauge what that person’s musical tastes are. Band patches are usually the most commonly used accessory on battles jackets, but studs, pins, and other personal possessions can be applied as well. The most commonly used jacket is made of blue denim, and the sleeves are cut off 99% of the time. Some other colors can be used though; I have seen people dye their jackets and their patches to be a particular color. I, for one, choose to use black denim because black is not a color and colors can fuck off.

The most important part of creating your own battle jacket is picking out the back patch you want to use. This can be a very difficult decision because this patch is the biggest graphic that will be projected from your battle jacket. This patch can be a favorite album cover, movie poster, band logo, the list goes on here. The final decision most commonly comes down to a favorite band’s logo or album artwork though. Once you have the back patch picked out and sewn on, you can then start to puzzle what goes around that. This becomes the most fun part of the creation of one’s own battle jacket. Smaller patches are usually used to fill in the spaces while some choose to add spikes and studs.

Creating your own battle jacket is a time consuming task which requires creativity and patience. The way you choose to create your own battle jacket is entirely up to you, and that’s what makes it so goddamn enthralling. I’ve created two and a half jackets now, and I don’t plan on stopping.

I’m very curious to see what you maniacs have to show when it comes to your battle jackets. So comment away in the comment sections and show me what monstrosities you all have created. If you don’t have a battle jacket, what would yours look like? How would you approach it? Comment away.

Here’s what a few of the TOH commenters and writers battle jackets look like: