Hey there Stud...

It's not what you think, I promise.  As much as some of you would like me to write all about gorgeous men, I will actually be writing about studs... as in iron-on studs, which can actually be just as interesting, and a whole lot more fun.  I got slightly ambitious regarding this topic, so bear with me.

I do admit that I did go through a phase when I was very into studded jeans.  However, it wasn't until fairly recently that I started considering putting studs on my clothes just to refurbish them.  So that's exactly what I did this week.  I bought myself some iron-on studs and went to town on some of my clothes from last year.  And I must say, I am very pleased with the results.

To start, I have to give credit to a store called TrimArt (38th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues).  While I didn't buy any studs there this week, they have undoubtedly the best selection of iron-on studs that you will find in midtown Manhattan.  They have flat studs, pyramid studs, cute shaped studs, embellished studs, jewel studs... you name it, they will most likely have it.  The picture on the right shows about... one-twelfth of the amount of studs they actually have.  Those colorful ones on the right side of the picture are actually iron-on studs that look like sequins... very cool and something I am definitely planning on using very soon.  The price range is also very affordable; anything from $2 per pack to $8 per pack, depending on the actual studs, and how many are coming in the pack.  The jewel studs and the fancier studs will obviously sell for more than your normal metal stud.

M&J (6th Avenue between 37th and 38th Streets) is another good option for studs.  They aren't as cheap as TrimArt, nor do they have the selection, but they do have some really cool stuff that TrimArt doesn't.  They have a better selection of studs in cute shapes (like hearts and moons and such) and that is what I took advantage of.  I was debating about some cool flat black studs and some cute gold finish heart shaped ones.  In the end, I bought two packs of heart shaped studs, one larger and one smaller, and applied them to a couple of plain black skirts I bought at H&M last year.  Each pack was $4, which is actually at the very low end of the price range.  The most expensive studs I saw were $8 per pack.  The end product is the picture on the left.  I got a little stud happy and put the same design on the back as well.

And last but not least, there's Joyce (38th Street between 6th Avenue and Broadway).  Being the small store that it is, the selection of pretty much anything is not very large.  They do have quite a nice amount of studs though, considering the size of the store.  The picture on the right shows most of the basic studs they have (pyramid studs, circles, squares, flat metal studs), but they also have some really cute shapes and colors on the next shelf over from this one.  I immediately saw some awesome flat circle studs in neon pink, yellow and orange and I decided that I must have them.  I went with the largest pink studs, but in retrospect, wish I had bought all three colors to create something awesome.  I used the pink studs to create some adorable hearts on a plain black, knit dress that I also bought at H&M last year (picture below).  I will probably end up going back to the store, buying the other two colors and embellishing a couple more of these same dresses that I have. The price range is big, starting at about $3 per pack of studs, going to about $10 per pack for the really fancy stuff like jewels.

In addition to iron-on studs, all three stores that I listed do offer studs with prongs if you are more comfortable applying studs by hand instead of with an iron.  A benefit of using the pronged studs as opposed to the iron-on ones is that they will not come off.  The iron-on studs will likely eventually pop off, and you will have to replace them.  The downside of using studs with prongs is that they may scratch in the back and, depending on the fabric of the garment being used, the prongs could leave holes.  I personally prefer iron-on studs because I find that there is a much bigger selection.  Pronged studs tend to only come in metal finishes (antique, matte, or shiny) and there is not much of a variety in shapes.  They pretty much only come in pyramid, square, or dome.  However, if you are on a budget, they are a cheaper alternative to iron-on studs.