Recently, our man Conor of Young Man/Old Man has put in a couple of plugs for yours truly as a master of the thrift store. I humbly thank him for his recent kind words. With that in mind, I thought it might be nice to steer away from my recent cultural musings and throw in a good old fashioned Affordable Wardrobe post, prices and all. The price in black reflects the going retail. (approximate) and the price in red reflects what I paid for it.
Brooks Brothers blue oxford, $65/$1.99. Silk tie from Aras, a long gone men's store. Ties of comparable quality sell for about $50/$2.99. The mystery jacket, (now with brass buttons) from a USA factory. Sew in a J.Press label for $525/$3.49. Silk pocket square, $20/$1.
J. Crew "Essential Chinos", $60/$5.49. Allen Edmonds brown suede 'Bradley', $500/$12.99. Coach belt (not shown) $90/$1.99. Red socks from H&M, $4.99/$4.99.
Brooks Brothers blue oxford, $65/$1.99. Silk tie from Aras, a long gone men's store. Ties of comparable quality sell for about $50/$2.99. The mystery jacket, (now with brass buttons) from a USA factory. Sew in a J.Press label for $525/$3.49. Silk pocket square, $20/$1.J. Crew "Essential Chinos", $60/$5.49. Allen Edmonds brown suede 'Bradley', $500/$12.99. Coach belt (not shown) $90/$1.99. Red socks from H&M, $4.99/$4.99.Grand total: $1315(ouch)/$34.93(whew)
One of the best features of traditional American menswear, the real stuff, is it's sheer longevity. Not only is it built to last, but the style remains timeless as well. This not only makes it an admittedly sound investment for those who can afford to cough up full freight, but it also means that you can buy it old and still have it forever.
One day I hope to be able to have the experience of shopping new, straight from the source. I'd like to be on friendly first names terms with a real old salesman at my favorite shop. Until then, I'm happy to sniff out the thrifty leftovers and keep the dream alive.
