Off Season: Summer in January

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: thrift shopping knows no seasons. In order to do it successfully, you've got to be receptive to the things that find you, not the the things you find. It also requires the patience to grab some good stuff a full 1/2 year before it's time. Gives you something to look forward to, right? Besides, the whole idea of instant gratification is an ugly American disease we could all stand to outgrow.

And so, with a fresh layer of frozen sleet and snow on the streets and sidewalks of the Greater Boston area, I give you:

Madras slacks, flat front and cuffed, with a narrow leg...

real madras, the kind with a soft linen-like quality...

Serious vintage L.L. Bean. The tag may say hand wash or dry clean only, but I'm willing to bet these trews bleed beautifully in the washing machine. Can't wait.

And... Black and off-white hounds tooth jacket, in pure raw silk...
by Polo..the good stuff...made in U.S.A.

Total cost for the two: $10.49.

Stop looking for stuff in season. The pickings are better if you can learn to see things out of their proper context.

This July, I plan on convincing my Dad to buy a snow-blower. Get it?