A long winded title, indeed. But today, we have a lot to discuss. I'm about to get long-winded, and it's likely that I might repeat things I've said in the past here, but what else is new? Read on...
I suppose you might call this a "style blog". Sure, the very term makes me feel a little gross, but that's what this is, right? Usually, such things deal in the moment, in what's new NOW. But I've told you before that being an inveterate cheapskate requires one to disregard any idea of seasonal shopping and be open to that which
finds you. Its often the key to successful navigation and acquisition of another man's junk. This means you sometimes buy a straw hat in January or some cavalry twill in August. It's a mild from of schizophrenia, I guess.
Let's turn the clock back a bit. I know I've told this story before, but right now it bears repeating. Years ago, I was consumed with lust for some patch madras pants, real good ones. I had yet to find them at a thrift shop and I doubted I ever would. Mrs. G. suggested I might actually go out and buy a new pair. A lifetime spent as an inveterate cheapskate makes it hard for me to pay full whack for anything, but eventually I acquiesced.
I went to Brooks Brothers and J. Press, and even the Andover shop. The offerings at Press and Brooks were, frankly, too frumpy, rendered in a pastel palette. Even in matters of patch madras, you gotta have some standards. Andover Shop had something more up my alley, but even with full spousal permission they were too expensive to justify. Enter this pair from the dreaded Ralphie. $110, at the Polo flagship in Boston, but I really wanted them and so I bought them. The real trick here was the bright, primary color palette. Exactly what I had in mind. An un-Godly amount of scratch for some Indonesian sweatshop pants, but damned if I haven't enjoyed them these past five Summers. But these pants were at heart a Sucker Punch, and the circle came full yesterday.
This pair found me. I suppose I should be insulted, or something, but Halloween time is often the best time to hit thrift shop gold, if you happen to be foolish enough to dress at all like I do. There are more plaid pants and jackets around in October than all the rest of the year. These were found in the "costume" section. My old Polo pair are cut very narrow in the leg. I loved this when I bought them, but the life of the Father of Two has made that cut,shall we say, a pinch less than flattering. This recent pair, as go-to-hell as they may be, are cut more like a classic pair of khakis.
Better still, the new pair comes by way of L.L.Bean, new old stock, in real bleeding madras, for $14.99. Thrift shopping often brings the concept of relativity into extreme sharp focus. The store charged me that price because for them, it's a premium. If it weren't for Halloween, they'd be lucky to get $3.00 for them. Ralphie took me for a lot more, another kind of premium. I ask you, where was the money better spent? Don't answer, we all know.
In any case, what are the chances of finding a new old stock, better version of your favorite patch madras pants in
exactly the same patch pattern, only in actual old madras the second time around? We all know that Ralphie builds his empire on stealing and copying, and I'll thank you to leave that tired old discussion out of this. But seriously, with something this pushy, what are the chances? These pants are
exactly the same patch madras pattern.Thrift shopping is at least cheap, and at best it can provide the astute veteran with a closet, and home, filled with fine things. But trading up on an exact version of something you already had? Digging up a new old stock version of something that Ralph stole?
Trading up in thrfit shopping is almost,
almost, un-heard-of, but it does happen...soemtimes.
