I always say that one of the most important "rules" of successful thrift store shopping is a total disregard for the current season and a willingness to buy what you find when you find it. The other day, I got a little bit of Winter and a pinch of Summer all in one drop.
The iconic L.L.Bean Norwegian fisherman's sweater is a staple of full-bore vintage 1980s 'preppy' style. Wear it with jeans, Bean Boots, and a down vest and you're screaming "Cornell, Fall semester, 1984" at the top of your lungs. Usually seen in navy with a white pattern, sometimes seen in white with a navy pattern. But, ever seen a red one? Me neither. No tags in this one, but clearly made of wool and of the period. Not bad for $1.00.
The "Shaggy Dog" from J.Press is another 'preppy' staple. This one makes for a fair knock-off. It's wool, it's a weird peachy shade of off-white, and it has a fuzzy nap reminiscent of the proper Shaggy Dog.
This one, however, is a "Tally Ho Creation", for Henry Pollak of New York, made in the "crown colony" of Hong Kong, so I guess technically, it's British. I think it's from the boys department. Though my girth has admittedly grown in the past few years, I have never fit into anything XL. No matter, this too was well worth $1.00
Now for some old fashioned Anglophilia. Here's a pair of tan moleskin trousers. Moleskin is cool, because it's kind of like khaki for the Winter, but it has fallen far enough off the map that only a fellow clothes horse, or member of the British gentry, will see them and quietly understand. So soft to the touch, so warm to wear.
From Johnston's of Elgin, a truly venerable British establishment. A hell of a steal at $5.49.
To finish things off, a fine example of the Northeast New England seaside clam chowder (the white kind...the only kind) yacht club obnoxious go-to-hell lifestyle. I'm sure we all know that the only "legitimate" Nantucket reds come form Murray's Toggery Shop, but this pair from Berle, new-with-tags, runs a close second in "authenticity" (whatever that means).
$35, available at Syms for $19.99, marked down to $15, marked down to (and presumably purchased for) $10, donated to charity, and purchased for $4.99. Five inches too long in the leg, but nothing old Mr. Lee can't manage with his eyes shut.
Penury is not and excuse...
