megfowler.com

(Editor: IS THIS NOT THE CUTEST MAN WHO EVER LIVED)

The ambience is not hardwood, quiet music, order, attentive salespersons or manly fragrances – but the prices are great!

If a man is willing to go over to the dark (well, less lit) side in shopping for clothing then the place to enter is a well supplied thrift shop, or perhaps a genuine outlet store.

My thrift shop of choice is Goodwill, specifically the Goodwill Shop in Bellingham, WA. There are Goodwill shops located throughout the Northwest so the donor base is large, and apparently affluent and possessed of some sense of style.

If you are willing to search each rack for the true bargains you will discover some well-made, classic (meaning always in style) items that will serve you for perhaps longer than they served their original owners.

When considering the purchase of used (pre-owned) clothing there are certain things to examine.

Four cautions: first, look for labels you trust (I watch for Brooks Brothers, Polo by Ralph Lauren, Nautica, Eddie Bauer, Lands End, L. L. Bean, J. Crew, Gap and a few others, because this clothing is usually well constructed of quality fabrics and will still be in style even if it is a few years old); second, look for stains that are obviously not going to be removed by washing or dry cleaning (that’s a common reason why the item has been given away); third, look carefully for holes, particularly in sweaters (hold them up to the light to see if moths have dined on the garment); and fourth, search very, very carefully and always look at size labels (thrift shops are not too careful about making sure the right size garments are in the right section – and with suits check the labels in the inside coat pockets to see if the coat is a short, regular or long/tall).

Now, some specific tips.

With suits, sport jackets and blazers look inside the coat for wear around the pocket edges and for staining around the arm holes. Check all of the pockets for holes and tears (and unusual contents). Next check around the inside of the collar for any discoloration, and then look at the elbows to see if the fabric is worn to a state of shininess.

Also look at the underside of the armholes on the outside of the coat for stains. Then make certain that all of the buttons match, and that there are the same number of buttons on both cuffs.

With the trousers look for stains inside the crotch, and then for exterior stains on the seat and back of the legs. Look at the waistband to see if it is still rigid or has it been too often bent in half by someone overweight? Also look at the bottom of both legs for fraying on the edges of the cuffs or plain bottom. If the rear pockets have button holes then make sure that the buttons are in place.

If you are satisfied with what you see at this point try the jacket on. If you can button the jacket without creating a large X across your front then next determine if the sleeves are the proper length. Sleeves that are too long can be shortened by a tailor. Sleeves that are too short are too short, and even if you cut them twice they will still be too short. Look at the back of the collar to see how it lies.

A slight roll at the back of the collar can also be corrected by a tailor.

Next, try on the trousers (first, make sure you are in a dressing room). If the waist is too large a tailor can draw it in (as long as the alteration will not bring the rear pockets together). If the pants are too long they can be shortened. If the pants are too short they can only be lengthened if there is sufficient material in the cuff or bottom.

However, keep in mind that if the trousers have been cleaned and/or pressed in their current state too often, then any lengthening will still leave marks of the original cuff. These checks apply to khakis, chinos, jeans and other trousers as well.

When looking at shirts look carefully for fading and fraying at the cuff edges and the edges of the collar. Also look for discoloration on the inside of the collar. Then check all of the buttons to ensure they are the same. If a button is missing many quality shirts have 2 or 3 extra buttons sewn on the bottom of the placket. Also check for stains at the armpits.

Again, with sweaters, look for holes, stains and especially for stretching. Try on the sweater as well.

One of the reasons many garments end up being donated to thrift shops is wrong labeling for size. Someone buys a pair of 38/32 pants, gets home and discovers that they are actually 38/30. That’s why they were in T. J. Maxx in the first place. The person is either too lazy or unable to return the pants and so just donates them to the thrift shop. It is not uncommon to find items in the thrift shops that still have their original store labels intact. They have never been worn.

Here are three outfits assembled from one thrift store (Goodwill) and outlet stores.

Outfit # 1

3 button, 100% cotton jacket, by Nautica (Goodwill, $12; Original retailer, $250)

White oxford-cloth shirt, by Brooks Brothers (Goodwill $5; Original retailer $70)

Silk tie, by DKNY (Goodwill $2 (new); Original retailer, $45)

***

Outfit # 2

3 button wool blazer, by Jos. A. Banks (Goodwill , $10; Original retailer, $400)

Blue oxford cloth shirt, Polo by Ralph Lauren (Goodwill , $5; Original retailer, $60)

Silk bow tie, Polo by Ralph Lauren (Nordstrom Rack , $12; Original retailer, $65)

Khakis, by Land’s End (Goodwill, $6; Original retailer, $45)

Tasseled kiltie loafers, by Johnston & Murphy (Nordstrom Rack, $35; Original retailer, $145)

***

Outfit # 3

Barn Coat, by Cricketeer (Goodwill , $12; Original retailer, $75)

Wool shawl collared sweater, by Eddie Bauer (Goodwill, $7; Original retailer, $60)

Cotton canvas shirt, Polo by Ralph Lauren (Goodwill, $4; Original retailer, $55)

Cotton corduroy pants, Polo by Ralph Lauren (Goodwill, $6; Original retailer, $80)

Leather belt, by Timberland (T. J. Maxx, $12; Original retailer, $40)

Cap toe lace-ups, by Florsheim (Florsheim Outlet, $30; Original retailer, $110)

TOTAL my dad spent: $158

TOTAL it could have cost, were he not awesome: $1500

Know your sizes. Try things on. You too can enjoy a savings of close to 90%!