Savers today: I passed on a Polo Rugby shirt and pair of French Shriner shoes. Didn’t care for the stiff collar and uneven fit on the shirt. I’d never heard of this shoe brand before but was justified by the discovery that they sell for $50 new at Sears (or worn and scuffed at Savers for $20).
I did learn—and I don’t know how I didn’t know this already—that Savers has a free “club card” for 25% off on Mondays. They no longer discount based on tag color. I’ve set my calendar for weekly reminders!
Struck out at Uptown Cheapskate. A pair of corduroys fit reasonably well but I was turned off by a weird stitching detail on the crotch.
Like Turn Style, UC also seem to have grown their selection of men’s clothes, but turnover is maybe not so great. I’m recognizing shirts from last summer and that is not a good sign (shout out to the Club Monaco gingham with a tear in the cuff).
A draft from last year I forgot to publish…
At Value Village I found two misses and then a hit. First up, a pair of Allen Edmonds penny loafers, beat to hell and with weird padding glued on the inside of one tongue. I think they’re destroyed beyond recraftability, if that was an option to begin with. Not even fit to try selling on eBay.
Next, a double-breasted Polo Ralph Lauren wool flannel suit. It nearly fit perfectly which is a small miracle in itself. Almost made the decision to drop $40 on this when I discovered the giant hole in the butt. And here I thought it was the extra-wide lapels that might make me look silly!
Finally on my way out the door I grabbed a Brooks Brothers red linen cardigan ($10). On further consideration, it may be a women’s sweater. It’s a medium and fits me (a slim guy) very well; relatively open-weave; also there’s a definite pink tint in the buttons.
Marc Maron
My friend Marc Maron, whose new TV show Maron just premiered on IFC, wrote this great piece for the Times about finding the perfect pants. And just living your life.
(via putthison)
Prop Shop reorganized but didn’t have any good menswear.
Turn Style had massively expanded their mens’ department since my last visit. I loved the fit of a J.Crew Vintage Oxford but wasn’t going to pay $15 for a shirt with a worn collar and ring-around-the-cuffs. No new duds today.
I’m on fire! Arc’s Value Village, Alden suede “summer oxfords” in chocolate. My first pair of seriously nice shoes, for $20 (originally $503). Fun fact, they’ve already gone through Alden’s restoration process at least once so there’s another $159 invested into these shoes before they fell into my hands (feet?).
Well that’s the second time I visited Uptown Cheapskate Edina during posted open hours and they were closed. Hey! Uptown Cheapskate! This sucks!! :(
There’s a thin line—pun intended—between “slim” and “skinny” jeans. At Plato’s Closet this week I tried on one of each. I had to pass on a pair of brilliant orange pants that were skin-tight, but went home with brand-new black 511s that fit like a dream ($12).
These jeans (size 34) will replace the size 32 pair that I bought at my wife’s insistence from the same shop last year, which I can’t squeeze into comfortably.
Major acquisitions from Arc’s Value Village:
- Levi’s 511 jeans in khaki
- Dockers penny loafers
Casual khakis and loafers rated high on my wants list, so this trip was a major coup. Still seeking button-up shirts and white sneakers to round out my spring ensemble.
Close call with some Allen Edmonds merlot Park Avenues but they were just a little too long (11) and a little too snug (B). Still chasing that AE thrift shop dream!
I’ve been striking out on expeditions this year. Today with a coupon in hand I picked up two decent items at the 494 Savers where I usually come up empty: one grey v-neck tee and a navy stripe RL polo.
I had to pass on a nice blue stripe oxford because the fit was too small, a truly rare occurrence. The collar was only a problem when fully buttoned, so it wouldn’t have been a problem, and the waist was billowy but that’s easy to tailor down. The cuffs were tight for real though, which never happens; I’ve got skinnier wrists than any man I know (and many women for that matter).
“Goodbye shirt,” I said sadly as I hung it on the DO NOT WANT rack. “You belong with someone even more bizarrely proportioned than me.”
