Thrift store blues & brags
FYI, Giorgio Brutini is actually not a real Italian shoemaker. They are a licensed brand name assigned to a line of shoes by an American company, Harbor Footwear Ltd -- as far as I could find out. The practice of using such made-up (or sometimes bought after a company goes under) brand names is fairly common. I found a pair of Brutini basketweave loafers this summer at a thrift shop for a few bucks. I liked the looks of the shoes, and picked them up since I've never owned basketweaves and wanted to try them. They were comfortable, but nothing fantastic.
Thrifting is a fine and inexpensive way to test things out, or try something new. If you don't like the item you can donate it, and you're only out a few dollars.
Thrifting is a fine and inexpensive way to test things out, or try something new. If you don't like the item you can donate it, and you're only out a few dollars.
stewartu
Active Member with Corp. Privileges
Can anyone help me date this LL Bean sweater that i just thrifted?
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Today's scores:
A pair of Allen Edmonds Park Avenue balmorals in a reddish burgundy, just a tiny bit loose on my feet, but easily corrected with slightly thicker wool socks. They are such elegant shoes, and in fine condition. They look like they are from an earlier time, in the 2000s, perhaps. Cost $11.00 plus tax.
A pair of USA-made suede Sebago Docksides, light tan in color, with brown leather trim at the top edges. Cost $6.00 plus tax.
Plus first editions, DVDs, a nice leather belt. The search continues for Sperry Topsiders, USA-made. A nice day.
A pair of Allen Edmonds Park Avenue balmorals in a reddish burgundy, just a tiny bit loose on my feet, but easily corrected with slightly thicker wool socks. They are such elegant shoes, and in fine condition. They look like they are from an earlier time, in the 2000s, perhaps. Cost $11.00 plus tax.
A pair of USA-made suede Sebago Docksides, light tan in color, with brown leather trim at the top edges. Cost $6.00 plus tax.
Plus first editions, DVDs, a nice leather belt. The search continues for Sperry Topsiders, USA-made. A nice day.
The Goodwills in central Wisconsin and other thrift shops have provided something close to a warehouse full of sport coats, suits, shoes, etc., and many of these are from the late fifties and early sixties. And the prices -- absolute bargains!
Several postings earlier, I did mention one of my best finds ever. A mid-grey, medium weight, all wool herringbone sack suit that ticks all the Trad boxes. It was in mint condition for $2.50. The trick is to go almost daily (it takes only fifteen minutes or so at a shop). Patience is important, it may take some time.
Two recent finds from Goodwill:
A pair of tan suede laceups with some creasing, made in USA by GH Bass. A bit of cleanup with a brush and a Magic Eraser for dirt and spots (works nicely), and they look very nice. I've put them in shoe trees to help smooth out some of the creases. Cost: $6 plus tax.
A pair of Sperry Top-siders, not US-made but Indonesian-made. I decided to try these out especially since I have been reading good things in shoe blogs about the high quality of Indonesian-made shoes. They look brand new, almost no wear on the sole, or any scuffs or creasing on the leather. The stitching, construction and finish all look solid to me. Cost $10 plus tax.
Several postings earlier, I did mention one of my best finds ever. A mid-grey, medium weight, all wool herringbone sack suit that ticks all the Trad boxes. It was in mint condition for $2.50. The trick is to go almost daily (it takes only fifteen minutes or so at a shop). Patience is important, it may take some time.
Two recent finds from Goodwill:
A pair of tan suede laceups with some creasing, made in USA by GH Bass. A bit of cleanup with a brush and a Magic Eraser for dirt and spots (works nicely), and they look very nice. I've put them in shoe trees to help smooth out some of the creases. Cost: $6 plus tax.
A pair of Sperry Top-siders, not US-made but Indonesian-made. I decided to try these out especially since I have been reading good things in shoe blogs about the high quality of Indonesian-made shoes. They look brand new, almost no wear on the sole, or any scuffs or creasing on the leather. The stitching, construction and finish all look solid to me. Cost $10 plus tax.
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Three interesting finds from local thrifts:
A genuine British Maitland overcoat. Not that they are rare, but for the price I paid, not easily found, I'll bet. Camel-coloured, Made in England from a luxurious blend of 60% cashmere and 40% pure wool. Very nice condition, no damage anywhere.Two pockets on either side, single-breasted, medium size lapels, three buttons in front, mid-calf in length. This one looks like it was made to my measurements, LOL. I believe Maitland and Crombie in Scotland are both major makers of these kinds of overcoats. And now for the price: $15 plus tax.
A chestnut/gold herringbone tweed sports jacket, nicely cut, made from Peruvian Alpaca (there is a small amount of lambswool blended in with the alpaca). It's by Foreman and Clark, never heard of them. Brand new with tags. A rich colour which is perfect with grey flannels. Cost $10 plus tax. I don't think I have an alpaca sportcoat in my collection, so this is a first. It feels very comfortable.
Lastly, A Slovakian army field jacket, cotton with a thick lining which is a wool blend. Epaulet and collar buttons are pewter, the other buttons are plastic. The olive green jacket looks very new, but the lining looks a little beat up and is pilling, very strange. I think it was not exactly cheap at St Vinnie's, but I am a sucker for military field jackets. I'll probably salt away the lining somewhere and just wear it as a spring/fall coat. Cost $25 plus tax.
Late Edit: Foreman and Clark was a department store in downtown Los Angeles, for most of the 20th century. It was housed in a beautiful building, with Art Deco and Gothic elements used in its design. They went out of business in 1999.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreman_&_Clark_Building
A genuine British Maitland overcoat. Not that they are rare, but for the price I paid, not easily found, I'll bet. Camel-coloured, Made in England from a luxurious blend of 60% cashmere and 40% pure wool. Very nice condition, no damage anywhere.Two pockets on either side, single-breasted, medium size lapels, three buttons in front, mid-calf in length. This one looks like it was made to my measurements, LOL. I believe Maitland and Crombie in Scotland are both major makers of these kinds of overcoats. And now for the price: $15 plus tax.
A chestnut/gold herringbone tweed sports jacket, nicely cut, made from Peruvian Alpaca (there is a small amount of lambswool blended in with the alpaca). It's by Foreman and Clark, never heard of them. Brand new with tags. A rich colour which is perfect with grey flannels. Cost $10 plus tax. I don't think I have an alpaca sportcoat in my collection, so this is a first. It feels very comfortable.
Lastly, A Slovakian army field jacket, cotton with a thick lining which is a wool blend. Epaulet and collar buttons are pewter, the other buttons are plastic. The olive green jacket looks very new, but the lining looks a little beat up and is pilling, very strange. I think it was not exactly cheap at St Vinnie's, but I am a sucker for military field jackets. I'll probably salt away the lining somewhere and just wear it as a spring/fall coat. Cost $25 plus tax.
Late Edit: Foreman and Clark was a department store in downtown Los Angeles, for most of the 20th century. It was housed in a beautiful building, with Art Deco and Gothic elements used in its design. They went out of business in 1999.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreman_&_Clark_Building
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From time to time, I have thought about buying a pair of trousers in the fabric and colour of US Army Officers' Pinks. There is a website where you can buy a replica for $150. The trousers tend to be beige with enough red in them to give it a very light pink tint. (I think "Pinks and Greens"are coming back into general issue in the US Army now).
Well, today I found a pair of trousers at Goodwill made by Bill Blass that looks to my eyes to be a close match in colour, and, I think, material. It is 100% wool but slightly heavier than medium weight (12-14 oz, perhaps). The surface and hand is smooth, and its drape reminds me of wool gabardine. It fits me well, except for length. It is not flat front, but pleated, unfortunately. I really like the colour, the pink beige comes through nicely especially when it is outdoors or indoors in fluorescent light. Cost $6 plus tax.
Here is an example of a WWII vintage pair of pinks (these are actually gabardine):
Well, today I found a pair of trousers at Goodwill made by Bill Blass that looks to my eyes to be a close match in colour, and, I think, material. It is 100% wool but slightly heavier than medium weight (12-14 oz, perhaps). The surface and hand is smooth, and its drape reminds me of wool gabardine. It fits me well, except for length. It is not flat front, but pleated, unfortunately. I really like the colour, the pink beige comes through nicely especially when it is outdoors or indoors in fluorescent light. Cost $6 plus tax.
Here is an example of a WWII vintage pair of pinks (these are actually gabardine):
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Today's find: A brand spanking new pair of black Allen Edmonds Cavanaugh loafers, zero wear on the leather soles! The uppers look pretty pristine, and it is made in the US. The one problem is that it is a little loose in the heel area, but a good fit elsewhere.
I read somewhere that as the newness wears off with use, the shoe's soles will flex a bit more and not be so stiff, and this will help with the heels. For the initial wearings, I am planning to use thick wool socks (good in winter), and if that does not work, I will use heel inserts of some kind to help prevent slippage. This is a medium-priced shoe in the AE collection, around $295 full price. My cost at Goodwill Edmonds, LOL, was a neat $15 plus tax.
This is the second pair of brand new AEs I have picked up in thrift shops in the last three weeks or so. The other was a dark brown pair of suede loafers.
Incidentally, I much prefer the older AR logo (upper-case A and E, and the other letters in lower-case, sometimes the Edmonds beneath the Allen and slightly to the right) to the newer one (all caps, in a single line, and Port Washington beneath in smaller caps, with a stencilled look to it). The Cavanaughs I purchased today have the older AR logo.
Here's the older style (there are some variations) followed by the newer one. Imprinted in gold on the insole, the newer one looks a bit more sloppy, IMHO, than the older one, which was imprinted in black, usually.
I read somewhere that as the newness wears off with use, the shoe's soles will flex a bit more and not be so stiff, and this will help with the heels. For the initial wearings, I am planning to use thick wool socks (good in winter), and if that does not work, I will use heel inserts of some kind to help prevent slippage. This is a medium-priced shoe in the AE collection, around $295 full price. My cost at Goodwill Edmonds, LOL, was a neat $15 plus tax.
This is the second pair of brand new AEs I have picked up in thrift shops in the last three weeks or so. The other was a dark brown pair of suede loafers.
Incidentally, I much prefer the older AR logo (upper-case A and E, and the other letters in lower-case, sometimes the Edmonds beneath the Allen and slightly to the right) to the newer one (all caps, in a single line, and Port Washington beneath in smaller caps, with a stencilled look to it). The Cavanaughs I purchased today have the older AR logo.
Here's the older style (there are some variations) followed by the newer one. Imprinted in gold on the insole, the newer one looks a bit more sloppy, IMHO, than the older one, which was imprinted in black, usually.
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New thrift pickup: A very nice, new dark grey overcoat, Hart, Schaffner and Marx, US-made, 100% wool, three buttons, two pockets in front at the hip level, medium lapels, cut in a slightly waisted, trim silhouette. Perfect fit. The cloth is probably around 22 oz, which is pretty decent for the cold weather in these northern Wisconsin climes. There's hardly any wear, the wool still has the new feel to it, and the stitching in the pockets have not been removed. An excellent find for $15 plus tax at Goodwill.
I did not have a solid grey overcoat until today. I have had a grey herringbone overcoat for many years, but it is different in color and cut from this one. There's only one problem with overcoats -- they take up a lot of space in a closet!
I did not have a solid grey overcoat until today. I have had a grey herringbone overcoat for many years, but it is different in color and cut from this one. There's only one problem with overcoats -- they take up a lot of space in a closet!
Two items bought recently at thrift shops:
The first is a pair of mid-1960s Allen Edmonds MacNeils, longwings in tan pebble-grained leather, with the label Ostundo Cushioned Heel on the insole. Lovely brogueing. The logo for AE on the insole also looks quite different from later ones, as does the way the name MacNeil is printed, so these are the features that make me suspect these shoes are from the sixties. If I am right, they are probably the oldest pair of AEs I own now.
These shoes have seen some aging, but judging by the soles and heels, they have not seen heavy wear (unless the shoes were recrafted at some time). What sold me on this pair was the lovely patina on the leather. The tan leather has darkened with time on certain parts of the shoes, and I absolutely love this kind of patination! I cleaned them and used some leather conditioner on them, then put wax polish on them (first brown then tan, a small experiment to get a kind of mixed effect). A sound brushing, followed by buffing made the shoes emit a dull glow (if that is the right phrase). My treatment brought out the patina very nicely and I am most pleased. Total cost $15 plus tax.
The other item is a three-button 100% silk sport coat from Bill Paul Ltd, with a label that says it is by Ibiza. I think Bill Paul Ltd is a men's shop in Neenah, Wisconsin. No information on country of manufacture, but the styling looks almost definitely Italian. (From the web, I've found that at least some of Ibiza's sport coats and suits are made in Italy). The cloth, which looks to me like tussore/tussah silk, has a soft hand and a lovely color scheme, a sort of green and honey/gold, but with sky blue and dusty red windowpanes. (Tussah silk is not as fine as mulberry silk, which is the higher quality material). The effect is eye-catching, especially in sunlight. It is lightweight, so it's suitable for wear from late spring to early fall. The moderate lapels and collar have pick-stitching and there are the standard pockets, and side vents in the English style.
The jacket was almost totally crumpled with wrinkles everywhere when I found it -- as though someone had scrunched it into a ball and put it into a very small bag! At home, I used my clothes steamer on it, and was amazed at how beautifully the steam worked on this jacket -- it looked as though it had been professionally pressed, and while I can press a jacket, I am by no means a professional quality presser. So this was a pleasant surprise. The jacket's colours look more muted indoors, especially at night, but I know they will pop when worn outdoors in natural light. My outlay: $10 plus tax.
All right, now I am ready for a beautifully cut, well-fitting Black Watch double-breasted jacket. Therefore, I'm calling Groucho Marx -- maybe the Sanity Clause will help, LOL, although I know there ain't no san'ty clause.
The first is a pair of mid-1960s Allen Edmonds MacNeils, longwings in tan pebble-grained leather, with the label Ostundo Cushioned Heel on the insole. Lovely brogueing. The logo for AE on the insole also looks quite different from later ones, as does the way the name MacNeil is printed, so these are the features that make me suspect these shoes are from the sixties. If I am right, they are probably the oldest pair of AEs I own now.
These shoes have seen some aging, but judging by the soles and heels, they have not seen heavy wear (unless the shoes were recrafted at some time). What sold me on this pair was the lovely patina on the leather. The tan leather has darkened with time on certain parts of the shoes, and I absolutely love this kind of patination! I cleaned them and used some leather conditioner on them, then put wax polish on them (first brown then tan, a small experiment to get a kind of mixed effect). A sound brushing, followed by buffing made the shoes emit a dull glow (if that is the right phrase). My treatment brought out the patina very nicely and I am most pleased. Total cost $15 plus tax.
The other item is a three-button 100% silk sport coat from Bill Paul Ltd, with a label that says it is by Ibiza. I think Bill Paul Ltd is a men's shop in Neenah, Wisconsin. No information on country of manufacture, but the styling looks almost definitely Italian. (From the web, I've found that at least some of Ibiza's sport coats and suits are made in Italy). The cloth, which looks to me like tussore/tussah silk, has a soft hand and a lovely color scheme, a sort of green and honey/gold, but with sky blue and dusty red windowpanes. (Tussah silk is not as fine as mulberry silk, which is the higher quality material). The effect is eye-catching, especially in sunlight. It is lightweight, so it's suitable for wear from late spring to early fall. The moderate lapels and collar have pick-stitching and there are the standard pockets, and side vents in the English style.
The jacket was almost totally crumpled with wrinkles everywhere when I found it -- as though someone had scrunched it into a ball and put it into a very small bag! At home, I used my clothes steamer on it, and was amazed at how beautifully the steam worked on this jacket -- it looked as though it had been professionally pressed, and while I can press a jacket, I am by no means a professional quality presser. So this was a pleasant surprise. The jacket's colours look more muted indoors, especially at night, but I know they will pop when worn outdoors in natural light. My outlay: $10 plus tax.
All right, now I am ready for a beautifully cut, well-fitting Black Watch double-breasted jacket. Therefore, I'm calling Groucho Marx -- maybe the Sanity Clause will help, LOL, although I know there ain't no san'ty clause.
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More scores:
A couple of tweed jackets (brown, cream and gray) one with a herringbone pattern, the other with a tic weave, $10 apiece.
A very nice US made Pendleton shirt jacket, muted brown and black plaid pattern, with three leather buttons in front, patch pockets (one at the chest and two at the hips) and sleeves like those on shirts, with leather buttons on the sleeves! $10.
A couple of tweed jackets (brown, cream and gray) one with a herringbone pattern, the other with a tic weave, $10 apiece.
A very nice US made Pendleton shirt jacket, muted brown and black plaid pattern, with three leather buttons in front, patch pockets (one at the chest and two at the hips) and sleeves like those on shirts, with leather buttons on the sleeves! $10.
Steve Smith
Super Member
I respect your seeing the military items as something to collect but not wear. Civilians wearing military items can be quite dirtballish, especially when we are talking about dress uniform items. Seeing someone wearing one piece of a USMC dress blues uniform offends my sensibilities, not in a 'stolen valor' sort of way. More of a 'look at that goofball' vein. Nobody who ever rated wearing that uniform would wear just part of it unless they were just burned out and pissed off at the world.
Here are the 'rules' as I see them. Feel free to disregard:
1. Don't wear any dress or service uniform item, period, unless as a complete uniform and as one which you wore in service.
2. Generic uniform items are OK to wear, although the only item which immediately comes to mind would be khaki trousers. Those green wool USMC trousers may look generic to you but they are a distinctly uniform item to me. Same with those shitty black leather issue bluchers. Their proportion is horrible anyway. Just don't.
3. Certain special issue gear is generally OK to wear. I have a few extreme cold weather items which I would wear as needed if I lived in a colder climate. A general observation is that this kind of gear would not have had any rank insignia on it when used.
4. Flight jackets...OK but don't apply anything whatsoever to them that you didn't rate in service. Those jackets with the random aviation patches are just goofy to any real life aviator.
I still have some of my USMC uniforms but the only items which I ever wear are the flight jackets, the G-1 and the green CW-45 jackets. I wear these with the leather name tag with naval aviator wings and any other (squadron, etc) patches attached. Even this might be seen as overkill by some. But like I mentioned, these are 'rules' not rules.
Thanks for your kind words. Just about the only thing I wear with any degree of regularity are the olive drab US Army field jackets, the various M series jackets from different periods. I do so because those jackets, devoid of patches, insignia and name, have been widely worn by civilians for a long time. And those military or ex-military men I have checked with have been uniformly fine with this practice, perhaps because it has been widespread over the decades.
I do have a beautiful US Navy issue pea coat that I wear very occasionally in winter. It is devoid of any patches or other add-ons, but it does have the brass buttons with the US Navy insignia on them. I consider this a minor infraction, and again, those with whom I have checked have been fine with my wearing this coat. I have a couple of recently acquired vintage military overcoats, and I will probably try them out at some point this winter -- but again, I doubt if I will use them on a regular basis.
I do have a beautiful US Navy issue pea coat that I wear very occasionally in winter. It is devoid of any patches or other add-ons, but it does have the brass buttons with the US Navy insignia on them. I consider this a minor infraction, and again, those with whom I have checked have been fine with my wearing this coat. I have a couple of recently acquired vintage military overcoats, and I will probably try them out at some point this winter -- but again, I doubt if I will use them on a regular basis.
Steve Smith
Super Member
Yes, I think that a USN pea coat or a military field jacket both fall into that generic area, like khaki trousers. If your coat is a long overcoat with brass buttons it is an officer's (and Chief Petty Officer's) bridge coat and not a pea coat, unless USN uniforms have changed since the late '70s / early '80s. Is it a long jacket? The bridge coat is a very nice piece of gear.
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