When you shop second hand, you are at the mercy of whatever people have recently chosen to part with. There's no seasonality to what might be in a store on a given day. It's important to keep an open mind. Be willing to buy summer clothes in December, or a winter sports coat in April:
Today's find: a heavy flannel jacket in Black Watch tartan, 3/2, un-darted with brass buttons,
from "Johnny Appleseed's" of Massachusetts: $4.99. Appleseed's is now a women's clothing retailer catering to the 55 plus crowd, mostly online. By the look of this jacket, they not only sold menswear about 40 years ago, but they were some secret local haven of full bore, high quality American traditional. This jacket would give Brooks or Press a run for their money.
Mrs. G. thought this jacket was a bit much. I told her to watch out I don't wear it together with the matching slacks or boiled wool vest, purchased on separate occasions...to which she replied that she was above embarrassment...to which I replied that this was obvious, since she's been with me so long.
Maybe if we get a chilly day soon I can pull this off once before it goes into storage with the winter stuff until the end of the year. Probably not.I'm a sucker for the Black Watch plaid.
Patience is a virtue.
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19 comments:
Great jacket! Wear it with charcoal gray flannels and you're good to go.
I don't mind buying clothing off season at all. When the right season rolls around, you dig through your closet, find your off season purchase which you inevitably forgot you purchased and it's like a gift.
This is a beautiful coat!
Do you not discern some pattern in donation? I would think--and a small it of anecdotal evidence seems to bear my hunch out--that people donate summer stuff at the beginning of the season when they pull things out of storage and decide that, in fact, they will never wear this-or-that again.
My guess would also be that, when packing clothes up for off-season storage, folks are less inclined to donate those clothes then, perhaps thinking they'll "sleep on it" over the off-season and if still feeling cold toward those items, donate them when they come out of storage.
But I'm new at this, so...
I share you wife's view on this one! I think Black Watch plaid pants are stylish though *not* with a matching jacket.
Man, I bought so much spring/summer clothes from Sally's and Hoodwill I am set!All I have to get are a few nice hats and some white bucks.Giggity!
Oh, man. I can't believe how awful the combination of the mismatched Blackwatch slacks, vest, and jacket would look! (But it's a good threat for the missus.)
I would second the notion of pairing your new jacket with your red vest come Christmastime, though. Now--what bow tie would go with that?
I am loving your blog, so witty, and the kind of style I like to see my man in!
All that black watch together was only an empty threat on my part. Thouhg I am keeping all three items on the same hanger, just for the sake of organization.
Giuseppe, I envy you! (with you latest scores, your wardrobe, record collection and missus, to name but a few things... And I agree with master Fogey when it comes to actually COMBINE the mofo's! (Pardon my Frech, or, in French: Excusez le mot...)
I would! You should! (Or at least try to, and post it to let the world be your judge.)
Nah, you 'should' nothing, but it would be interesting.
By the way, are you sure it is an actual 'Blackwatch'? For I see no green. Which is definitely in a BW. (Could be my monitor though...)
If I thought there was even the remotest chance that this jacket - in my size - was down at my local thrift store I'd be there in a flash. Nice score.
Urban Renewals. Almost pulled the trigger on that one.
Just a thought... you might want to have some grosgrain lapels run up for it. Slip 'em over, switch out the buttons for horn, instant dinner jacket.
Nice find.
Easy and Elegant,
I think tartan dinner jackets are a real hot ticket. However, with two small children to attend to, it's unlikely to see me out of the house after 7:30 p.m., let alone at anyplace even remotely formal.
Yes, but a tartan dinner jacket should only be worn at home (yours or someone else's), or perhaps at your private club. Such are the vicissitudes of life!
It's even less likely that I'll be either entertaining guests in a dinner jacket or joining a private club.
Such are the realities of life.
The potential conversion of this fine jacket to a dinner jacket would be, shall we say, nontrivial.
* Dinner jackets have peak or shawl lapels; this one's are notched.
* Dinner jackets have one button; this one has two.
* Dinner jackets have besom pockets; this one's have flaps.
* Dinner jackets have no vents (I don't know the vent status of Giuseppe's find).
I think that an odd (i.e., non-matching) dinner jacket like a Blackwatch one would be a fine second dinner jacket, but the first one really needs to be of classic design. If your only dinner jacket is black in a classic design, no one will know how many you have. On the other hand, if your only dinner jacket is unusual, then you will be known as "the guy who always wears the Blackwatch jacket"--which might not be a Good Thing.
Anyway, I think that Giuseppe's jacket is great just the way it is, and I'm happy that he can pull it off so well--I know I couldn't.
Young Fogey,
You make a good point. I assumed that the gentleman has a Dj already.
Me? I'd have the peaked lapels slip over the notched ones (they'd be removable), converting the buttons to black horn would let them blend in, pocket flaps can be tucked inside (and I bet the pockets are jetted) and I don't mind vents. My conversion kit would let me pack less for an overnight. But I have four dinner jackets, a velvet smoking and a set of tails at my disposal. I don't mind bending certain rules.
"I have four dinner jackets, a velvet smoking and a set of tails at my disposal."
Whoa! What are you doing reading this blog? It's about being "well dressed and dead broke."
Just giving you a hard time--no hard feelings :-)
I forgot to mention (though you brought it up) that a dinner jacket normally has self-faced buttons, not brass ones. Your black horn workaround is a good one, though (forgive me for being presumptuous and kindly correct me if I'm wrong) I believe our gracious host likes the brass buttons on his Blackwatch blazer.
As long as we're on the topic of plaid evening wear, here and here are some great Life magazine photos of the plaid craze of the 50s (inspired by the Duke of Windsor's Rothesay Hunting tartan suit (scroll down), I have heard).
The Johnny Appleseed label brought back some memories. I had several of their menswear items back in my high school years (late 60s /early 70s) and they were all very high quality. Thanks!
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