Orphans

Reading this blog of mine, one might get the impression that it's all peaches and cream out there in the disorganized and random world of thrift shops.True, the deals are great when you find them, but there is also disappointment, even a certain sadness in it at times. As far as menswear goes, nowhere is this more apparent than in the ubiquitous presence of orphans...the unwanted top halves of once beautiful suits.
The other day I found this jacket. A natural shouldered, undarted, two button cuffed, 3/2 beauty, in a tropical wool with a 3/4 lining, size 40 short, fit me like a glove, for $6.99...

Man, was this a nice piece of cloth. From a few paces off, it read as an icy shade of bluish grey, but closer inspection revealed a beautifully woven glen check, with hints of red.

From the storied and hallowed Chipp...not only that, but a "Golden Chipp". Never one to give up easily on these things, I was sure the pants were somewhere in the store, priced separately. You'd be amazed how often suits get separated in these kinds of shops. So I took the jacket and headed to the pants department hunting for a mate but to no avail.

I know some of you might be thinking that there must be some of way of using this fine piece as a serviceable sports jacket of some kind. Sometimes this is the case. The top half of a tweed suit may only need new buttons to become a sports jacket, maybe a navy jacket gets some brass, but not this one. I considered how it might look with white pants, or charcoal. I considered changing the buttons. Dammit, I thought of everything. But in the end I knew that I'd likely never wear this jacket, because it would always just be half a suit, an orphan.

I know sometimes it may seem like I have a magical and endless stream of fabulous dirt cheap goods flowing through my house, but remember that this blog is as well edited as my wardrobe. In reality, successful thrift shopping has got more to do with a discerning eye and the ability to edit than almost anything else. When you're dealing with stuff this cheap, you have to be especially picky.
After all, no matter how good your intentions may be, you simply can't give a home to every orphan you find.