Cutting The Losses (An Appeal)

Back in July, I managed to "score" the suit in the above photo from ebay. It's a custom made suit by Alan Flusser, circa mid-90s. I wrote about it shortly after receiving it, using it to illustrate my "Law of Averages" theory as it applies to thrift shopping. It's made of a heavy nailhead cloth, and it's been hanging at the back of the closet in the "on deck circle", awaiting it's trip to the tailor. Every time I take it out to bring it to be fitted, it winds up getting bumped for other pending alterations. The longer I wait, the more I contemplate whether it might not be time to cut my losses on this one.

A three piece double breasted suit, seldom seen since the 1930s, is certainly not an easy garment to come by. Simply having one is something of a second hand/cheapskate gold medal. But when will I wear it? Lord knows I don't really need it. Hell, I don't really need any of this stuff. And the cost of alterations? OK, that's it, my mind is made up....

And then Tin Tin (remember him?) posts this photo, from a mid-90s era Esquire article written by none other than Alan Flusser himself. And I see such a suit in action, and I know now that I must have it...but wait a minute, no, I don't. Perhaps you see my dilemma. Or perhaps you are a more well adjusted, level headed person who is only reading this bog and others like it to marvel at the amount of time and thought that some fellows put into something so ultimately superficial and inconsequential. In any case, I appeal to you for help.

On September 19, 2008, the fellow formerly known as "Longwing" (remember him?) commented in response to this blog's very first post:

"Thrifters have too much shit. You get used to not getting exactly what you want so you tend to buy everything that even comes close."

I refuted him then, even though I couldn't help but admit that he indeed had a very valid point. It's a mild form of hoarding sickness that I have fought hard to keep in check all my life. I feel that I do fairly well, and no doubt operating a second hand clothing business does give me a convenient outlet for unwanted or no longer needed garments. But I ask you, is this not just the sort of situation old Longwing was talking about? Do I bite the bullet and pour more cash into making this suit fit? Or do I recoup my investment and get this thing into the hands of someone an inch or so taller than me? After all, I have a pair of cream colored flannel trousers already at the tailor's awaiting pick up, and a pair of cavalry twills to be dropped off, to say nothing of the dry cleaning.

Torture and anguish, thy name is a less than perfect ebay score. Thoughts and opinions greatly appreciated.

A Matter of Proportion, part 2

...or "Just because you can doesn't mean you should."

I recently found this really great tweed check at a thrift shop. It's thick but soft and has a great earthy color scheme accented by a punch of burnt orange, very British. The combination of details it carries is pretty cool too: natural American style shoulders, 3/2 front, with darts, three button cuffs and a center vent. The flap on the breast pocket is the icing on the cake. But if it's going to be mine, it will need some work.

It fits me great through the shoulders and chest, but it's a size "long" and wear a "regular". I'd need to be two inches taller at least. As you know, I'm a big proponent of utilizing the skills of a good local tailor on good clothes found through thrift, but an educated consumer also needs know what realistically can and can't be done. Obviously, the sleeves are long and shortening those would be no trouble or great expense. However, in this case, the skirt of the jacket needs to come up by about two inches. It can be done, but it's a costly job averaging between $35-$50 when done well. Still, that's not the kiss of death.

No, the decision not to alter this coat is a matter of proportion. Even if done well, shortening this coat will drastically change it's lines. The pockets will set too close to the hem, and the button stance won't look right. In back, the vent will become too shallow. A good tailor can do the work, but an excellent tailor will refuse it for these reasons. I recently came across a double breasted navy blazer by Paul Stuart at a thrift. It was obvious immediately that the coat had been shortened for all the reasons I just listed. The work had been done well, but the coat would never look right again, no matter how nice it may have been in the first place. I threw that one back.

Finding a good tailor doesn't only mean finding one who can execute your requests well, but also one who knows when to say no. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

A Matter of Proportion

So many people complain about the cold weather, but I'm not one. I'd been looking forward to wearing the Polo coat I'd acquired in trade for months. Mid-calf length and dramatic, I like the look of it over a suit as well as thrown on casually with jeans and Shetland sweater.Trouble was, the sleeves were just a whiff to short, maybe half an inch. The coat was fine in its casual setting, but whenever I wore it with tailored clothing, my jacket sleeves would stick out just barely past the coat sleeves. Only a little, but just enough to be wrong. A little shirt cuff beyond a jacket sleeve is one thing, but a coat sleeve should cover all the layers beneath it.

So I took the coat to my man in Cambridge to have the situation remedied. My tailor explained to me that the heavy rolled back cuff was actually a completely separate piece from the rest of the sleeve, and that the way to lengthen them would be to remove the cuffs completely, then re-attach them a half inch lower on the sleeves. 

He explained: "The cuffs, pocket flaps, and belt are all the same width. If I just drop the hem and re-stitch it, everything will be wrong. Most people will sense it, but most of them won't know why. It will take a little longer, but it's the right thing to do." It did take a little longer (and even more than one try), but he charged me the same as a simple sleeve job on a sports jacket. The coat now fits perfectly, proportions solidly in tact.

What's that I'm always saying about finding a good tailor?

New in the Shop: Alterations

Regular readers of this blog know that if I have anything to teach anyone about building a wardrobe successfully out of leftovers and thrift scores, it is the importance of a good tailor. Having clothing properly fitted by a skilled tailor really should be an imperative for anyone who looks to be considered well dressed. With thrift store clothing, it's just as true. In the end, well fitted clothing, no matter what the original provenance, will always look better than any garment requiring alteration. Good clothes are to some degree only as good as their fit.

An Affordable Wardrobe is proud to announce that we will be offering alterations service in-house as of this coming weekend. Find the clothes you need, and I'll fit them for you, deliver them to my tailor, and have them ready in quick time to be picked up in the Shop at your convenience. As far as I know, this service is the first of its kind offered in a second hand store.

I've struck a partnership with Dick Robason and his crew at Le Couturier House of Alterations in Cambridge. A family business with generations of experience in the tailoring of fine garments, they give the kind of expert service one expects when dealing in quality garments, second hand or not. I'm really excited about this new development in the AAW Shop.

p.s. after nearly a month of neglect while I concentrated on setting up the physical Shop, the online Shop has finally been given some much needed attention. Many new items have been added today, with many more to come soon. See it all here.

Reader Questions

Just because you got it cheap don't mean you ain't got to have it fitted. A good alterations tailor is your best friend.

Reader Toby asks:

My personal style is frumpier than it should be, and that fact that I am a natural born cheapskate seems to play a role in this situation. Your emphasis on "affordable" appeals to me, and I've always loved thrift stores. So I am right there with you when you report on the $7.53 you spent on a handmade vintage jacket!



My question is: when you spend less than $10 on an article of vintage clothing, do you then end up spending $50 getting it fixed up and tailored to fit properly? How does this factor into purchasing decisions?

An excellent question, to be sure.

Not so long ago, it was understood that "off the rack" clothing was something meant to be altered. It was good stuff, made to a standard. But no reputable shop would allow the customer to leave with his purchase on the spot. Men knew that when they bought a jacket or a suit, they would expect to pick it up properly fitted at least a week to ten days later.

These days we live in a culture of instant gratification. This has innumerable unfortunate side effects, none the least of which is men running around in badly fitted clothing. 

A man should always have his clothes properly fitted. This applies as much if not more in the case of cheap old stuff, as we discuss it here.

When I find an old gem and try it on, I always have one eye on the alterations. I know what can't be altered: the shoulders. Any jacket that doesn't fit your shoulders is not worth buying at any price, as it will never be comfortable. I also know what can be altered.

Sleeves can always be altered, within reason. Shortening sleeves an inch or so is a fairly commonplace alteration at the local dry cleaners costing between $12-$15 many places. Lengthening sleeves is no more difficult an operation, but it is trickier. Old clothes can leave a line where an old hem was, so watch out for this. The same principle applies to trousers: shortening is easy, lengthening is tricky.

Side seams can always be taken in, but may show a mark is you let them out. As always, look for clothing of quality that has clearly been well cared for by it's previous owner.

As for money: If I find a beautiful garment for a buck or two, I will gladly spend up to $60 on alterations. The way I figure, $2 purchase + $40 alteration= really nice jacket that fits like a glove for $42. You could buy a crappy Chinese sweatshop jacket from the Gap for twice as much in size  S M L in the mall. Need I say more?

Regardless of where and how you buy your clothes and what you spend on them, I do wholeheartedly recommend that any man find a good alterations tailor he can trust. Make a friend of him, because even though you may be the one with an eye for quality and a bargain, in the end he will be the one to make you look really good.

p.s. the Shop is bursting at the seams! See it.