Thank You

Just over a year ago, I handed over the first rent check on this little empty room. A few weeks later, I had done my best to dress it up, unlocked the door, and the brick-and-mortar Affordable Wardrobe "secret shop" was born.

I'm still here, and the place is constantly bursting at the seems with an ever changing flow of wonderful old clothes. I've seen a lot of great stuff in that time, learned a lot, and made many new friends. I'd like to thank each one of you who contributed to my Indiegogo campaign, visited the shop, consigned with me, read this blog, or supported AAW in any way. It's been a lot of work and a real labor of love, but it would be nothing without my customers and readers.

To help celebrate, everything in the Shop, both online and in person, is 20% off through midnight Monday 28 July. Use discount code ANNIVERSARY2014 at checkout.

Tweed For Spring

I do enjoy Winter, and don't mind a cold day for wearing tweed and flannel, but I'll be damned if even I can't wait for the cold to let up a little and have me a balmy walk in the sunshine. Looks like this week the sun will at least smiling on us, and while the temperatures creep up a little, we can't dive head first into khaki and tennis shirts. And though the streets may be full of people in short sleeves with no coats on, in reality we still need to keep at least comfortably warm. If you're looking to ditch the overcoat (finally), remember that tweed, the stalwart fabric of the coldest times of year, can also be perfect for Spring.

A tweed sports jacket can offer a welcome replacement to your overcoat or Barbour jacket when worn as a alternative to outerwear. It helps to keep color and weight in mind here. Many of the best tweeds are seen in earthy shades of brown ad olive, maybe punctuated with burnt orange. While I do love these fabrics, these colors are too "Fall". This time of year, I stick with lighter tans or cool grey, as seen here. Because of the roughness of the cloth, it's a good choice worn casually with jeans, and it gives me the pockets I need for keys, phone, and all the other crap we can't seem to live without these days.

I like a jacket like this tailored very soft with enough extra room for a sweater underneath. It being (almost) warm (?...not really) today, I've swapped the Shetland sweater that has been an almost daily piece since November with a lighter cotton crew neck. I may still be wearing heavy oxford shirts, but a pink stripe livens things up a bit, as dose a pink pocket square. Baby steps folks. Don't be the guy in shorts shivering at the bus stop.

A recent thrift shop acquisition, this jacket features my (current) favorite combinations of English/American hybrid details: natural shoulders, a 3/2 front, with darts, and real braided leather button. File also under the "What's in a Name" department:

Homework leads me to discover that Sibley's was a small department store chain in New York State, with it's flagship in Rochester. Absorbed by Kauffman's in 1990, and later Macy's, the store no longer exists. Stanley Blacker is a name I remember men of my Dad's generation wearing when I was a kid. It wasn't super expensive, but of generally good quality and traditional styling, in a time when traditional American style was popular enough to support lower tier brands of reasonable quality. Maybe not the most special thing I ever found in a thrift shop, but it fits well, feels good, and for $7.49, it will do just fine until a better replacement comes along.

As a side note, I've also recently discovered that leather and suede saddle shoes are the absolute JAM with jeans. This pair is vintage L.L.Bean, made in USA by Walkover, with a comfortable brick red rubber sole. Acquired through direct purchase from a consignor in my own shop for $25, and worth every penny.

We may all want the cold weather to be over, but it's not something we can control. With a few touches of color and some small changes, you can breath new life into your tweed and manage to keep warm and be seasonally appropriate. You can wear tweed in the Spring.

p.s. speaking of tweed, I have a knockout English shooting jacket available on eBay now. If you're a 46 long check it out. If not, look at it anyway as a reminder that there is s real reason why we call these things "sports" jackets.

p.p.s. the Spring Clearance Sale continues in the AAW Shop, with many items on deep discount. Enjoy an additional 10% off everything using discount code SPRING2014 at checkout through midnight Saturday.

New in the AAW Shop: Gift Certificates

(spoiler alert: shameless self promotion)

Just in time for the Holidays, An Affordable Wardrobe is offering gift certificates, redeemable in both the online store and in person at the Shop. Available through the web shop in $25, $50, and $100 increments, or in any amount  in person.

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.

First/Last

Tomorrow is the first day of Summer, and also the last day of our Indiegogo fund drive. That means I'll stop begging for money and you can all go to the beach. As always, thanks to all who have contributed. Help spread the word in our final hours or contribute if you can

Contribute here

Thrifty Kids, part 3

Few things ward off a bone chilling cold like a big comfy sweater and soft cords. The boy shows us how its done.

The red flannel shirt was a Christmas gift from a family friend, and he loves it. It makes me smile to see my kids developing a real taste in clothing. The sweater is knitted of oatmeal colored wool with brightly colored flecks throughout. Once again, the boy has something better than his Dad's version.

I'm not a fan of the look of an untucked shirt hanging out below the sweater on a grown man, but it's just the thing on a six year old boy.

Classic bucks, recently found for $2.99 at a thrift shop.

The sweater is the real deal, made in Ireland. Found by Mrs. G for less than $10. If I had to pay retail for such a thing, my boy wouldn't have one. But it's no matter. Like I said, penury is not an excuse.

p.s. Thanks to all of you who have been purchasing items in the sale. I've added new items to the Shop and decided to extend the sale through midnight Tuesday. As before, the code WINTERSALE used at checkout will apply a 20% discount to you entire purchase.

Sale!

Now through midnight, 27 January, save 20% on everything in the AAW Shop!

Enter discout code WINTERSALE  at checkout.