Best of 2013

I may be a day late and a dollar short in my Happy-New-Year-2013-We-Hardly-Knew-Ya post, but so be it. As a hardened retail veteran, I've been working a lot these last few weeks, and I took most of the first to be lazy and have fun with the kids. Besides, regular readers know that I've never been one for the typical holiday posts, preferring not to write Happy (fill in the blank) just because thats whats done. We have enough of that everywhere we look these days. But 2013 was a big year for me and An Affordable Wardrobe, so this time out I feel a few words are in order.

January saw the launch of the infrequent series of posts called "Thrifty Kids", in which  I feature the thrift store finds that we (mostly Mrs. G) turn up for the children. Perhaps a bit too precious for some of you, but I do have some cute kids, who wear some cute clothes. February saw Boston get buried under some old school deep snow, and I wore my incredibly heavy vintage 1950s L.L. Bean black and red hunting pants for the first time. As I write this, the snow piles up outside and it looks like I'll be digging them out of the closet again tomorrow.

March saw some big hauls for the personal closet. In a matter of weeks, I acquired a cashmere navy blazer and a cashmere glen check jacket, both hand made for the same man by tailor Virgil Carducci of Manhattan. The two have become such frequent favorites that I find it hard to believe I've had them less than a year. That's good clothes for you. It was in those same weeks that I unearthed a killer tartan jacket that kept my mood festive throughout the hectic Christmas weeks.

In April someone told the internet at large  that "what's wrong with this country" has something to do with guys like me bringing folding chairs to watch our kids play soccer. No big deal. But May and June were the big ones. That's when I decided that the online store branch of AAW had outgrown my house, and I appealed to you through an Indiegogo campaign to help me move to a tiny version of brick and mortar. It was with your generous help that I was able to secure a small room above an Irish  pub, right near my home, to ply my trade in the second hand haberdashery business. I moved in early July and opened later that month. As though that weren't enough to keep any man busy, I was also privileged to be featured in a short film by some gracious students at Tufts Universirty, and we all got to revel in the gossip party that was the outing of "Richard" aka "WASP 101" in the now embarrassingly notorious muck-raking witch hunt that happened at Ivy Style. A busy Summer indeed.

As the year rolled on, so many other good things happened. The vintage tuxedo I'd been needlessly keeping in the back of the closet made an appearance, even if it was only as a Halloween costume, and one of the most personally rewarding transactions since starting my business involved yet another antique formal suit, and I closed the year with what may the best thrift store restoration project of my career as a cheapskate to date. And all of this is only a slice of the ways I've been blessed to be running this blog this past year. Looking back, it's been a lot of hard work and sweat, but I could't ask for better. It's been a great year at AAW, and I owe all of that to you, my readers, customers, family, and friends. Here's to a great 2014!

p.s. Don't forget the 20% off sale runs through Sunday 5 January, using discount code NEWYEAR2014 at checkout. Also good in the store Saturday, 4 January from 10-2. Stop by to say hi, and maybe have a Mimosa.

Rules of Thrifting : Cosmetic Surgery

There are a lot of tricks to thrift shopping well, and though I may have a tendency to repeat myself here from time to time, it's simply because these things can't be overstated. One of them is that it is essential to develop an eye for potential, to know what can and can't be repaired or altered, and to see past a bit of additional time and trouble that may be involved to see a final outcome down the road. It's not that different from understanding that a new suit is best worn altered and not straight off the hanger the day you buy it. Following is an extreme case in point.

On a recent trip to the thrift shop, I found an excellent old Chesterfield coat, very heavyweight, the kind of cloth you don't see too often anymore. It was, of course, shoved into a rack brimming with mostly crappy parkas and ugly, dated overcoats from the late 80s and early 90s. Single breasted with peaked lapels, and clearly quite old from a distance, it was of such better quality than the things surrounding it that it was practically glowing. 

Velvet piping at the cuffs and breast pocket, a detail I haven't encountered often. Clearly this is old, and likely worn over morning clothes (striped trousers, cutaway coat, top hat, etc.) by it's original owner. Fits me like a glove, so it looks like I'll be keeping this one, though I will more likely wear it over a grey or navy suit, on a very cold day. True, I do already have an excellent lighter weight Chesterfield, but how could I pass this up? What do you take me for, a sensible normal person?

Produced in a tailor shop in Boston, a long gone place I've never heard of until now. Internet homework turns up nothing about this shop, though it will point you to plenty of great footage of jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, also not a bad thing.

Made in 1935 no less. Now we've got something that has value as an antique as well as just a fine piece of clothing. 

$10, as-is. If a thrift shop is marking goods "as-is" look them over carefully. Chances are there's something majorly wrong. This is charity after all, not ebay. "As-is" means different things in different settings. So what's wrong with this coat?

One button has been badly replaced, but I actually found the missing original button in one of the pockets. No, that ain;t it.

The velvet collar is completely destroyed. Not just worn, fully wrecked. Things like this are a deal breaker for most people, which really is too bad. I'll go to a fabric store and get a piece of good velvet, take it to my tailor, and have him replace the whole collar. Purely cosmetic surgery. Even after I pay him, I'll have a stunning garment for less than $50. What new coat can you get for that? Besides, I'll have rescued an antique thing from the garbage dump, and effectively restored it for many years continued use, an act I find rewarding in itself. The way this coat is made, it's likely I'll wear it through it's 100th Winter, and that's kind of priceless.

Look for part two of this post in a couple of weeks when it comes home from the hospital.

p.s. If you're looking for a Chesterfield coat and are a 38 regular, I have another excellent one made by H. Huntsman and Sons of Savile Row.currently listed on ebay. Auction ends Friday 3 January.

A Wedding In the North Country

My absence here in the last few days can be explained by my presence over the weekend at yet another old friends wedding on the coast of Maine. Ever since Mrs. G. and I opened the old marriage and children door eight years back it seems all the old boys are stepping through, one by one. Coastal Maine in November may seem like an unusual choice for an outdoor ceremony, but the weather was beautiful, if a little brisk, and the newlyweds couldn't have been happier. Of course, my only photos were of things superficial. I leave the important stuff to the paid photographer.

I, for one, embraced the chill, as it gave me a chance to indulge in some flannel and tweed. Stripes on stripes may not be for everyone, but it can be done. In this case the white club collar (Brooks Brothers, $5.49), white square, and solid navy wool tie ($1.00, Zareh of Boston) keep it all in check. Dressy, without being too stiff.

Grey socks and shiny black vintage 1960s Italian made shoes ($7.99) finish the job. Pay no attention to the cheesy hotel carpet.

A Chesterfield coat (Andover Shop, $9.99) and a black fedora ($9.99, not shown, see here) ward off the chill.
But that's just me, let's talk for a minute about a friend of mine:

Our man Mr. H. is a skinny fellow. He owns this suit, in soft grey flannel. Three pieces, hacking pockets, ticket pocket, flap breast pocket, and the most perfect 3/2 roll I've ever seen. Jealousy abounds here, since I'm the one who found this sartorial masterpiece a few years back at Keezer's for a scant $75. But alas, I'm not skinny, and Mr.H. is, so I put him wise to it. Score one for the good guys, I guess.

Made by the remarkable Rizzo tailor shop of Harvard Square in 1979. A real knockout punch.

When a guy shares a hotel room with other guys in "the band" ( wife and kids at home for the weekend), this is the sort of thing happens. Good times.

In case you're wondering, that's what an R&B rhythm section looks like. A 1964 Slingerland drum kit and an Ampeg Portaflex tube amp. Guaranteed to keep the folks dancing. Thankfully, I'm pretty sure our playing lived up to the equipment we use...at least I hope so.

A truly beautiful wedding cake, decorated with understated taste in simple fresh flowers was home made by the groom's sister-in-law, also a good friend. Three separate layers, but I had a piece from the bottom, chocolate with a perfectly balanced whiff of hot chili peppers. Another knockout punch.

Topped by a vintage  figurine which originally adorned the groom's grandparent's cake in 1950. Both still living and both in attendance. It must be something to see your wedding figurine on your grandson's wedding cake. Yet again, knockout punch.

If every wedding were this much fun, I'd hope for one every other weekend. Congratulations and best wishes for a bright future, to the new Mr. and Mrs. G******.