We've been having somewhat of an Indian summer around these parts for the past week or so, and I thought what better way to spend my afternoon off then digging trough some smelly thrift stores. I mean that in a good way. First off I decided to check out a spot I had not yet been. It was a clean little store, kind of tucked away in a pretty nice neighborhood, so my hopes ran high. As soon as I walked in, I noticed a nice Burberry trench coat hanging from the wall with a price tag of $55.00, a little steep as far as thrift store fare is concerned, but a good sign none the less. I started digging through the ties and pulled out a nice gem, a brown knit YSL in mint condition. I'm usually not one for ostentatious logos splashed across the front of a garment (unless it's on the breast of a sweater or tennis shirt), but because I have such a preference for knits, I couldn't pass such an attractive specimen up. And at only $1.29 too boot!
My next find was a rather attractive vintage Coach note book. I cannot attest to the quality of their products as this is only my second Coach find, next to a belt I picked up the other day. Anyways, the leather is buttery smooth and just the right amount of broken in. It looks as thought the stories are true that Coach at one point produced some quality products, not just the gaudy shit you see at the malls. Open it up and there is a three ring binder, slots for various cards and a holder for your pen, all in all, not bad for $2.90
The third and final item I found at my first stop of the day was a really neat print of a nautical battle involving two tall ships, one British, the other American (with the American winning of course). I was really excited to see this because my wife and I have a little nautical thing going on back at the house and I thought that this would be a fine addition. It's large size made it all the more attractive so I scooped it up on the spot! Sale price, $15.00. My wife is also talented in the arts of stripping and refinishing wood, so I asked if she could over-haul the frame and get rid of the ugly silver top coat. See kids, doing activities together is the key to a successful marriage.
My second stop of the day was another store that I had never been to before. The first thing I see as I walk in was a really bright, flowery patterned tie sticking out like a sore thumb. Upon closer inspection I find that it is a Fendi tie that is so loud and bright yet stunningly beautiful. It is also very wide so short of having it narrowed, this one might be relegated to the closet or made into a bow-tie. The fabric was just so cool I couldn't pass it up. I must now comment on the fact that I have yet to figure out how to use my wife's camera, so please excuse the shitty photographs. In the same bunch I found an all silk vintage Dior tie in a really nice paisley pattern, the pictures really do not do it justice. I have to say that for all the smack that gets talked about Dior's vintage clothing on websites such as Style Forum, I actually like their silk ties and have a really nice vintage blazer by them as well. I also picked up a 100% cashmere scarf by a brand called Handcraft, although I've never heard of them before, the scarf is super soft and is in a nice shade of blue-grey, price, $2.06.
Last but not least, I picked up my first really nice pair of shoes today. While I have heard stories of people picking up unused John Lobbs with the shoe trees still inside for 2 dollars, I've been happy stocking up my shoe collection with a fine assortment of Allen Edmunds and Florsheim Imperials. But today I found a beast of a different nature. I was walking past the shoe section and one pair seemed to stand out amongst all the rest.I could tell they were better made than the racks of Cole Hann's and Johnston & Murphy's I had been seeing all day. I picked them up and saw the insole was stamped Made In England. I had never seen this stamped on a shoe at a thrift store before so I took a closer look. The staff there most likely thought I had gone mad because there I was staring at the inside of someones used shoe. Anyway, I could just make out the word Churchs. Yup I had just scored a pair of "Made in England" Churchs longwings in fantastic condition, in my size, for $6.00.All in all today was a good day, I scored some great stuff for myself and the house but I also got to check out some new parts of the city. I will try to post some pictures of my new stuff in action next time. Cheers!, Ethan
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