In this feature, I'll try to share some tips what will help you get the most out of your time, and money, when searching for a good deal. While I'm no professional, in a few months of practice (it is a skill), I've learned quite a lot that I hope to pass on to you.
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| Your new best friend. |
1. Go often
To be successful in thrifting, one of the main challenges you must overcome is simply having enough time. It's pretty simple mathematics:
ok, so maybe that isn't so simple, but if you want to use the formula, here's how it goes
If not, skip ahead
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"x" is defined as the percent of the time you find something you really like. This can be averaged pretty quickly, as an example, You go to a store 3 times, how many items did you come away with? If the answer is 3, x=100%. if you find one thing between 3 attempts, x=33%, if you found 6 things, x=200% and so on.
Ns is simply the number of stores you can visit in a day, and ND is the number of days you make those trips. V is the average retail value of what you buy, which may be slightly hard to figure out, but for the purposes of this example, let's say you will buy nothing with a retail value lower than $60, and since you occasionally will find more expensive items, we'll set our "average" at $70.
We'll use a x value of 66%, which is a bit low, but it will help illustrate the point.
We'll assume that 3 days a week, you go to 4 different stores in your area.
(66/100)*4*3*70 = $554 / week
Not a bad turnover for a few hours of your time!
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Regardless of that, the real trick is realizing that you are not going to strike gold every day. It's about repeated efforts, discretion (more on that later), and odds. Sometimes you will be lucky, sometimes you won't be, that's part of the game! Going to one store once a month is going to yield far fewer results but maybe that's all you are looking for. If on the other hand, you want to build a quality wardrobe from the ground up, frequency and consistency are key.
2. Know your labels
Labels are not simply a status symbol. The reason some companies have succeeded in the prep world and others, well, you wouldn't be caught dead in, are because these companies offer a higher degree of workmanship in their product, higher quality materials, timeless style, and (becoming increasingly rare) produce in the USA. While some brands have gained mainstream popularity well outside of the preppy sphere (RL as a sad example), often times the most sought after are the ones over 90% of people you will ever encounter have never heard of.
That being said, each person will find their own taste to some degree, but there are only certain companies which get the "seal of approval", or so to speak. The pillars of a preppy wardrobe are the following
- Quality. (The #1 most important factor for the true prep.)
- Natural fibers (All cotton, or wool, or silk, all the time, Except when sailing!)
- Anglophilia (If the Brits wore it in the past, it's probably a good idea.)
- Conservatism (Nothing too gaudy, except for Go To Hell which is a different story.)
- Attention to detail (high quality finishing touches like buttons, collars, fabric weaves, etc)
- Practicality (no random hoops or strings or chains or flaps or snaps.)
The following are companies that have achieved at least some recognition within the prep world.
I won't name all of them here (as there are hundreds of tiny companies which have earned their ranks among the list) but I'll give you examples of what to look for based on what I've seen myself.
When you are thrifting, in many cases, you have the opportunity to get these brands at the same cost as everything else in the store- dirt cheap. The difference is you will be sifting out only the best from the other hundreds and hundreds of mediocre (at best) items. Knowing what to look for is half the battle.
This list focuses on companies that produce shirts, pants, outerwear, and ties. Look for these makers while thrifting! Better yet, look up everything they make, and what it's worth, so you'll have an idea of what to look for.
For shoes, and suits, I'll post some links and possibly another post in the future.
Trad category
(old school appeal, you won't find any popped collars here)
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| What a clothing store should look like Image from WASP101 Blog |
- Bills Khakis
- J.Press
- Paul Stuart
- Turnbull And Asser
- Hickey Freeeman
- Budd Shirtmakers
- Ben Silver
- Gitman Brothers
- Oxxford
- Orvis
- Briori
- Kiton
- Viyella
- Harris Tweed
- Barbour
- The Andover Shop
Solid Category
(it's hard to go wrong with these companies)
Some manufacturing in USA but increasingly overseas
Some manufacturing in USA but increasingly overseas
- Brooks Brothers
- L.L. Bean
- Land's End / Land's End Canvas
- Patagonia
- Gill
- Marmot
- J. McLaughlin
- Gant
- Ralph Lauren (high-end)/ Purple Label
- Robert Talbott
Preppy category
(look here for your pastels and brand recognition, but beware, quality may start to go down at this level while retail prices stay high. )
Rarely made in the USA anymore :(
Rarely made in the USA anymore :(
- Vineyard Vines
- The North Face
- Lacoste
- Polo Ralph Lauren / Rugby
- Duck Head
- Southern Proper
- Southern Marsh
- Southern Tide
- Murray's Toggery Shop
- Sperry Top-Sider
- J. Crew
- Burberry
- Bonobos
- Dockers
- Levi's
Fringe Category
(not the best, but will do in a pinch if needed. These are more mainstream companies you will find in malls. Try not to rely on these brands for the bulk of your wardrobe if possible)
You can almost guarentee these won't be made in the USA
- Izod
- Many of Polo's more "questionable" items
- Jos. A. Bank
- Nautica
- Tommy Hilfiger
- Eddie Bauer
- Club Room (Macy's house brand)
- Calvin Klein
- Puma
- Lauren by Ralph Lauren
Parts 3 and 4 to come soon!
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