Springtime for Prepsters

Today marks the first full day of Spring, and everyone's mind is trying to shift away from this painfully long winter, to warmer weather ahead. The winter to spring transition is an important one, as we move from hues of red, forrest green, and patterns like blackwatch tartan and fuzzy grey wool sweaters, to an explosion of color that is only befitting of the coming season of growth, pastels, and shorts that are too short for common decency. Imagine for a moment, a hungover Easter bunny, throwing up all over your wardrobe. That-- is the ideal prep version of Spring. I jest, of course, but the stark transition is something you should be aware of. Perhaps it is now time to put away your warm Viyella shirts and other knitwear and start thinking about what will happen when the snow is finally gone, and we have warm, sunny, and significantly longer days at our disposal.

Spring also represents a great time to clean out the clutter- Personally I took 11 shirts out of my closet that I know I haven't been wearing, and offered them up for (nearly) free on a website I frequent. This freed up more space for some of the goodies I share below. I suggest you do your own version of an annual purge.. as it is far to easy to hold onto thing you just aren't going to wear. 

I'll start off by promptly breaking the theme of the post, and sharing these really cool tweed jackets I discovered. Tweed is, of course, a trad staple of the Fall and Winter, but could be worn year-round by die hard devotees. 

The examples I happened to come across, represent the crème de la crème of traditional tweed jackets, and they were in damn near perfect condition too, despite being likely older than me by a decade.

Finding this label will make you smile, guaranteed.

A beautiful Brooks Brothers 3/2 roll sack tweed jacket in herringbone.

A gorgeous J.Press lightweight tweed jacket. I wanted to keep this one really badly, but it was just far enough out of my size range that I figured it would be better to pass it on to someone who would wear it more than me.

Detail of the donegal tweed pattern with bits of color mixed in

Another J.Press, this one with an overcheck in blue, yellow, and brown. I need to find a new home for this one as well, as it's also a tad too large

Paid: $21 for the trio
Retail: (Well..hard to say, but the modern day equivalents are about $700 each.)

Okay! Now on to something more Springlike. I actually came across a trove of 6 RL button downs at a local shop, all in like-new condition, where they were asking $5 a piece. The three above were a tad small on me, so I ended up selling them as a lot. I did keep the other three however. They were all in great Spring colors however, so I wanted to share them as an example of shirtings that you could consider wearing in the coming weeks.

-Pink gingham
-Solid yellow Oxford
-Blue mini-gingham
Paid: $7 ea.
Retail: $40-90 ea

Here's one I kept for myself- a great spring plaid with greens, light blue, yellow, and pink all present. 

A classic RL OCBD was also in the mix. I think Ralph Lauren oxfords are fairly nice, and they certainly get better with age. They represent a less expensive alternative to the (superior) Brooks Brothers oxford shirts, and are pretty easy to find thrifting or on eBay. I also always see them at stores like TJMaxx for about $40 or less, if you prefer that route. 

An online purchase, this was a brand new Jack Spade OCBD, produced by Brooks Brothers. It is essentially identical to a Brooks Brothers oxford, with a slightly different fit, and a couple additional details such as a locker loop, and 3rd collar button. The Jack Spade Swenson Oxford was part of a limited edition line debuted in Spring 2011, and retailed for the exorbitant price of $185.

I however got to snag this leftover from a guy who seems to get all the excess shirts produced in the Garland, NC factory (Where Brooks Brothers USA shirts are made) and sells them on different websites, and eBay.

Jack Spade Swenson Oxford
Price paid: $30.
Original Price: $185

My current collection of Blue university stripe oxfords. One of the staple shirts of any prep/trad wardrobe, with the other essential colors being solid blue, solid white, pink, red stripe, and perhaps yellow. 

Found this lovely Brooks Brothers shirt for the meager price of $1.

Little did they know, this is from the Brooks "Luxury"  line, and is made from 100% Egyptian cotton, and made in the USA. Denoted by the purple label, Luxury line shirts typically retail upwards of $150 new. Because it isn't my size unfortunately, I'm selling it on ebay for someone else to enjoy.

Brooks Brothers Luxury striped shirt
Paid: $1
MSRP: $185

I definitely wasn't doing to fit into these, as they are a Boys size 8. They were however, sitting on the rack, brand new, for $2.50 so I couldn't resist an easy flip.

Vineyard Vines Club Cords
Paid: $2.50
Retail: $50

Maybe I got lucky this month, because my VV finds have been relatively plentiful. I found this very nice Vineyard Vines Whale Shirt (my favorite design of theirs), in my size. It did however, present me with a bit of a challenge.

The previous owner had his initials, and some squash racquets, monogrammed quite conspicuously on the cuff. Unfortunately, we don't share the same initials, and to avoid people thinking I stole "MC's" shirt, I decided to try my luck at removing the monogram. I did this by carefully cutting each stitch with a seam-ripper, taking caution not to cut the fabric of the shirt itself. It was a slow process, but I was actually pretty surprised with the end result. 

Unless you are really looking closely, you can't even tell it was ever there. I decided to leave the racquets, because hey, nothing wrong with those!VV Whale Shirt
Paid: $7 (and an hour of labour)
Retail: $98

Another really lucky find... A brand new VV sweater vest, with tags and all! Even though it was my size and I did like the color, I'm not really a fan of sweater vests, so I decided to sell it. Picked it up for $5, and netted $50 on eBay within a day of posting it. I think I'm going to reinvest the profits into getting some of my other acquisitions properly tailored...as I've been neglecting to do for some time.

VV Chip Shot Pima Cotton Sweater Vest
Paid: $5
Retail: $125

And the fun doesn't stop there folks, as I found these nifty seersucker shorts as well.  Booya!

Vineyard Vines Seersucker shorts
Paid: $4
Retail: $75

GANT is one of those brands that doesn't get a ton of attention, but they make some really nice stuff. I quickly spotted this authentic Indian madras shirt, and was happy I did. This beautifully woven fabric feels incredibly soft to the touch- and is one of the most breathable natural materials a shirt can be made from. I really liked this shade of blue- and was happy to add this to the collection for Spring and Summer.

GANT Indigo Madras shirt-  Paid $5
Retail: $145

Also in the GANT department, were these Rugger shorts, in an interesting plaid pattern. On both pairs of pants, I took the waistline in an inch simply by moving the button over. This is a quick and easy trick that lets you modify the size of shorts or pants, within a certain tolerance. Took both pairs from a size 32 to a size 31, which has less danger of falling off of me.

Paid: $4
Retail: $125

This jacket I found a while ago, but I don't think I shared it yet. It's a cotton Brooks Brothers herringbone sport coat. It currently is a bit small for me, but I lengthened the sleeves and hopefully will be able to let it out a tad to make it fit. If not, someone skinnier than me will need to adopt her!

Fitzgerald Fit Houndstooth Sport Coat
Paid: $5
Retail: $495 

I found this vintage Lacoste cardigan, and while I don't normally ever wear cardigans, I figured it was an iconic enough piece that I should pick it up anyways. Paired it here with a pink OCBD and solid knit tie. Not sure how I feel about the combo, but it does represent a dressier way to wear it

And my one selfie of the month... Pictured here with a southwick sport coat, yellow Brooks Brothers oxford, and Polo Ralph Lauren repp tie to create a great early-spring combination. For the next three months, let yellow, blue, green, and pink guide your soul.

Thrift Prep items pictured:

Southwick sport coat ($5 versus $800)
PRL repp tie, Made in Italy ($2.50 versus $125)
Brooks Brothers Oxford: ($5 versus $89)

The Numbers:

Total retail value of merchandise: $4,000+

Total Spent: $125

Total proceeds from selling (including pending): $254

So by following the principles of the Thrifty Prep, I basically got everything I kept for "free", AND pocketed about $100. Not bad, right?

Maxing Out

 

The TJ Maxx /Marshalls stores of the world operate as the clearance bin of retail. These stores take end-of-season, excess, and other unsold inventory from malls and other retailers and price it starting at about 50% off. 

I used to never even consider shopping at these stores...Until I ventured out of my somewhat rural home town and realized that the products carried vary widely by geographic location. Near urban centers, I saw many shirts from Ralph Lauren Black Label, Brooks Brothers, and even items from prep-tailers such as Vineyard Vines and Southern Tide. 

Much like shopping at a thrift store, you have to follow the model that 95+% of everything there is garbage...with a possible 5% treasure trove hidden in the mix somewhere. 

My goal here is to document some of the better finds I've seen/purchased/heard about at these stores, to demonstrate that yes, even in the cesspool of low end garments, there are some gems to be had by the patient.

Advantages:

• Prices significantly reduced from retail MSRP
• Typically have clean dressing rooms
• Generally, items are well organized by size
• Products have fewer unidentifiable stains than at thrift stores
• Stock rotates fairly frequently
• Clearance sections can yield some exceptional buys (if you are lucky)

Disadvantages:

• You might need to be in a nicer area to find higher end products
• Sizes can be limited
• Still lots...and lots...of rubbish
• Still more expensive than the used market
• You will lose a little bit of your soul
• Beware of products designed for sale here. Always check quality and for possible flaws.

My finds:

Some shorts from Southern Tide- normally $70, here found marked down to $15. These weren't my size unfortunately, but the fact they were here demonstrates that TJM and others take inventory from even the smaller independent retailers, as Southern Tide isn't sold in many large stores.

These yellow chinos from PRL are somewhat of a niche item... but at $10 new they were hard to pass up. Original retail is $98

The tie section at these stores can be hit-or-miss. The majority of what they have will usually be junk ties from cheap China made brands, but you will on occasion see ties from Brooks Brothers, as well as other higher-end brands.  This tie was from last year's Spring/Summer collection at Brooks, and was a good buy at $17 (compared to $79 new).

This shirt was actually at a Nordstrom Rack, which is Nordstrom's own discount store chain. A lot of what they carry comes directly from Nordstrom stores, which typically have higher-end brands and products. Since Nordstrom changes up what brands and collections they carry on a seasonal basis, there are always interesting finds to be had.  This shirt, was a real surprise to find because it is a J.Press York Street oxford. Unfortunately for me, the fit was way too slim and they didn't have the next size up.

 To get the best prices at Nordstrom Rack, try to take advantage of special sales such as "additional 30% off clearance" to maximize your savings.

 Later in the post I'll share one of my best Nordy Rack finds ever.

This slim-fit Vineyard Vines tucker shirt, did fit however and despite the christmasy pattern, decided to pick it up as gingham is definitely underrepresented in my current wardrobe. 

J. McLaughlin is a clothing brand that doesn't really get a lot of attention. They have unique stores scattered around the East coast in quant, preppy towns. I was rather fond of these two ties, which were on sale at a TJX for $12 each, and normally are sold for about $80 new. 

Spotted here was one of the Brooks Brothers Signature Tartan ties from Fall/Winter 2014. Had it been in the blue or red designs, I probably would have bought it but I wasn't a big enough fan of this one to take it home. 

Don't let the "Irregular" label scare you-- Brooks marks overproductions with this label to prevent returns to retail stores. There's (usually) nothing wrong with these ties.

In my local store, I came across a trio of these Vineyard Vines party shirts. Unfortunately they are in one of the least-appealing designs of all time, so there was no way I was spending $40 to look like a circus clown. More importantly however, is the fact that you can even find "exclusive" brands such as VV at these stores for a significant discount.

Just a canvas tote, with Anchors.

Found: A pair of Bills Khakis for only $15. Considering these are sold for over $100 new it was a cool find. Notice the red tag: Once an item has been on the shelves long enough, they start knocking the price down incrementally. These started at $40 before becoming $25, and eventually $15. 

These blackwatch slippers were only $7...and since I don't have the bankroll for $400 slippers, these will have to do for now.

These Brooks Brothers shirts had generic tags with possibly inflated prices. In either case, based on the labels I could tell they were some special production run...or something different that what is sold in the mainline stores. In either case, they are made in USA which is always nice to see.

Some brands will even go to the effort of relabeling their items when they are sent to places like TJ Maxx. Others will mark the tags in some way as to prevent returns to the original store. 

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Below are some finds from friends on the AskAndy forums, to show you some of the other high-end items that are out there at deeply discounted prices.

Ralph Lauren Made in Italy Brogues 

A Ralph Lauren Purple Label sweater.  Purple Label is the absolute highest level of luxury that Ralph Lauren offers. This cashmere sweater would be over $1,000 new... but my buddy found it at 90% off for $100. 

Also purchased by him was this RL Purple Label shirt. Originally retailing at $465+ he was able to buy it for only $70. I have yet to be lucky enough to add a Purple Label garment to my wardrobe...but I'm patiently waiting for the day that I can. 

A pair of Brooks Brothers white bucks, seen here for $79 (Normally over $200)

Seen here is an Isaia 7-Fold tie (see my tie article for details) that was found at a Marshalls for ten bucks. As you can see, the original price reads $235.

Also spotted was a Brooks Brothers Golden Fleece 7-Fold, which clock in at about $175 ea. normally. I think that "Compare at" price is a little low there, bud! Needless to say, I'm pretty devastated that I never find ties like these whenever I go looking...but they are out there.

You may even encounter shirts from the upper-tier brands such as Isaia, Eton, Kiton...the possibilities are endless, and also weirdly random. Here were a whole rack of Isaia dress and sport shirts at $129...which is steep....but remember, if no one buys them at this price, they will be discounted further.
Isaia dress shirts normally retail for about $475

Perhaps my favorite discount store find to date, has been this brand new pair of Cole-Haan penny loafers....for $5

I don't know how or why they were only $5.00, but at the Nordstrom Rack in Boston I spotted them and was quite happy I did. It wasn't even the only $5 pair in the store! So I purchased these, in my size, and a second pair, which I resold. I haven't found any more $5 shoes since then, but it's always a fun day when you can pick up a brand-new $160 pair of shoes for less than the price of a Subway sandwich.