Thrift Store Review: Boomerangs Special Edition - Boston

Boomerangs is a collection of thrift shops in the Boston Metropolitan area that support the AIDS Action Committee, a non-profit organization based in Boston. While they have locations in Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, and Cambridge, their flagship boutique, named Boomerangs Special Edition, is located in Boston's South End, at 1407 Washington Street, a few blocks from the Broadway or Prudential T stops. It's also right on a stop of the Silver Line 5 bus.

While I had a few chances to visit the Cambridge location in Central Square, the high-end boutique store sounded alluring, so I decided to pay it a visit and document my trip here. Apparently the best and most desirable of the donations from all locations are funneled here- and they also don't really carry any cheap brands, so if you are looking for a one-stop shop for more luxury and upmarket used items, this is your place!

You can visit the website of Boomerangs Special Edition here for hours and more information

Shirts included makers such as Vineyard Vines (pictured, $26), Thomas Pink, Brooks Brothers, Zegna, Ralph Lauren, Orvis, Hickey Freeman, and several other brands. Shirts were priced about $20-$30 each which is expensive for a thrift store, but at least they are all sorted by size, and you won't need to sift through tons of junk to find the good stuff.

The men's section occupies the back half of the store. The organization and layout of the store offered an open atmosphere, and not too crowded or cluttered which is one of the downsides of many thrift stores.

Ties on display, Spotted were a few Brooks Brothers ties, as well as several other trad-approved makers. Not the largest selection in the world, but at least they aren't in a giant tangled heap like some stores..

Perhaps one of the most tastefully decorated thrift stores I've visited, decor is arranged throughout the store and much of it is also for sale (such as the duffle bag, or wooden duck carving (very preppy). Seen on display were two sport coats, one made by Ralph Lauren Purple Label, the highest-tier label offered by Ralph Lauren. 

The men's suit section was also well organized, each suit had a tag listing the jacket and trouser size, as well as the original price of the suit. Makers such as Brooks Brothers, Canali, Hickey Freeman, and Burberry were well represented. Prices again were not cheap ($150-$300) but even $300 is a great price for a high end suit that may have been $1,000-$2,000 new. It appeared that prices were reduced if the item had been there a while, making them a bit more affordable if you are lucky.

A Brooks Brothers 1818 Regent (slim) fit suit in wonderful condition. This is a great suit and they run about $800-$1100 new. 

Brooks Brothers Supima Cotton sweater vest, $18

The women's section featured a long rack of coats, dresses, scarfs, and other wares. Accessories such as jewelry and handbags were present as well.

A glass display case held these high-end ties, including a couple by Hermès.

A creative idea -- notebooks and journals by a company called "Paperblanks" who produce notebooks that look like old hardcover-bound books. Can you spot the prep-friendly plaid?

I normally never even bother to look at the CD/Music section of thrift stores just because they are usually full of really weird stuff, but this one caught my eye with a Ben Folds CD (He was my one of my favorite artists throughout my high school years haha).

Some prep-friendly prints and a octopus bag that caught my attention.

Men's shoes - On display were some suede penny loafers, Ferragamo leather loafers, leather cap-toe lace-ups, tassel loafers, and suede plain toe bluchers-- all the essentials of a versatile shoe wardrobe, and all from decent (or better) brands and in pretty good shape, which is a big step up from the majority of thrift stores where the shoes are well...really gross.

Final Verdict: Boomerangs Special Edition is definitely worth the trip, even if you leave empty-handed as I did. The organization and decoration of the store makes it fun to browse, and the staff were friendly and helpful. While not the easiest store to get to, if you feel like taking a walk or a bus, it's not the hardest to get to either. The clothes were all of great quality, albeit the prices were on the steep side. That being said, the proceeds from the store support a great cause, so you can feel good while looking good. It seemed summer items were the focus during my trip in July (makes sense) so I will be interested to see if they change anything up for the Fall or Winter. 

If you've ever shopped at Boomerangs, leave your comments below!

East vs. West

Guest Post:  Hendrik Pohl from Tie-a-Tie.net

While I frequently bring you articles about thrift store finds, shopping tips, and historical context to the style this blog is dedicated to, an esteemed reader, Hendrik Pohl, founder of Tie-a-Tie.net as well as the San Francisco based online neckwear brand Bows-N-Ties, reached out to me regarding another topic: current trends in menswear.

The conversation that resulted inspired the following post-- as we discovered that the "wear to work" uniform in offices of Boston and San Fran are quite different. Hendrik provided the lovely graphic below, and the following insight:

West Side (Palo Alto, San Francisco, Portland)

• Band of Outsiders Flannel - $190
• Google Glass Prototype ("borrowed" from the office)
• Patagonia Puff vest -$150
• Uniqlo slim fit jeans - $50
• Chuck Taylors - $60
• Apple iWatch - $750
• Sector 9 Longboard - $146
• Kale Juice (organic) 14oz - $9

Total: $1,355

East Side (Boston, NYC, DC)

• J. Crew Ludlow suit in navy - $425
• J. Crew Ludlow suit vest in worsted wool - $125
• Persol sunglasses - $250
• Silk Tie + Pocket square from Bows-N-Ties.com - $40
• Timex Weekender - $40
• Double Monk Straps from Allen Edmonds: $385
• Socks from The Tie Bar - $8
• Starbucks venti Latte - $5

Total: $1,278

In our example, both men earn the same annual salary, and live in a classy apartment in their city of choice. The two combinations also cost nearly the same amount of money upfront. The difference however, is in where each man is prioritizing his spending. The East coast man invests in his formality, while our Silicon Valley denizen invests in technology.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that West style is much more casual. Ties are, sadly in Hendrik’s eyes, a rare sight in downtown San Francisco, and as a result Hendrik ships most of his orders to the East coast. While outfits in general are much more casual, and - as some might argue - “sloppy”, on the West coast, it is the way men prefer to accessorize that sticks out the most. The techy start-up scene, as Hendrik calls it, loves to show off the latest gadgets rather than expensive designer watches, fancy ties or sophisticated pocket squares. It is quite a common sight to spot a mid 20s man standing on a Boosted skateboard zipping through traffic at 25mph while simultaneously drinking fresh pressed kale juice and talking to his apple watch.

While this picture is somewhat of a simplification, there is an important message to take away; Fashion is no longer just about looks but just as much about convenience and function. If a designer wants to stay with the times, he/she needs to learn how to integrate gadgetry functionality without diminishing their brand’s aesthetics. In a world where our clothes follow the same basic designs as seen 50+ years ago, is this even possible?

I am talking about much more than just a blazer that has an inner pocket large enough to fit an iPad. Scientist in China, for instance, have been developing solar cells that are so thin and flexible that they can be woven into fabrics. Soon it would be possible to tailor a suit that can charge your cell phone or power your skateboard. LEDs are getting so miniscule that those too can be added to garments to display customized messages or serves as a safety tool when commuting to work on a bicycle in the dark.

Surely, many of these ideas may seem straight out of a sci-fi movie, but one thing that can’t be ignored is that the modern man does demand more from his wardrobe that just good looks and comfort.

What do you think? Will you continue to favor traditional styling taking root before twitter was abuzz and Google was a way of life? Or, adapt in a way that brings convenience and utility into your daily apparel? Leave your ideas in the comments!

Thrift Store Review: The Garment District

Greetings once again!

Sorry for the delay in new content, but I just relocated to an area I am quite fond of (as you may have gathered from previous posts), Cambridge, MA. Possibly the epicenter of New England trad as home to both the Andover shop, J. Press, close in proximity to the stores and botiques of Newbury Street in Boston, and home to a small, relatively unknown school called "Harvard", Cambridge really is a great place for anyone interested in traditional clothing.

Luckily as I've documented before, Cambridge also is home to some great thrift shops, each with their own unique style and design. As the first post of a multi-part series, I will be posting photos and reviews of the various thrift and consignment shops that Cambridge and Boston have to offer. 

First up is the Garment District, located on 200 Broadway, Cambridge MA, just a short walk from MIT.

The store features a first floor dedicated to costumes, and a second floor packed full of vintage and contemporary clothing. On weekends, a line will form down the street before the doors open for business.

The checkout counter downstairs. The store also features the option of selling your clothing, but I'm not sure exactly how that process works, other than you must book an appointment in advance. 

Downstairs also features the infamous "by the pound" deal where you can experience first-hand what it's like to live in an actual garbage dump. Kidding aside, I didn't venture into this because
A: Even I have standards, and
B: All the "good" stuff is upstairs
nonetheless, people race here to sift through the pile and fill their trash bags, so I suppose it's a good bargain for those in need of the most basic clothes.  

Upstairs, customers are greeted to fairly well organized racks. Interestingly the Garment District sorts by "era" as well as style, so you'll find what you are looking for quite easily. An entire rack of 80's style leather jackets, tye dye shirts, western-apparel, they pretty much have a section for every niche category you can think of.

The tie section left much to be desired, but I spotted a couple decent ties among the mix

Racks jam-packed with shirts, I saw lots of J.Crew, Land's End, and Polo stuff, along with your typical mall brands

Perhaps the best section of the store is where they have skimmed off all the "Designer" brands into one section. Sorted by size, I found suits from Brooks Brothers, Burberry, Canali, and other high end makers. 

Found in the "designer" section: A vintage green university stripe (no longer made!) Brooks Brothers Oxford Shirt. Unfortunately the so-called designer items were all sold at a premium...at least $15 a shirt so the prices are higher than a typical thrift store. That being said, the organization was quite good, making it a lot easier to find what you actually want!

Another vintage Brooks item, a kelly green sweater of Sea Island Cotton, also Made in the USA

A special section for "vintage" ties, notice the couple tradly repp stripes, and bow ties

It seems once things don't sell for a while, they are transferred to this 50% off section. Plenty of blazers and jackets to go around here, although none were particularly appealing on this visit. 

50% off shirts, and 50% off "designer' clothing rack in the background

Sorry to any ladies out there, but the women's section is possibly twice as large as the men's that I covered. It seems this store is a very bohemian mix of "costume-wear" and then occasionally some really neat vintage items or more recent high-end stuff, if you are lucky to come across it.

The store really does have a fun ambiance to it, unlike the very depressing nature of some thrift stores.
If I was a hipster, I'd go nuts in here as there really is no end to the variety and uniqueness of some of the items. So what did I purchase at The Garment District? I'll save that as a surprise for an upcoming article.