I'd never pay more than $3.99. If you religiously go to thrift stores, you'll eventually come across so many vintage neckties...often marked $0.99 because they're shorter and appear "old."
I found the mother lode of skinny vintage *bow ties* last year; each was less than two bucks.
I screwed up, and just realized this post didn't go in this forum. However, it says "You may not edit your posts," so I'm unsure what to do. Moderators, feel free to delete. Sorry.
I was at a thrift store this weekend, looking through endless racks of costumes, when I came across something that looked like a neo-Victorian military stage costume.
Except it wasn't...it was clearly authentic. Fifteen dollars later, I had a WWI-era US Army Winter Service Coat, complete...
There are a great many different things that come together when I determine the age of a suit, but the union label is an excellent place to start; see this page: http://www.steelzipper.com/ACWA.html
I wear cuff links whenever possible:
All were bought at thrift stores except three pair.
(Note added later, as someone asked): I bought the cases on Ebay about two months ago from usjewelrysupply. They were listed as "X-Lrg 72 Pair Cufflinks Cuff Link Display Storage Case," and I bought...
Samples of most colognes are available from The Perfumed Court. It's always better to try a sample before you drop a couple of hundred bucks on a bottle.
A not-too-expensive leather I like is Elsha. I like it better than other leathers, even Chanel's much-worshiped Cuir de Russie.
I...
Thrift stores. Right now is the best time -- some thrift stores save suspenders as "Halloween" dress-up gear. If there are any older costume shops (like in a local antique district) ask them at the counter. Often these things are hidden in a pile, or they will know of another dealer with button...
I have three sharkskin suits I picked up at thrift stores. One dark green and one burgandy-green, both from the early 60s. The other is also dark green, but I'm pretty sure it's from the early 80's Mod Revival era (plastic zipper, etc.) All are slim-cut with skinny lapels. I wear them with...
I grew up in a US Army family. When talking with other Americans stationed overseas, we'd almost universally refer to the USA as "the States" -- for example, "What are you going to do first when you get back to the States?" (There were other terms, too, such as "the real world" or "the land of...
I hit two or three local thrift stores (ARC) EVERY Saturday, and have for around ten years. I have...maybe three dozen suits? 300 neckties? All were cheap, all are quality, most are vintage.
With suits, the secret is to have a good tailor and know what they can fix. I use a little old Greek...
I trimmed down two Stetsons by using a jerry-rigged protractor to mark a line with a pencil on the underside. I then used an X-acto knife to carefully trim using the line, and smoothed out the edge with sandpaper.
It looks fine.
I use a basic Gillette 1940's double-edge razor with a brush and shaving soap. I typically shave in the shower, as the hot water is plentiful and there's no scum left in the sink. I've found rinsing my face with cold water, then moisturizing it, is an absolute must when using this setup.
I...
My father is a retired U.S. Army Officer, and I remember there was distinct protocol having to do with calling cards.
A corner turned down on the card indicated it had been left in person, not by a servant (although no one had servants by that time) and there was other protocol concerning the...
Here's what I wore today. It wraps around the front of the tie, which makes it look as if it's going through the tie. The ends are connected behind it, and there's a clip to attach the back to the shirt placket:
I've found the more you thrift (or second-hand shop, whatever you want to call it) the better you get at it. I can now walk slowly down an aisle with items hanging on a parallel bar, and just by looking and touching the fabric alone know whether it's something worthwhile. It takes me half the...
This overcoat was made pre-1949 by a local Denver tailor. It says it's made of "Llamawool," and has a luster I can't capture in a picture. I have more pictures here.
This suit cost me $14.00 at a local Denver thrift store. It's heavy fabric, likely post-Golden Era, but still has a feel unmatched in modern suits. My guess is it was a 1950's made-to-measure suit, whereby measurements were taken here then sent off to the Far East for the actual creation. More...
I second the collar stays. Brass works a lot better than plastic, and should last forever.
A hand-held steamer is also useful for crumpled ties, wrinkles that won't come out, etc.
I've often moved cuff buttons on off-the-rack shirts so they stay up on my wrists.
That's about all I...
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