The big Savers Sale

[adapt]

haha, i actually didn't get it from a thrift, sad to say. i got it from buffalo exchange with store credit i got from reselling thrifted items. i accumulated the store credit before i joined the ensemble of the vtg shop i co-own, sad to say. well, not THAT sad to say, because if i hadn't sold the items in question i wouldn't be flossing that rad jacket.

[foutchie]

Ah, yes, I remember the 70s well!     Gunne Sak was my favorite line of dresses, but I yearned for a Betsey Johnson!

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Ahhh, I did the Buffalo Exchange thing back in the day! There isn't one here or I'd be there 24/7 It's a smart thing you do...sell and buy and then resell. Now that is thrifty!

adapt, do you like the "Palm Beach" look for guys?

Foutchie, Gunne Sak was all the rage when I was in HS. And then I remember it turning up all over the place in thrifts in the 80s, and now it sells for $$ on ebay.

Betsy Johnson was the rage, wasn't she? I never could afford anything by her, but I admired her funky style.  She's still around and has stores in mall, I understand.

[SecondhandSophisticate]

PS:  Just wanted to share with y'all:  This book is THE 70s fashion bible:

http://cgi.ebay.com/CHEAP-CHIC-book-by-Caterine-Milinaire-FIRST-EDITION_W0QQitemZ180180526103QQihZ008QQcategoryZ378QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

There is a chapter on men's clothes, too.

Ciao,Bellas!
SeSo

[dukek9]

First, I'd agree with SeSo that living in a place with change of seasons does give more options and better finds for thrifting.  When you have to have clothes for many different temperatures and conditions, it means a lot of clothes are needed.  So I think people tend to weed out clothes which end up at the thrifts.

This brings me to the problem some of you are having finding sweaters.  I've found that the best times to find great sweaters at the thrifts are right after Christmas when some people ditch old ones for new ones they got, and in the spring or early summer when people are cleaning out closets.

Also, whenver it is really hot, whatever sweaters are in the store will be ignored by most of the shoppers who are interested in anything other than a warm sweater.  So you can have great selection at those times.

As far as quality clothing, I agree with Jay's post and heartily agree with Big Daddy Audio's additions to the quality list.  I love Eddie Bauer stuff. It's always comfortable, wears well and washes like a dream.  I also love LL Bean.  Interestingly, the LL Bean stuff I find is always almost new or seemingly new.  Now, LL Bean has a very liberal return policy so it's kind of a question to me why people don't jsut ship the stuff back to them and get what they want. Anyway, it makes me happy to get it.

One issue that I don't think has been brought up yet is the issue of sizing.  You may find you wear one size in one brand, and another size (or two!) in another brand.

A good idea is to look at your current wardrobe and note brands and sizes that are good for you.  And as you expand your wardrobe, keep track of the sizing and brands. This will help greatly when you go to a sale since you can be sure that certain things you pick out will fit you without having to try them on. (Just be sure to eyeball carefully to make sure not shrunk or something).

Finally, every body has different ideals about great clothing. Stick with what you love, but don't be afraid to try something new. And if you love something, even if it looks like it won't last too long, buy it. At thrift prices, you really don't have to wear anything too many times to get your money's worth out of it!

Dee

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Hey Dee--Nice post! Welcome to the board! SeSo (who's in a tearing hurry to get on the road to RENNIGER'S)