First up we have a pair of nearly-new bucks from GH Bass. The doozie here is that as new as they look they are, in fact, old school USA-made bucks. These are a great find because they actually happened to be on my "to thrift" list -- just like the Bean Boots I found last time I walked into this same store. These fine shoes came home with me today for $4.99.
Next up is a very interesting vintage piece from Woolrich Woolen Mills. I suspect it's a shooting jacket of some sort. The bellows pockets on the chest definitely seem made for holding shotgun shells. There are some loops on each side that are too high up to be belt loops so I figure they have something to do with holding a gun. Maybe?
It is made of heavy, heavy wool with a plush body lining and quilted sleeve lining. It's insanely warm. It wasn't very cold here today, about 45F, and it was almost too warm to wear. I wish I could figure out how old it is. I thought about trying to hide it and picking it up during the upcoming half off sale, but for $4.99 I couldn't pass up taking it home today.
After I found those first two items I almost called it quits, but I decided to check out the sweaters, hoping to find a cable-knit Aran sweater or an LLB Norwegian. Instead, I found the ultimate old man sweater -- a made-in-Scotland lambswool cardigan from LL Bean. It had a small stain on it that my lovely wife seemed certain she could get out. Heck, at $1.99 it was worth the gamble. When we got home tonight I went to work on the stain. Sure enough, the stain came out and I have a new sweater to wear tomorrow.
Here's the find that really caught me off guard. For the minuscule price of $6.99, I brought home a vintage charcoal single-breasted overcoat from Brooks Brothers. I have no idea how old this thing is, but what I can tell you is that it's heavy. So heavy, in fact, that when you have it on, you can feel it kind of weighing your shoulders down. You can't tell in the photo, but it's a long overcoat, something to wear over a suit or jacket & tie for church on Sunday. I look forward to wearing it as we charge full steam ahead into the end of January and beginning of February -- the worst part of the year for snow and slush and nastiness here in central Ohio.
Whoever owned this coat wore the hell out of it. The lining is a bit of a mess. It has a few rips, which my dear mother can repair, but there are some places where the lining is worn through. It doesn't strike me as mistreated -- it strikes me as if somebody owned this coat, and wore it all winter, every winter, for 20 or 30 years. The fantastic part, though, is that despite the signs of age in the lining, the wool exterior is absolutely flawless. The fabric is a herringbone wool that almost feels like a tweed so it has worn like iron. I suppose that's why Brooks can get away with charging $1,000 and up for garments like this. Quality. Thirty years from now the coat will probably still look as good when I pass it on to one of my dear sons.
Okay, it's time for bed. Tomorrow is my dear son's 3rd birthday party and we have to get up early and frost his homemade vegan chocolate "dirt cake." Buenas noches!
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