Chronicles of Thrifting Man: Father's Day Edition

Do men thrift?

Some do, and an abundance of quality, thrifted menswear awaits. 

Before he made his stellar thrifted menswear discovery, Jason and I had the best pizza we’ve had in years, in Paris of all places. Next door to the pizza place, we found a zine-focused bookstore we had on our list of shops to visit but had not gotten around to looking for. And there it was! 

Seizing the good karma, we set out to hit as many resale shops as we could. I knew I would find something amazing. It was that kind of day.  

But I didn’t find the great find. 

It was Jason—husband, dad, thrifter—who found a blazer of thick corduroy in a golden sand color. The brand is Fursac. Beautifully made, the fit was perfect. No stains, no loose threads, no missing buttons. A real gem. 

RIP Brooks Brothers

Jason has been thrifting menswear since college. When we met in our 20s, he wore a pair of long, plaid shorts, unearthed in a thrift store, every day. He wore a weird ring with a silver band and a giant black stone that he came across in some flea market. I envisioned him finding his threadbare t-shirts stuffed between couch cushions in various shared apartments. His thrifted shoes had holes that his pinky toes poked through. 

When my birthday rolled around a few months after we started dating, Jason bought me a cotton, ribbed Gap cardigan in army green from a higher-end consignment store. I still wear the cardigan, 30 years later. It’s perfect for rainy days. When we went to Europe in 1999, we ducked into a thrift store in Munich. He bought me a boiled wool cropped jacket, also army green and also still in circulation. 

Over the years, Jason drifted from secondhand shopping. He assembled his corporate wardrobe at various mall stores and built me a wonderful work wardrobe from Ann Taylor. He bought clothes for both of us at Brooks Brothers. We loved that smart, tailored brand back in the 2000s. 

Once a family-owned company that understood the workplace wardrobe needs of office workers like Jason and me, Brooks Brothers declared bankruptcy in 2020 and is now owned by mega retail holding company Catalyst Brands, which also owns brands such as Eddie Bauer and Lucky. Catalyst Brands has many investors including Simon Property Group, owner of malls nationwide, and Shein, the undisputed king of cheap clothes. 

New clothing from the mall loses by a wide margin compared to mall clothing from 10 years ago. Brooks Brothers and Ann Taylor, now owned by private equity, are such low quality, I wouldn’t bother. 

Today, we are chasing thrift not just to save money, but to unearth clothing made before 2010 or at least 2015. But still it’s the thrill of finding something high value that keeps Jason thrifting menswear. He is still in disbelief that he found the exact jacket he was about to buy new online at the Savers right down the street from our house: A Barbour Bedale Waxed Jacket in mint condition. Retail price: $415. 

The British brand seems to have maintained its quality, especially for its wind-resistant jackets, though some longtime customers say the brand is not what it once was. Still, I can tell from the sturdy zipper that this jacket is built right. With its plaid liner, interior pocket and corduroy collar, it has style for miles and should last for years. 

Cool dads thrift 

Our daughter, Basil, is 19 and also thrifts most of her clothes. Thrifting is one of the few things we all enjoy. Basil and her dad love the big Goodwill in the suburbs, where the quality of the donations make the drive worthwhile. Basil hunts for maxi skirts while Jason looks for button-downs. 

For gifts for me and Basil, Jason prefers a higher-end vintage store near our house. He got me a plaid Pendleton blazer he knew I would love. He confessed recently that he hates this blazer and hopes I donate it to Second Serve Resale. Bwahahaha, I am not planning on it. At the same resale store, he sourced a vintage Liz Claiborne red faux alligator purse for Basil. On Etsy years ago he found Basil an orange bohemian blouse. She recently wore the blouse and carried the purse for her first day at her first job at a gift shop. 

Basil loves having a dad who is, among many other things, a determined thrifter. 

Before our vacation to Paris and London, Jason thrifted a deep green Ralph Lauren pullover, just right for chilly weather. Days before we left, we hit Rag-o-Rama, a resale shop in Atlanta, feeling like we needed to style up a bit for global cities known for effortless style. 

Our last dinner of our vacation was at Rita’s, an intimate, chalkboard-menu restaurant in the Soho neighborhood of London. The vibe was wear-whatever, but the candlelit atmosphere felt too lived in for fast fashion. Jason sat across from me as we inhaled the restaurant’s signature cornbread. Wearing his new-to-him corduroy jacket, my husband never looked so handsome. 

How to thrift men’s resale  

Men who thrift have plenty of inventory to dive into. The big thrift stores are packed with clothing suitable for special events, the office, date night, and everyday wear. You can find quality shoes and specialty gear for sports. As with all types of clothing and housewares, we’re swimming in over-consumption. 

Here’s how to find the best stuff: 

1. Start with a closet audit to determine what you need. You don’t win thrifting by bringing home clothes that duplicate what you already have. 

2. While you’re at it, get rid of clothing you no longer wear because it doesn’t fit or just doesn’t appeal to you anymore. Bag up clothes that can have a second life for donation. Recycle or toss clothes that are too tired, dated, or stained for resale. 

3. Start with a large thrift store likely to have a lot of inventory. You are most likely to succeed right out of the gate and want to keep going. 

4. Go through the racks, looking at everything in your size. This is the essence of thrifting, the basic skill all must acquire, the ability to just go through everything on the rack piece by piece. This is the only way to consistently find quality pieces. This is where you develop an eye. There is no shortcut. Get into a rhythm and learn to love the sound of the hangars scraping across the rack. 

5. Be especially picky about t-shirts. There are so many in circulation. So many. It’s easy to pile up your cart with t-shirts you think are fun. But think about how many you really need, will wear and can store.

6. Cherish the quality white button-down. It is hard to find a white button-down with no stains or yellowing, especially around the collar. Stain removal is a skill worth learning, but if you are just starting out, try to find clothes without stains and discoloration. 

7. Don’t fall for designer labels. Most designers have cheaper lines sold at stores like TJ Maxx and factory outlets. Brands have multiple labels even for their higher-end apparel. For example, if you find a Michael Kors blazer, it is probably from one of his many mass-produced department store lines. The brand’s quality has plummeted along with most mall brands. The Gems app can help you discern the quality of the item based on the label. 

8. What’s it made of? Fabric content speaks volumes about clothing quality. Natural fibers, including cotton, linen, and wool indicate good quality, even as blends. The less polyester or other petroleum-based products the better. Feel the fabric and see if it feels thick and long-lasting or thin and slippery, like it’s made of plastic. 

9. Look for other indicators of quality. Multiple buttons on the sleeve, an extra button in case you lose one, quality seams with no loose threads, and a durable zipper are all indicators of a well-made garment. A dry-cleaning ticket on the garment lets you know the original owner took good care of it. 

10. Avoid wrinkle-free or stain-resistant labels, unless the label states PFAS-free. Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals, are associated with cancer and other health problems. Learn to love ironing as a meditative practice. 

11.  Look for versatile, wearable pieces. When you first encounter thrift prices, thrifting feels like a bargain, and you feel like you should buy, buy, buy. But a leaner closet will make your busy mind happy. Focus on a smaller number of pieces you love.

12. Edit your cart before you get to the register. Only buy the best items you find. Check carefully for stains, tears, and other imperfections. Put back anything that is too small. It’s demoralizing to have clothes hanging in your closet that don’t fit, even if you plan to lose weight. Think carefully about clothes that are too big. It is easy to shorten a pair of pants, but to cut a jacket down to a smaller size is probably not worth it. 

13. Find your own style. Men’s clothing has a wide variety of cuts and styles for different body types and lifestyles. Thrifting is a great way to try different styles to see what makes you feel your best. 

*****

Menswear is not just for men. Many stylish women love thrifted menswear. We wear the button-downs, sweaters, vests, and other pieces as is, have them tailored, or upcycle for a new look. The competition for the best thrifted menswear can be fierce, but there is enough lightly loved men’s clothing out there for everyone.