Something for now and something for later.

If your wardrobe is comprised largely of clothes that were bought at thrift or discount prices, you know that one of the best rules is to get while the getting is good. Finding something that fits well that isn't in season is no reason to not buy it if you're paying only a small pittance of what you'd normally pay, and by doing so you're often rewarded with some of your best finds during the time of the year when you can't even wear what you just purchased.

While ties are certainly a bit more season-agnostic than a lot of other articles of clothing, like other accessories such as shoes and belts, there's certainly a time and place for everything that works just a bit better. My personal luck has been quite good lately in both regards, as I've found some stunning ties that will add to my winter wardrobe, as well as several that I can pack away and surprise myself with again in six months.

First up is a batch of really varied, and lovely ties that should work well all through the cold months. The far left tie is a cashmere paisley piece by Etro (who are usually a bit garish for my taste), while the middle is a vintage Robert Talbott wool plaid. The far right is a first for me, a really old Bert Pulitzer limited collection made from imported ancient madder. It's really beautiful and I finally see the appeal of ancient madder ties.

Possibly topping the cold-weather haul is another varied batch of ties for the summer months. On the left is a mega-vintage PRL seersucker tie, while the 2nd and 3rd are both older Lands' End (I'm still not decided on the flower print, but for some reason I find it engaging for now). The beige/pink/navy stripe tie is another vintage number, and despite looking and feeling like cotton, it's actually a paper-thin wool piece. Very odd, but will probably work best in the spring. On the right is yet another shiny bubblegum number in pink and baby blue from Lands' End.

Now, if I could just thrift a couple more summer-weight sport coats that fit my ape arms, I would really be in business.

Patience is a virtue

When I first started thrifting seriously for clothes, I bought everything of even middling quality that came close to fitting me. It was only upon finding that I had far too many useless, ill-fitting clothes cluttering up my closet that I had to change my mindset to one of biding my time until the right items came along.

Although I haven't been finding the wealth of ties that I used to when I went out more often, I've still run across a couple treasures lately. One is this heavy silk Turnbull and Asser in white with navy stripes and check. It has a couple tiny little pulls, but they're only noticeable on super close inspection.

While I haven't been hitting the physical stores as much as in the past, I've managed to pick up a few great finds here and there on ebay. One example is this pair of made in Italy J Crew wingtip boots. J Crew isn't always known for their quality, and these boots looked ridiculously beat in the auction photos, but a couple points stuck out to me while looking at the auction.

The first is that the heel is actually stacked wood, and the boots are entirely made of leather (except the heel). There are a few J Crew lines that have been licensed by seriously quality makers (in fact, they have done some with Alden), and these appear to be top shelf. One of the things I'd wanted over the past year was a pair of boots just like this, and instead of forking over $300 or more for Allen Edmonds or something of similar quality, I managed to make these mine for under $50 including shipping. After a quality polish, they've done quite nicely, and I'm guessing that if I take care of them, they'll last me a decade or so.

I'll admit it's fund to splurge and strut your stuff with something new once in awhile, but I somehow manage to get that same feeling when I find a screaming deal.

Gone carving

Our long, brutal summer has finally given way to some cooler temperatures, and while we're still running at near dust-bowl levels in terms of moisture for the year, the bearable nights and reasonable days have me at least thinking about my favorite season in terms of clothing.

It's closer to pumpkin carving season than it is powder carving (heck, we haven't even gotten frost here yet), but if nothing else these ties helped me mark the changing of the seasons.

I haven't skied in years, but I have a flaw in my character that I simply can't pass up novelty ties like this when they come my way. They're all great colors, with excellent movement, and while the fellow on the right might be a hiker and the odd man out, I couldn't just leave him hanging there.

More content coming this month, including a return of Style Share and more. Stay tuned.

Slow motion tie haul

Although I haven't had a big tie bonanza in some time, there was a period of about a month where I found one decent tie every time I ventured into a thrift store. They were often the only good things I found on my adventures (other than some great toddler outfits), but a couple of them filled holes and some others will probably find themselves returned to the wild at some point.

First up is this stack of really varied pieces, from several different makers.

I don't have too many green ties, so the Lands' End on the left definitely fills a void, and while I knew nothing of Pineda Covalin, the Mexican bird motif charmed me (in an Hermes, Ferragamo-esqe way). The construction on it is quality and I can't quite decide whether I should keep it or not. The Polo piece is one that I'm still torn on as well, as I fluctuate between thinking it's bold and something I need to keep while at other times thinking I need to burn it with fire. The far right Lands' End is also a keeper. Lovely summer colors.

Stack of madras and plaid, again from different makers.

After not finding any madras for ages, I ran across three all in just over a weeks time, including the two, old Talbott pieces in the middle. Of these three pieces, my favorite may very well be the really unique "Country Traditionals" plaid cotton tie by Pendleton. It's not madras, but the greens, blues, and reds are really lovely and it's casual in all the right ways.

I've promised myself I will get rid of at least one tie from my collection with every one that I bring in, so this slower uptake makes for easier decisions than finding two handfuls in one swoop.

Unseasonable weather, unseasonable finds

I'm not sure what it's like in your part of the country, but it is downright weird in my neck of the woods. The temperatures have been hovering about 35 degrees above normal on a consistent basis for most of the winter, and we recently hit 70. Part of me is wondering if the average temperature this summer is going to be something like 115, and the other part of me thinks that it won't be too long before we're socked with more than a foot of snow.

And really, both could happen. That's just how strange things have been. Nightly jogs clad in track pants and t-shirts and early January work days in light sport coats and pants. Heck, today I had to remove a thin v-neck sweater from my layering simply because it became too hot. I've been tempted to break out some seersucker or madras just to be a smart-ass, but I figure that would be tempting fate just a bit too much.

I guess it should figure that I'd run across this selection of ties during this warm blast. I have a couple go-to madras ties in my collection, but I can always use a couple more (especially one that's so based around the color pink) and the selection of light stripe ties completely fills an empty hole. The tie second-from-right is particularly unique, as it mixes stripes of smooth, refined silk with thin bands of raw blue silk, creating something that on first glance looks a bit like an error, but on second creates a subtle touch of texture (and in fact, I'll probably have to feature it in a future installment of Tags and Textures).

Here's hoping you're not stuck in a snowdrift. Meanwhile, I'm trying to soak up enough vitamin D for two people while this lasts.

I'm mad, you're mad, we're all mad for madras

With unseasonably warm temps hanging around these parts lately, I've made it a point to wear madras on just about every occasion that I can. Soon enough, it will be time to relegate them to the lesser-worn area and break out the tweeds, but for now it's been a steady diet of soft-faded plaids in beautiful colors.


This particular tie is yet another from my recent tie bonanza haul and interestingly enough it still has the original paper price tag still attached to the inside of the tail.

It's a bit on the skinny side (probably 2.25 - 2.5 inches wide) and has an original department store (from a local, now-closed high-end place) price of $10.00, so I'm guessing it hails from the sixties or so.

Seeing the price on the tag actually made me chuckle a bit, as I haven't paid that much for a tie since I bought a new one in college in a specific color that I absolutely thought I needed at the time. Since then, it's been all thrift-store and garage-sale finds, and despite paying between $1-4 dollars for every single tie since that time, I've amassed what I would say is a rather solid collection.

Sure, I lust after new Drakes ties and would even like to grab a nice seven-fold someday, but in the past two months especially I've been reminded that ultimately ties are just skinny pieces of fabric that you tie around your neck. In that time, I've lost one for good when a cup of coffee spilled the wrong way and have had just about every tie I've worn in that time grabbed at (and sometimes pulled) by a four-month old. Ties are meant for wearing, and if I happen to lose a couple every once in awhile, then I certainly won't cry too long knowing I dropped less than an Abraham Lincoln on one.

I probably wouldn't have quite the same reaction if a coffee had tanked all over a juicy Kiton.

Tie bonanza: The continuing saga

I've made several previous posts about finding loads of great ties in a single score, and after a long drought of nearly a year, I recently stumbled upon another amazing batch of cravats. I haven't been out thrifting as much as usual lately, so the find (which was actually hidden below a pile of unsavory polyester numbers) was even more exciting. Oh, and they were just $2 apiece, for those keeping score at home.


This first pile is my favorite of the pile of Brooks Brothers ties that I snagged. I've been looking for the whale motif for awhile, and while it needs a bit of a steam, I was happy to find it. The vintage BB tie with Santa Claus was a bonus, and the two repp stripe pieces will become staples.


These are my favorites from the rest of the stash, and represent some of the better textures that are now housed in my tie collection in general. I couldn't go wrong with another Lochcarron tartan, and the Donegal tweed is such a thick, luscious tie that I about drooled on it when I found it (same with the vintage Viyella). The Weatherill was a brand I'd never heard of, but is of very nice quality. The final Brooks Brothers is just icing on the cake.

In several places above, I hinted at even more ties, and they will be featured in the next edition of Style Share, which I'll unveil on Sunday evening (yeah, it's several days away, but I need to get pictures done). There will be several ties to choose from, including Brooks Brothers, Polo Ralph Lauren, Sulka, and more. If that piques your interest, stop back and stake your claim.

Silk and steerhide

No, the title of this post doesn't refer to anything kinky, rather it's just a way of introducing some of my favorite finds from the past month or so. As I mentioned in a previous post, I haven't been getting out to thrift as much as usual, but I have gotten out once in awhile and run across a few things worth bringing home.


First up is a vintage silk knit tie in shiny gold. It's easily among my favorite tie finds this year, and yet I haven't found the occasion to wear it yet. I will have to remedy that soon.


I've never heard of this brand of tie before (DiMitri), but the raw silk in red, white, and cream was irresistible. It's been perfect for the warmer weather and has just a touch of texture to really set it off.


Vintage Robert Talbott in one of the more unique color combinations that I've run across in awhile. The khaki color is fairly straight-up, but the off hues of red and blue are a bit more understated and probably best suited for late summer and fall.


Best for last? Vintage, unworn hand-tooled full-grain steerhide Levi's belt in my size, complete with a chunky brass buckle. I've worn this on many a weekend with some dark denim and have even thrown it on with some khakis and a jacket during the week and feel like I'm hiding a secret. I know you're jealous.

Setting the table for spring

After a stint of unseasonably warm temperatures, mother nature decided to toy with us once again here and dropped down to unseasonably cold. So, here we are one week after the first day of spring and there's snow coming down again. If you see a newspaper headline that states, "Old Man Shakes Fist At Sky," it might be referring to me.

It's been awhile since I made a good post about tie finds, and fortunately the thrift gods have come through with some beauties that will become absolute go-to pieces when the temperature warms up again.


First up is this silk brocade Polo tie with a great maps / sailboat motif. Totally electric.


Next up is this plaid cotton flannel tie, also from Ralph. It feels like a beat-up pair of pajama pants, but looks like a firecracker. Swoon.


Easily the most eyeball-popping of my finds, this Lily Pulitzer gem very nearly glows with greens, pinks and reds. I'm thinking this one will get worn with my green Lacoste pants at some point.


Last, but certainly not least are these novelty-print Owl ties. I actually found these on ebay for incredibly cheap (especially considering their silk weight and construction). I try to stay away from too many ties like this, but if you've been following this blog for awhile you already know that we have a history with owls in our household, so I only thought it fitting.

Speaking of the owls, I saw them for the first time this year the other night. I'm trying to not be superstitious or anything, but I'm guessing that we'll soon be joined by a new member of our family.

If I suddenly stop updating the blog for awhile, the aforementioned will be the reason why. Fear not, though. I will return. :)

Mister Midwester and the case of the counterfeit cravats

A couple weeks ago, I was sifting through a stack of cravats at a local second-hand clothing store when my hand touched what seemed to be some very quality goods. The silk was thick and the weave was tight and if I had any doubts, the labels themselves calmed my pangs of mistrust. I purchased the four cravats, with names such as Boss (both of which still had their original store tags), Gucci and Versace, and went home, feeling rather full of myself.


As I sometimes do when stumbling upon such a treasure, I took a few photographs of the cravats and posted them to an online gathering place, to brag a bit with some fellow second-hand shoppers. The ties weren't exactly in my particular wheelhouse in terms of color and design, but I hoped that another fellow might fancy them and reward me kindly, thus paving my way for more second-hand adventures.

The first response was by a dear chap who stated, "Good sir, I do believe you have been hoodwinked." I simply could not believe it! Who would dare try to pull such a fast one upon me? Not only that, but in a locale known for such straightforward peoples and, dare I say, "authenticity?"

With such a seed planted in my head, I put on my sleuthing cap and went looking for clues. In only a few minutes, I had found my answer. The fine chap had not lied; I had indeed gotten the wool, or should I say, "silk," pulled over mine eyes.


The photographic accompaniment on the previously-mentioned guide is not so good, but the details matched my counterfeit cravats perfectly. Here, one can see the "dimples" of the stitching in the logo of the tie.


In addition to those finer points (including the much wider size), the blatantly obvious tag listing content of fibers should have been enough of a warning sign, but it was too late for me.

I had lost eight dollars, but gained valuable knowledge, and in the end had a good tale to tell. In the future, I must remember that when in doubt, I need only buy things that I would wear in the first place.

Cross section of maximum capacity

After weeks of telling myself that I was going to do it, I finally got around to installing a second tie rack today. For a couple months now, I'd been stacking tie after tie onto two bowing hangers, and I finally found the time to re-arrange them properly.

It forced me to weed through my collection and get rid of some things and take inventory in general. Just before I dove into my original rack to start weeding, the sun hit it just perfectly and I knew I had to get a picture.

This rack has 32 posts for holding ties, but obviously there are a few more than that base number here.

As mentioned above, this is my original tie rack, which houses all of my vintage ties from the 50s and 60s as well as a bunch of other random stuff. The left side of it is draped with hand-painted and madras with a few others (like embroidered animal and bird ties) that have slipped in for good measure.

By the time I finally finished arranging the other rack (which now houses the repp stripes, knits, linen, and woolens), the light was too poor to get anything of quality, but it's crammed nearly as tightly. I'm officially at the point where buying a new tie means getting rid of one that I already have. I must attain some equilibrium.

Or, a third tie rack.

Neck decoration and a confession

In addition to the sunglasses I wrote about in the previous post, my best finds lately have been a couple of accessories. It seems like I'm always finding interesting neckties, but it's rare that I come across something so interesting as the scarf that I ran across the other day.


Some time ago, I learned to always peruse the women's scarves while thrifting. Men's pocket-squares are often scattered in, and I found a an ascot awhile back as well.


My persistence was again rewarded the other day when I found this beautiful scarf hanging amongst the dregs and was instantly drawn to it. With a bold paisley print in 100% silk on one side and the other in 100% medium-weight black zephyr wool, it's about 10 times more flashy than the usual winter scarf, but I can't wait to drop it into rotation at some point and let the silk side flash.


Awhile back, I also ran across this lovely silk bow tie in navy with baby blue polka dots.

Now, I'm certainly lowering my style credit (not that I ever had any to begin with) several notches in admitting this, but I have to share that I've never worn a bow tie in my entire life. When I saw this tie, I saw it as a future challenge to myself, and bought it with the thought that owning such a nicely-constructed piece (in such easy-to-work-with colors) would certainly be the impetus to finally take the bow tie plunge.

This one will be continued at some point in the future.

Brooks bonanza

Although I've found some great ties over the course of the past couple months, I hadn't run across a lump sum of truly great ones until this past week. Over the past couple years especially, I've gotten better at scanning patterns and colors and visually separating the wheat from the chaff (so to speak), so when I saw some familiar stripes all hanging together recently, my heart skipped a little jump.


The three on the right were the ones that caught my attention (specifically the light-blue/navy/burgundy combo), and when I started flipping them over, my suspicion was confirmed.


I'm not completely sure of the era of these Brooks Brothers ties (I'm guessing 70s or early 80s?), but I'm pretty sure they all came from the same owner, as they were all found at the same store all huddled together amongst some polyester blends and a rather insanely-colored Jerry Garcia number.

I have two other Brooks Brothers ties with exactly the same label (bumping my total to six), and their construction and colors are pretty much impeccable. Finding four at one time definitely qualifies as a joyous occasion and means that a couple lesser-worn cravats in somewhat similar colors in my collection will now be exiting stage right to make room.

Ties is a four-letter word

In terms of grammar, the title of this post might not sound that great, but in my case it's sadly true. Although I find it hard to find pants, shirts, jackets, and shoes that fit me, ties are the great equalizer. It seems like I'm always finding designs and colors that I enjoy, and because they don't take up a lot of room in my wardrobe (and they're usually inexpensive), I never to fail in justifying a purchase to myself.

Oh, and speaking of four-letter words, how about Dior, Gant, and Polo?


First up is a vintage (80s or so?) Christian Dior tie in an a color combination that instantly makes it the most beautiful paisley in my entire collection. This one is going to get a lot of play.


Next up is this beautiful Gant number (100% cotton, made in U.S.A.) in navy, with a delightful pattern of small colorful flowers. Again, this can go with so much.


Another Gant tie (100% silk, again made in U.S.A.), this is going to replace a Land's End tie I have in a similar color-combo, just because I like it more.


Purple and yellow Polo repp in 100% silk. Not sure what I'll wear this with yet, but I'm not going to pass it up for $1.


Lastly (but certainly not least), another Polo tie, this one in 100% wool with more birds. Yeah, I can't get enough.

How many ties are too many? I guess I'll find out eventually.

Tags and Textures: Mint green silk tie

Last week I tried to do a little something new by starting up a series of macro shots showing off textures and colors of different items of clothing that I love.


This time out, I'm featuring a light, minty green 100% silk tie that is one of my absolute favorites to wear. Instead of smooth silk, this one is slubbed, giving it an absolutely killer texture that almost looks like paper maché in places.


Not to mention, it has lines of blue, dark brown, and white running through it, so it can play off everything from a blue and white university-striped oxford and dark brown belt and shoes to something like baby blue pants and a white belt.


Basically, it's everything you want in a tie for when the weather gets warmer.

Tags and Textures: Navy knit silk tie

I've been trying to incorporate more texture into shots for this blog lately, and after receiving some nice comments on my last post, I had an idea for a series of photos that highlight both the textures and tags of various clothing items that I love.


First up is this vintage navy blue (which tiptoes ever so slightly towards purple) knit silk tie. From a distance, it's somewhat inconspicuous, and in this shot one can get a vague sense that it has some texture and depth, but those small details are about all that's offered.

The tie has two tags, one from the (now defunct, according to web searches) men's store it came from, the other denoting its fiber content with a nice shield motif.


A close-up reveals an incredible amount of detail in the knit, with repeating patterns of dots and lines that really pop in the right light.

All silk navy ties are not created equal.

What's in a name?

I'll be the first to admit that in my early days, I would often buy thrift clothes based on labels alone. While I often ended up with nice pieces, there were other times that I purchased an item which was created during a rough patch of a particular manufacturer and I ended up with a piece of junk. Obviously, some labels are better than others; some have their ups and downs (lets be honest, the 80s were bad for a lot of people), while others are pretty much tried and true in terms of quality.

Over time, I've learned not only more about the names on the labels themselves, but the eras in which they were produced and the quality I can expect from such. Since I'm working on a limited budget and I'm not exactly the easiest size to shop for, I can't really be a label snob, but I have to admit getting a little giddy when I run across the big-names in a piece that I can wear.

Of course, the easiest piece of clothing (accessory or otherwise) to shop for is ties, and over the course of the past few months I've ran across some fairly big names.


First up is this Giorgio Armani tie. While I'm not a huge fan of the design, the tag leads me to believe that it's from the 70s, which would make it a very early Armani tie, and worth purchasing simply to have. While it's certainly no investment piece, it is cool to have (and I'm sure I will wear it with a gray suit at some point down the road).


Next up is this gorgeous plaid number from Balenciaga. Based on other patterns I've seen from this label, I would have never guessed I'd see something so understated and lovely from them. This is a tie that I've already worn and will proceed to bust out a great deal more.


To be frank, I'm not a huge fan of most Hermes prints on their ties or other accessories. By some dumb luck, though, I stumbled upon a couple of them earlier this year and re-sold them, in turn funding some more thrift store clothing purchases in the process. This particular tie was the most understated one that I found, and due to a couple small spots I decided to keep it. So now I own an Hermes tie. Whoopdie doo!


Like the Armani above, I mainly bought this Gucci tie due to it being a bit more vintage. That said, the texture on the tie is pretty incredible (you can see it a bit better in the detail shot of the label) and because of that it will likely stay in my collection.

My holy grail tie is still a six or seven-fold silk tie, but I'm not holding my breath for one.

It won't stop me from digging through swaths of polyester and acrylic in my valiant quest, though.

For the birds

I haven't hunted since my teenage years, but every fall around a certain time I'm reminded of those cold mornings I spent trudging through the edges of fallen corn fields while waiting for a bird or two to fly into the air. It's that season right now, and perhaps it's no coincidence that in the past two weeks I've seen an overabundance of ties with different bird motifs.

I ended up purchasing the following three, but could have easily tripled the number below if not for condition issues.




Obviously, this first tie doesn't depict a bird that one would hunt, but I found myself drawn to it anyway. I initially bought it thinking it was a Great Blue Heron (which is a magnificent bird), but a closer look at markings (or lack thereof) make me instead think that it's a Great Egret. Either way, it's a nice design.




Along with turkey and quail, pheasants are a bird that I did hunt back in the day. This particular tie is beautiful, with two different bird poses on an incredibly thick red silk.




The bird on this third tie has me stumped, but I couldn't pass it up. Old school woven tie from the UK (for Robert Talbott) that is again super thick and feels great.

I don't think there are any unwritten rules on not wearing ties with sporting birds on them if you're not a hunter, just as there are no real rules for not wearing a tie with lobsters on it if you live in a landlocked locale.

Or am I wrong on that?