Over time, I have become a lover of vintage and second-hand clothing. Not an expert, a modest lover, but let's say that I go there three to four times a month just to rummage around a little and that I regularly monitor the arrivals on Le Vestiaire du Renard , Brut Clothing and Broadway & Sons .
What made me go to a thrift store for the first time was probably when I was a student, during a month of scarcity when I still wanted to buy some cheap clothes.
And without wanting to be lyrical, I found more than that. Oh yes, I found so much more... Oh boy, that was lyrical!
In short. I found stories there. I like to see stories at the cinema, read them, tell them, hear them and especially imagine them. And clothes can also be storytellers. When you enter a thrift store, you have to listen carefully, pay attention to the buzzing of the racks and the piles.
This is what I prefer, I think.
That, and of course digging deep into a huge pile of second-hand clothes, with my hands like a shovel, and pulling out the one that suited me, the one that had escaped the others and the only one that was really worth it.
That’s why I chose to talk about them in this format of the Editorial Nuggets. Because they are real finds for me. And I know that there are still many nuggets waiting to be found.
Do you see what state the thrift store is in? Out of five items of clothing, four are from a thrift store.
The legendary Levi's 501
The men's wardrobe is full of legends and those who love style often let themselves be seized by a little nostalgia. The Levi's 501 is one of these legends. And I, who love the aesthetics of the 50s and movies with denim thugs like those that show Marlon Brando or James Dean, could not not have one.
And besides, the cut suits me. All the more reason.
I had already found a pair of 501s last summer in a thrift store on the Left Bank in Paris, but the poor thing cracked in the crotch just before winter. 30 euros and four months of good and loyal service. It holds up. Knowing that I wore it as much as I could. And more.
This time, I went to Le Vif, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. Why this store? Because it specializes in American sportswear and is set up by Gauthier Borsarello, whom we appreciate at BonneGueule for his erudition when it comes to vintage.
In addition to a warm, cool welcome, at Le Vif, I found my 501 and a Pendleton overshirt in military green wool with a houndstooth pattern and a bit of yellow in the pattern. Superb but a bit short for me. Let's move on.
The price of these jeans: 95 euros. It's expensive. But these are made in the USA with the mention WPL-423 which confirms its origin. If I believe what I read on the internet, this mention gives no indication of the production date. And that's a shame.
I looked at the crotch. It looks solid. Ok, I'll try the made in USA.
The cut is appreciated at first glance. For me who has slightly developed thighs, it is perfect. Oh yes, by the way, that makes me think that you shouldn't trust the label so much, the size indicated on it I mean . This one is indicated W34, but its measurement by Le Vif gives more of a W32. I am reassured.
Also, the waist is higher than most jeans currently on the market, which suits my shorter legs. There is a pretty good article that talks about how to position your pants on your waist depending on your body type . If you want to learn more about this, this might be helpful.
The hand of the fabric is soft, it feels good to wear. And feels sturdy when I button it.
Oh yes, another thing. You have to think about washing such jeans regularly . Without exaggerating of course, letting them soak from time to time is enough. Because giving water to the canvas is a good idea, because it is old and without water it becomes very dry and a dry canvas breaks.
Regarding the fading, it is not too marked. That is what I wanted. However, we can distinguish the light whiskers that run along the canvas at the level of the pelvis. And then the whiter knees, and above all, what I like the most and which must have a name that I do not know: on the hem that I turned the waves of wear on the edge . I like that.
This summer I'll wear it with a white t-shirt and loafers or Vans like here. It'll be my main outfit. Let those who wear jackets in summer give me their secret.
A Henry Cotton's field jacket
The color is correct in this photo.
I didn't find it with my eyes but with my hand.
What I like to do in thrift stores is to let myself be guided by the feeling that the fabric gives me when my hand falls on it. In thrift stores you find a lot of fabrics that contain polyester and these fabrics are rougher, less supple, less pleasant.
So, my hand stopped on this cotton fabric. It was simply softer than the others. I extracted it from its overloaded rack, to discover a pretty jacket, in an attractive color and military inspiration. This is the second level of reading. At that moment, I am convinced that it is wearable without difficulty. It still has to be my size. The sinews of war. Immense frustrations in the darkness of thrift stores.
It's medium. I'm jubilant. I put it on. A little tight when I close it but, as it's for the warmer seasons, to wear with a shirt or a t-shirt, it'll be fine. At 70 euros, it suits me.
I don't stop there, I study it more closely.
A closer look. The color is a little burnt by the light. But we can at least admire this beautiful breast pocket a little crooked.
It is inspired by the M-43 and the M-51 , with its cuffs and collar like those of a shirt.
To make it less military, the brand chose to skip the drawstring at the waist, the epaulettes and to remove a pocket. This last choice gives the jacket charm, I find, by unbalancing the too precise symmetry and destabilizing the eye a little.
I was already sure I would take it when a small detail caught my attention.
"Ah, but there are stains inside... but no, they're writings."
I see two Chinese signs and my mind goes into overdrive. Is this an indication of a treasure hidden somewhere in the world? A love note written on a jacket given to a loved one? The mark of the Chinese mafia, like a death threat to the wearer of this jacket who would no longer be of this world?
After lengthy documented investigations, with the help of my Mandarin-speaking sidekick David, and not without a certain emotion, I am able to reveal to you that... we have not found out what this meant.
Disappointment.
But still, it makes the piece truly unique in my eyes and, even if it's probably just the name of its previous owner, I'm going to the checkout and perpetuating the legend (however small) of this piece that I'm making my own.
A Medici silk scarf
No retouching, eh, the colors are more like these.
Already, with the bandanas there is something to have fun with. You have to see Squarzi as he wears them, and before him Charles Branson and John Wayne in Westerns. Here too, it is a piece with a story that I would like to tell you one day in an article.
But for a few months now, I've been wearing silk scarves with even more enthusiasm. And, even if I would love to buy some from Drake's , Turnbull & Asser or even Hermès and so on, this one comes from Kiliwatch in Paris, cost me 15 euros, is 100% silk and was made in Italy.
Unbeatable.
In fact, I have three in total now. This one is the latest in the collection and, even if it is quite daring in style, it can easily be worn with a navy blue crew neck sweater (this one is from Paris Yorker). It is becoming a stylistic signature. Just as a jacket looks naked without a pocket square, a neck is sometimes naked without a scarf or collar.
It’s difficult though because it’s really precious, very feminine and it stands out in the clothing landscape that surrounds us.
The colors are beautiful. The fuchsia especially. And this imprecise drawing, rich and vibrant.
Here too, you should be careful not to choose those that contain plastic materials because, right next to the skin, it is not pleasant and it makes you hot. Silk, on the other hand, is cool in summer and warm in winter, it seems.
Bargain hunting can only be done alone or accompanied by someone who understands the fire that drives those who search.
For some people, buying clothes that aren't new is unthinkable. It would feel like slipping into someone else's dirty sheets.
I can understand.
I don't like sleeping in a dirty bed any more than they do. Nor do I like brushing my teeth with someone else's toothbrush. However, and they know this very well, the detergent power of our household products does a good job of removing dirt and foreign bodies. I don't see the problem.
It is something else that repels them, or at least prevents them. But this is not really the time to get involved in hazardous theories.
I personally think that vintage is a great opportunity to find affordable and good quality pieces. That, on the other hand, it allows us to give a second life to forgotten clothes and thus avoid overproduction . And, finally, to tell and tell ourselves the story with a small "h" of these particular pieces and, with it, that of the great moments of our History, with a capital "h" this time.
