Clothing That Is Best Bought Used

Old clothing is effortlessly cool, you should own more of it.

“They don’t make em like they used to.”

That’s usually a comment about automobiles, but it can be used to romanticize just about anything. There was a certain care and method to craftsmanship in bygone eras that we appear to have lost over the passing of years and months. Clothing is no different. Of course there’s clothing that is made with the utmost respect. Brands like Dickies and Carhartt are popular because they make rock hard clothes at an affordable price point for the customers. Other brands that make inexpensive, trendier items, tend to make their clothes at factories overseas with cheap materials for pennies on the dollar.

For people trying to get away from this, the second-hand clothing market is absolutely booming. You can find great clothes in eBay, Grailed, and Depop for not a lot of money. Some clothes may even be better purchased used. I love a good, broken-in item that doesn’t need to go through a stiff, non-broken-in phase with me. It’s like skipping the courting phase and moving straight into the honeymoon stage. I’ve conjured up a list of items that I think are best when purchased used:

Denim (mainly Levi’s)

Everyone loves Levi’s. Everyone and their mother owned a pair of  501’s at one point in their life. Why wouldn’t you? It’s the jean that started it all. The pair of pants that launched a revolution. It got us out of having to wear uncomfortable slacks and trousers and into a more comfortable, casual uniform. Finding an amazing pair of Levi’s is like a status symbol. They fit better, they feel great. Find a red tab? They were made before 1982. Large letter E on the butt tab? Made before  1971. You should probably size up because the clothing was made to fit smaller people back then and the jeans have most likely shrunk a couple of inches since they were made.

Barbour Jackets

I purchased my first Barbour waxed jacket last year and I love it. I hope it is with me for a very long time, but I do have to say that it felt a little stiff when I first bought it. That’s no knock on the brand, Barbour makes some of the highest quality clothes out there.

If you don’t have $400 to shell out on a waxed jacket or want something that feels a little more relaxed, then go vintage. There are a million jackets for sale On the vintage market. Do some research because there are different cuts of the jacket. I own a slim cut, which isn’t great for layering but looks better on my body.

T-Shirts

You can find the coolest, most niche, in-the-cut, t-shirts in the second-hand market. You can find movie and TV promotional merchandise, sports apparel, tourism merchandise, old designer tees, the list goes on and on. I’m a big fan of a San Francisco Giants 2010 World Series t-shirt that I found at Goodwill a few years ago. It’s thick as hell and looks great.

Vintage t-shirts are a great way to separate yourself from the rest of the pack sartorially because the chances of you running into someone else with the same exact t-shirt is slim. Throw it together with your vintage jeans and some Chucks and you have yourself a look!

Watches

Be wary of fakes on the secondary market. There are a million little vintage watch shops on the internet where authorized watch dealers do the due diligence of authenticating older timepieces. When it comes to vintage watches, particularly luxury watches from high-end brands, you should do a ton of homework first.

There’s nothing sexier than a vintage Rolex Datejust 1601 or a vintage Omega Speedmaster. You can probably afford a vintage Tissot, Tudor, or Seiko. Those are pretty accessible on the secondary market and they’ll be filled with soul. If your budget is a bit higher, then vintage APs and Pateks are very popular. I do think, however; the holy grail of vintages watch collecting is a Cartier Tank. They have history, timeless aesthetics and brand prestige. I’m looking for one to buy before my buddy’s wedding where I’ll be performing best man duties. I’m salivating over how I’ll look in a tuxedo with a Cartier Tank peaking out beneath my shirt cuff.

Polo Ralph Lauren

MADE IN THE USA. The most American fashion brand of all time was once made in America. Go figure!  People love anything vintage from Ralph Lauren. Polo Shirts. Chinos. Jeans. Sweaters. The list goes on and on. Vintage Ralph Lauren feels special because it takes you back to a time before social media, before the internet. It takes you all the way back to the days that our parents always talk about, looking back fondly on their youth.

Vintage Polo is a time machine, and I’m going back on eBay after writing this piece to get my little taste of the past.

Peace and love