I have a philisophical problem buying new clothes that are made to look old, like 90% of jeans out there or a certain denim shirt released by Levis recently. Thrifting something that is worn, sure, great, but it is almost arrogant in my view that extra time and money was put into something to rip/shred notably reduce-the-life, of clothing (or anything really). Do we have so much stuff/money that it should be half worn out before we even get it? This argument is nothing new. On the front end though there is def' some skill involved in all that (there was a great older post by ALC at a denim distressing factory, in NC maybe?? Damn me if I can find it now though). Even forgetting the whole arrogant part, it is just the straight up waste of cash (could have used the $5 word profligate there, hah just did) that offends. Many Scots, Vermonters (and Mainers too no doubt) keep 2 boxes in their attic; one labelled "pieces of string", the other labelled "pieces of string too small to use"... old jokes home... At our high school in Scotland we had mandatory Combined Cadet Force (army-lite) training one day a week. While marching you inevitably start to watch the guy's boots in front to stay in step... the drill sergeant would yell; "get those eyes up boys, there is no money down there... I already LOoKEd." Classic. Anyway, remember when ebay was good... like a huge yard sale? Got this great denim shirt from a lady in Texas about 10 years ago; her husband had landed a job in DC and they were cleaning out the house in Crawford... true story. Collar is now about to explode... had to use a little tear mender (they should call it bachelor stitching). Elbows about to go through too, can't wait. Can you say ponyhide elbow patches... This era of Carhartt stuff for me was right-on. The waists were straighter, Detroit jackets were lined w/ blanket all the way down the arms and shirts were in better colors. The rectangular fabric label on pocket (rather than leather-y) is the give away. Somewhere around this time (1989) the tag would get sewn in the pocket seam, on 1 edge only, those are the best, the Centennial stuff I bang on about. Got one in red twill too, another $10. Reuse, reduce, etc.
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You hated on that same Levis shirt when I posted it, but you make a great point. This should would look bonkers with the elbow patches...if said treatments get put on you got to do a follow up.
Timely, J. My grandmother JUST told me the other day (after seeing me in a chambray shirt) that my grandfather got new jeans and a new chambray in the winter when it was cold. By summer (says she) they were both worn thin enough for summer farm work....true story....she didn't toss the shirt until she "turned the collar once". I asked (with baited breath) if she still had any of his chambrays with the collar turned...to which she replys...."honey those went in the trash years ago." gasp.
that is clutch joe. new tradition i think. what does turn the collar mean?? detachable??
...though I've never seen it done, she said she'd cut the collar out and flip it over...so that the inside effectively becomes the outside and vice versa...gives it new life, without all the fraying (which would then be under the collar). I guess what we would wear as a badge of honor, they looked at with a more functional/critical eye, looking to prolong the life of a "costly" shirt....guy probably had 2. One for working, one for dinner/church.
looking for some pics now....I have to know what it actually looks like.
you know the saying that the 'landed gentry' always seemed to have clothes that never looked new and must have been handed down from generation to generation ! must have been new once but not the done thing to appear on the hills / out shooting etc in new stuff - see the barbour " distressing tips" but guess the upper classes just inherited from one generation to another---- ps think Granny Fox knew how to turn a collar !
Gold-dust.....
So a few years ago my grandfather died and we went to work cleaning up the years of junk he'd collected in the garage. He actually had a can labeled "pieces of string" next to a can labeled "pieces of string too small to use" and the ridiculous part is there actually were tiny pieces of string in there. Thought you'd enjoy that.
@brendan so we have now found the source of this urban legend... great stuff.
thank you http://www.thecarharttstore.co.uk/.
Joe/James-
Last trip home my grandmother loaded me up with some of my late grandpa's old farm/work gear. Among them, a fleece Carhartt duck vest (no surprise) Red Ball rubber boots, and two blown out chambray work shirts. He killed the collars first but each shirt also has one button missing (next to last on both shirts.) Disappointingly, one is a Chinese Dickies but the other is an older Wrangler. He also wore long sleeves year round (rolled them up past his elbows in the summer.)
-Tom
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