The Pleasures of Thrifting for Menswear. . .

Heinz-Ulrich the Mannequin. This exaggerated, Frankenstein's monster-like pose shows how things fit after some minor alterations to the jacket and pants. Looks like a bit of waist suppression would help the jacket fit better. Sigh. Back to the tailor's!

Rooting through places like Goodwill and thrift shops, while a largely thankless task that doesn't yield much for roughly 90% of the time, can occasionally turn up some gems. For instance, the clown in the photo above is wearing:

1) A summer weight, double-breasted sports jacket in wool by Alan Flusser, thrifted for US$7.99

2) Summer weight Giorgio Armani wool-silk pants made in Italy, thrifted for US$2.99.

3) A cotton Madras tie by Rooster, thrifted for US$5.99.

4) Land's End cotton dress shirt, purchased on sale several years ago.

5) Tasseled loafers by Cole Haan, purchased on sale in the summer of 2010.

6) Matching black leather belt, purchased on sale at Macy's in 2010.

So, there you have it. Three thrifted items combined with three new retail items, purchased at a discount. Despite the need for some waist suppression on the jacket, I felt pretty good in today's ensemble. Normally, I wouldn't purchase a black sports jacket -- my wife thinks it is actually midnight blue -- but it has a very subtle mustard yellow windowpane pattern that I really liked when I found the jacket last fall. And, hey, it's a Flusser, something we don't find too often here in my extremely style-challenged corner of the American Midwest.

Here's a slightly more relaxed pose, less obviously gothic and more Shakespearean this time, in which I deliver yet another soliloquy to the throngs of adoring fans, who have convened on my patio simply to hear me hold forth about old movies.

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