Matzo Ball Billiards

Recently, I’ve been realizing more and more as I go about my day, documenting my outfits, and awkwardly rambling on TikTok, that a sizeable chunk of my wardrobe has been accumulated through second-hand sources.

This has been the case for a while now. In fact, I think I’ve been into the concept of “thrifting” as a whole for longer than I’ve been dressing moderately well.

In college, I made frequent stops by my local Goodwill. At the time, I was hunting for Adidas tracksuits or something like that. I was on some sort of Slav-wave. It was a dark period of my life.

But since then, the act of rummaging through a heap of used clothing in search of something specific, with a goal in mind, and a taste I was seeking out, has remained a constant in my life. I don’t actually thrift as much now as I did, say, even a year ago, but I still do it a lot. That’s partially because I’ve shifted more to eBay and other online secondhand platforms, which tend to offer better bargains than the inflated vintage prices found in much of the second-hand retail scene in NYC.

I do believe, however, that these past few years of rigorously training myself in the process of second-hand shopping, has resulted in some major style strides for me.

A month or two ago, I was feeling particularly good about a late 80s/early 90s ensemble I was rocking on a crisp winter day and realized mid-way through a coffee run that everything I was wearing, was in fact, bought second-hand.

Now, I’m not saying this outfit is perfect, but I did like it a lot – and still do!

The overcoat, arguably the most dramatic piece, was something I picked up at my local neighborhood flea market, The Grand Bazaar, for around $60. It’s from a label called The American Male, and is one of my favorite pieces of outerwear. It’s double-breasted, a light-brown/tan herringbone pattern, and even has a belted back. Banger.

The pants are vintage Paul Stuart, charcoal gray in a thick whipcord wool fabric, featuring double pleats, cuffs, and a high rise. They were a recent thrift pickup for about $20!

My derbies are vintage Giorgio Armani, and currently serve as my daily driver shoe. I found ’em on The RealReal for like $35.

The shirt, a subtle white-blue with crimson stripes and a tall-ass collar that I LOVE, is vintage Hugo Boss, and was also thrifted – a few years ago, actually. $14!

The jacket was the most recently acquired piece here. It’s a lovely gray, double-breasted Mani by Giorgio Armani sport coat, also of the whipcord variety, but with a softer flannel-like texture. I think it’s late 80s, perhaps early 90s, and I snagged it on eBay for $40. My favorite era of tailoring by my favorite designer – at a bargain!

The tie is Giorgio Armani as well, and was part of a lot of 8-10 or so Armani ties I’d copped on eBay for $40ish a couple years back. The tie clip, a personal staple of mine, was a $5 thrift find.

The cashmere scarf, made in Scotland, was a Poshmark pickup for only $12.

All in all, the total cost of this entire outfit came out to about $191, and it was purchased entirely second-hand!

I think if you showed this to me a few years ago, I’d be impressed with my future self! For one, this feels like a style that I’ve aspired towards for several years, and one that, back then, I would never have dreamed could be found so affordably.

The real thing of the matter is, successes like the outfit above are the result of a lot of work and time invested in my wardrobe. That work – is taking the time to find each piece from second-hand sources, at the prices I was willing to pay.

Some of the items show above were bought 4 years apart. For some who may have been into this shit for longer than I have, that might not seem like too much time, but for me, it is! It’s more of a microcosm of how time and patience can really shape and guide an ideal wardrobe.

Second-hand shopping is hardly the easiest way to get clothes, but it is one of the best ways to develop one’s personal style. The oldest item (to me) seen above is the Hugo Boss shirt, a real relic of early 90s yuppie attire, and the kind of thing I only sort of understood that I was into when I bought it like 4 years ago. However, my interest in that era of style has only grown since then, eventually becoming my all-time favorite. This was carried piece-by-piece, year-by-year, and not all contributing items are even shown here.

It was a process. Of sifting through things, learning what I liked, and how styles differed from each other.

I don’t think that 2021 Sully could have necessarily told you the difference between a suit from the 60s and a suit from the 90s with guaranteed accuracy. I mean, it’s a 50/50 guess, but I’m talking more in the abstract. Earlier in my thrifting career, I’d approach the tailoring rack with a much less trained eye.

Today, I can often confidently discern between many eras, brands, and materials at an initial glance. This stuff isn’t that impressive to those who have been doing this for a while, but it’s still a learned skill.

Despite how much of my current wardrobe is thrifted or padded by the good graces of eBay and its ilk, I do occasionally shop new, too. Just not as often. And even then, I’d say the instances where I’m wearing an outfit comprised of entirely new items amount to, well, never.

More often, it’s a blend. Take a look at this fit, for example.

This one is quite recent, and it’s a good mix of old and new.

The pleated, brown corduroy pants by Bronson MFG and L.L. Bean boots were bought new, both a bit over a year ago now. I wear ’em on a weekly basis though. They’re wardrobe staples!

My hat was bought new, too. It’s from Bass Pro, and I got it like 7 years ago I’d wager. It’s well-worn and a bit beat-up, but that’s why I love it. My scarf, a generic lambswool Buchanan, was gifted to me recently.

But my sweater is probably the standout piece here, and it was bought recently – you guessed it, second-hand. It’s an ultra-chunky cable-knit, made in Ireland, and I found it on Depop for a whopping $16. I’ve wanted one of these for years, and I can finally check it off my list of must-haves!

The trench coat was a thrift find. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s pretty damn reliable. I’m pretty sure I got it for $25 or so a few years ago.

So, there’s a steady mix of old and new here. I specifically wanted a vintage Irish knit over a new one, because it’s hard to beat that kind of heft and texture. Sure, it’s possible to get something like it new, but it’ll cost an arm and a leg, and you gotta sift through all the mediocre modern options first.

That’s not to say it was a fast and easy find. A sweater like this has been on my list for years. I’ve had many saved in my eBay likes, but the prices either weren’t as tempting, or the dimensions weren’t perfect enough for me to take the plunge.

These guys are thick, so tucking them in, like I do with many of my sweaters, isn’t an ideal option. So, I needed the overall garment length to be flattering (the one I got, thankfully, is).

I don’t think that Sully from a few years ago would have considered these factors, but the sheer experience of getting up close and personal with clothing, and training myself to be patient with the process, has allowed me to pick up on this kind of stuff!

Second-hand shopping forces you to slow down and be methodical in your consumption habits. Sometimes, by the time I find what I’m looking for, I no longer feel the drive or need to own that piece. This helps me develop an actual sense of personal style, shirk passing trends, and means that the stuff that I do buy is that much more warranted.

For example, it’s no secret that I’m into old Armani. But I’ve been “into it” for longer than I’ve even been repping it! I got put onto the style perhaps three years ago, influenced by TikTok content from a number of other menswear creators, but it wasn’t until like, a year ago where I actually scored my first vintage Giorgio Armani suit.

This came after well over a year of constant searching. That involved hopping on eBay every day, multiple times, and hoping that I’d find something I liked in my size and budget. When the win finally arrived, I felt it that much more. Not only did I kinda earn it, but my persistence confirmed how much this style is truly something I love!

One caveat I suppose I should mention, is how, with all things, money is a bit of a cheat code to this philosophy. Not exactly all second-hand shopping sources are as conducive to a healthy and authentic style journey.

There are true thrift stores, which let you sift through racks until you find something special. This teaches you about patience, perserverance, and is easy on the wallet.

Then there’s eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, etc. These require a similar amount of digging, and you need to know how to look. And do it often. But they teach you a similar set of skills and offer a worldwide selection.

Lastly, there’s “vintage stores.” Second-hand boutiques, I suppose. If you live in a large city, chances are you have a few of these. NYC has more curated vintage fashion shops than actual thrifts, I’d wager. I don’t mean to villainize these stores. I think some of them are actually pretty great. But they are a type of second-hand shopping that removes some of the thrill of the hunt as well as the budget-friendly aspect of the hobby. They don’t always teach you the same lessons, at least not as well.

Even so, that’s not to say there’s no hunt to be had in these stores. I visit them often, usually just to browse. It’s only when something is absolutely perfect that I’ll buy anything, which still exercises a ton of restraint in the consumption process.

I must have popped by Tokio7 in the East Village, a luxury consignment shop specializing in designer items, like a dozen plus times before I picked up this DB corduroy suit by NOAH for a fair bargain.

It’s a piece that checks off all my boxes. DB? check. Cord? Check. Perfect fit? Mega check.

I look at larger, pricier second-hand purchases like these as a reward for defining my taste through the process of the harder, more involved kind of second-hand shopping. Well, the reward for that already exists, and it’s a wardrobe I love. But finds like this are the cherry on top, and I feel as if the same methodology led me there.

I’d recommend that everybody should do more second-hand shopping in their day-to-day. Even if you’re just casually browsing eBay, it really does help you in the long run. Before you know it, you can have the wardrobe of your dreams for a fraction of the price and really learn more about yourself in the process.