I'm working my way through Flusser's Dressing the Man, and he made an interesting point about how men's fashion in America in the first half of the twentieth century (peaking in the '30s) represented the peak of menswear. This was a period when men had clear style icons (mainly politicians and movie stars) and a natural but unfortunate catalyst which acted as a distiller and democratizer of taste (the Depression, which resulted in only the well-off being the tastemakers of the day). Flusser states this period is iconic because many of the garments we see as ubiquitous currently started taking form in this era (such as the Drape cut suit which had origins in England). Flusser argues that many of the "rules" of men's dress at this point followed objective standards of aesthetics, such as the width of the collar correlating to the narrowness or wideness of one's face.

Then in the 1960s, men's style expression exploded in the countercultural revolution and the rest is history. Flusser argues that there has not been nearly as concentrated a number of men's style icons since the golden age up to the present day. Many of the modern style "icons" we view as such now are very trend-based (off the top of my head, I think of A$AP Rocky). But gentlemen such as Astaire and Gable have been viewed as universally stylish for almost a century. Certainly during their heyday, but also during the '70s and '80s, Ralph Lauren pointed to these Golden Age Hollywood actors as his biggest inspiration. Even now in 2026, there is a menswear resurgence and we look to these classic proportions as a sort of "permanent standard" against which all other trends and cuts are judged. Of course, there are periods when lapels shrink and even the abomination of the shrunken-suit Thom Browne era, but these eras were never viewed as perpetually timeless as the early twentieth century.

Curious to hear if you guys think this is all subjective or if there is some objective truth to what I am saying.

Also, I apologize for not posting recently. We just had a newborn and, as you can imagine, my hands have been full. I still care deeply about this sub and want it to grow, but now more than ever I need others to step up and contribute. My time is limited, but I don't want to let this sub shrivel up. Any and all quality contributions are appreciated.

I'm fed up with looking like Stig of the dump, albeit is very hot caveman so am looking to revamp my wardrobe and get rid of stuff that is just old and over worn.

I've got a Insta account I follow who apart from being a *very* good looking chap he has the style I'd like to try and use for myself. This [is the account](https://www.instagram.com/btchyfrench/) but I have no idea what you call it to start looking for places to get outfits. The look I like are his more recent ones with the moustache. I don't think this is a mage thread question but if so, I'm sorry let me know and I'll repost!

As you might have gathered from the Stig of the dump comment I'm in my 40s so nothing that makes me look like I'm trying to be 20 again (can't say I'd want to be 20 again anyhows!) and I'm in the UK. I'm also not gonna be buying fast fashion, I like quality items that last for a while so no Primark!

If you've been putting it on for a few years you, like me, have likely got some good stuff in your closet that would be out of place on today's explore page.

Easiest example is pants with the big pendulum swing that has happened with these, but slim fitting button downs and longline tees also apply.

You don't need to be a top 1% Mens Fashion Advice (re)poster to know that these aren't in right now.

But damnit they are good pieces. Even if nobody is wearing them to sit outside of Parcelle on a weekday afternoon, you can find these same silhouettes on the runway from respected fashion houses. These are looks that follow the ratio-rules that actually differentiate the good from the bad.

And anyway, I'm enlightened. I'm timeless. I'm not wearing reverse half-rim sunglasses with these looks. What do I care if it's not going to get me on a college kid's of-the-moment inspo board? Right! Right..?

So, fellow fashion discussers: How do you know when to put it back on the hanger and wait until the trends come back around, and when to drop the retro heat?

Many beginners don't appreciate how much the jacket defines the look. They underinvest in jackets and thus overinvest in dress shirts, fancy shoes, colorful socks, accessories (tie bars, pocket squares), and underpants.

Here are two very different jackets worn over the same black cashmere turtleneck and black slacks. (Self criticism: the turtleneck should be a little taller and ribbed. The slacks should be creased worsted. I'm at my summer house so don't have my full wardrobe.)

The first is a traditionally styled 100% cashmere loden jacket from Schneiders Salzburg. Originally made of sheep's wool for hunters and herdsmen in the Austrian Alps. The sleeves are a bit short but the turtleneck sticking up a few inches beyond the collar complements the turtleneck sleeves sticking out a few inches at the wrist, echoing the black slit pockets.

The second is a lambskin (leather) jacket from Tom Ford for YSL. Very urban and cutting edge for its time (early 2000s). Note the intentionally long silhouette including over-long sleeves which were an intentional design element that I've retained even though most guys would say they're too long.

Everything else the same. Two totally different looks. Just by swapping out the jackets.

Guys, for a distinctive style, start with the jackets and build the outfit from there. A statement jacket doesn't need anything more.

Kiko’s latest collection was inspired by the Italian sculptor and painter Agostino Bonalumi, whose work was important in the post war avant-garde movement. He was known for his “extroflexions” which gave the impression of form pushing out from behind the canvas, alluding to the shapes hidden underneath.

Kiko references these hidden geometric forms in this collection and I find it quite interesting. The collection has a very overt dystopian, retro-futuristic character, like something the characters in Dune would wear. Curious to see if the sentiment of these garments is a hint at future trends we will see more broadly in the fashion space. Some of you commented in my thread about where menswear is heading in the future and mentioned this retro futurism as a potentiality.

Pelé rocking this outfit in 1958

hey what's up hello, I happened upon this subreddit last night and was inspired by u/slowfashconnoisseur's style reflections and wanted to share my own.

Background: I started getting intentional about how I dressed in 2014. I lurked r/malefashionadvice and posted occasionally on Styleforum. I was most active contributing on MFA from 2016 - 2022. Once most users migrated to Discord, my participation significantly dropped off because the new platform did not align with how I preferred to digest information or have discussions about clothes. That also coincided with some life events that helped me update my relationship to the consumption-side of this hobby.

Pics 1 -2 are from 2016 - 2019. It reflected my early interest in fashion anchored in Japanese designer brands like Kapital, Visvim, and Engineered Garments which I liked to complement with similarly striking designers like Craig Green. I gravitated towards loud pieces and bright colors. I participated a lot in WAYWT threads because this feeling of self-expression empowered me to share. However reflecting on this time, I was heavily rotating in and out new pieces to satiate my desire to find my personal style.

Pics 3 - 8 are from 2020 - 2022. This time marked a natural progression from the fashion exploration phase. I start to integrate more designers like Bode, Evan Kinori, and Needles while maintaining a core wardrobe comprising of Kapital. While this is happening, I begin to take motorcycling more seriously. I got my license in 2019 but the pandemic allowed me more time to get comfortable with it and meet more people to go on rides with. I also start designing my first couple of samples which did not have a clear vision or intention behind them.

Pics 9-14 are from 2023 to the present. I settled into a more uniform style of dress. I took my motorcycle on a long trip from LA to Wyoming and designed a kevlar denim set which would be worn everyday through different climates. My own samples are worn in most contexts, whether on and off the bike. My consumption of brand new clothes has largely grinded to a halt.

These takeaways came to mind when looking back at this journey:

• You cannot avoid style mistakes - they're necessary for your style evolution and personal growth.
• Being able to move unencumbered became a key deciding factor of what I wanted to wear.
• Sometimes, it's better to block out the noise (social media consumption, participation in fashion forums) to hone in on what style expression truly matters to you.
• Wear something you already have instead of buying a new thing that's similar to it.
• Going back to basics reflects how much you've synthesized and (in my opinion) reflects that you've settled into your personal style. For me, the simplicity of a utilitarian-minded outfit for my primary pastime of motorcycling bleeds informs how I put together my outfits off the bike.
• Designing clothes for my lifestyle resonated far greater than those designed with an aesthetic in mind. My early designs did not anchor into my own life, they came off as cheap copies of the designers I was inspired by.

Thanks for reading and looking forward to continued discussions and conversations on this subreddit.

I’m curious where you guys see the menswear fashion meta heading in the coming decades.

Arguably the three main aesthetics popular in menswear right now (at least in urban coastal cities in the US, but I imagine there are similarities in other major cities worldwide) are Japanese Americana, Post-minimalism (my term for this slow fashion aesthetic heralded by brands such as Cottle, The Row, EK), and Neo Prep (essentially Ralph Lauren mixed with vintage).

Obviously each one of these aesthetics have been popular in part before, and inevitably will be again in different forms. But where do you think menswear and the larger fashion world are headed in the coming decades? Will it be further Popeye-ification and even slower and more esoteric clothing? Will we see a punk or streetwear resurgence? Curious to hear your thoughts and analysis.

A couple of photos of pieces I bought from Ven. Space & Ven. Archive when I was visiting recently from abroad. I've spent a loooot of time researching different brands, multi-product stores, looking for different niches. I think I've got a pretty good understanding of my style and the stores that cater to that.

However, coming to Ven. Space had me reflecting on the hyper-online space that menswear occupies, which is great, but it's also so easy. Everything at the click of a button. Look for Paraboot collaborations in X city and you'll find a well-known store. The offline, in-person space that Ven. Space occupies is exciting to me. I loved going in and not knowing what was going to be there, I just don't really get that feeling anymore so it was nice to feel it. Helps that the staff were lovely too.

Were I not in New York would I be frustrated it was in-person only? Probably. But I kinda like that -- makes the journey to the store, and the hunt, more rewarding.

Outfit 1: mfpen mail jacket, Graphpaper trousers, RM Williams

Outfit 2: Velva Sheen 2 pck tee, Graphpaper trousers, Tarvas Wanderers

Hey guys, I wanted to start a new series called “Runway Histories” (I am open to other names). Essentially, the purpose is to provide a brief overview of historically important designers, their tenures at various fashion houses, and important runway shows and how they impacted the global fashion industry. To launch this series, I wanted to discuss the legendary debut of Alessandro Michele for Gucci beginning with his F/W 2015 Menswear collection.

Michele was born in Rome and studied theatrical costume at the Accademia di Costume e di Moda (Academy of Costume and Fashion). He had a brief stint at Fendi designing accessories and afterwards, Tom Ford hired him to design handbags for Gucci. Eventually he climbed the corporate ladder and became Associate Creative Director under Frida Giannini.

Giannini left abruptly as a result of stagnating sales and restructuring of upper management which was heralded by the firing of the then CEO, Patrizio di Marco, whom Giannini was romantically involved with. Giannini maneuvered the brand from the hyper-sexualized Tom Ford era to one of understated, somber, and some would say stuffy, elegance. Her designs were more muted and wearable compared to Ford’s, but perhaps fatally so, as Guccis brand cache and revenue were crawling to a halt. Giannini’s termination could not have come at a worse time, as she was prepared to showcase her FW 15 collection in Milan in just 10 days. Michele was chosen to take her place, and through sheer will alongside a small creative group, birthed a brand new collection just 5 days before Milan Fashion Week.

Michele instantly breathed fresh life into Gucci with his eccentric, maximalist, and romantic design language. The collection was almost universally revered and he was named creative director of Gucci shortly after. He then launched the women’s wear collection two weeks later and eventually was tasked with global brand vision. He not only looked into the brand's archive for inspiration, he looked back into different centuries, cultures and tapped nostalgia for inspiration, though the Italian Renaissance is probably his strongest influence.

Under Michele’s leadership, Gucci’s international image transformed overnight and revenue followed suit. Alessandro was a big proponent of the concept of “assemblages” which essentially meant mixing cultural garment fragments from different eras together. He may combine 70s British tailoring with Byzantine jewelry and a Renaissance-era floral print in one look. His collection heralded the end of minimalism and ushered in a new era of flamboyance, androgyny and eccentricity that was missing in the fashion meta of the time. His parents were passionate connoisseurs of cinema and sculpture and you can sense how that has informed Michele’s story-telling over the years with different religious iconography, pop culture and historic references. He was maximalist in some ways like Galliano, but Michele’s references were more subtle, androgynous and wearable.

I like how Jansen Garside summarized the influence of Michele in his Youtube video on the subject (would recommend you watching when able. It’s where I got a lot of my info from). He said “His (Michele’s) essence can be recreated by anyone around the world with one trip to a vintage store”. Of course he does not mean re-creating the look to a T, but the idea of mixing and matching different genres of items and garments in a unique and not so serious manner. His collections were whimsical (take a look at his infamous “severed heads” looks in FW 18 that I’ve included) and made runway fashion fun and entertaining for gen X and millennials at the time who were beginning to feel the fatigue of the serious and stuffy looks of luxury fashion houses.

Also from a content creation side, you can see his impact today on the way so many brands do story telling. The hyper reliance on perfect air-brushed celebrity endorsements changed into these more eclectic, nuanced, and playful adverts. Take a look at any Golf Le Fleur advert and you can see what I mean (the “Wes-Andersonification” of fashion media if you will). Michele’s "Geek Chic" aesthetic I also believe is a force that led to more focus on eclecticism, the rise of vintage shopping and the “grandpa-core” aesthetic we are still seeing today, though someone can correct me if I’m wrong.

Imo, I was more impressed with Michele’s womenswear collection for F/W 2015 compared to the mens, but I think his work in the following years at Gucci is where he really hit his stride and he created some of his most iconic looks. I’ve tried to include some of his craziest looks especially some from my personal favorite, FW 18. The end of the album includes some fits of the man himself.

As always, I’m open to your feedback and let me know if you want me to continue this series. Anyone else obviously can do their own and I would love to see that. And if I made any mistakes, gross oversimplifications or obvious omissions, please let me know. I never formally studied fashion history. I am just an enthusiast trying to share things I find interesting amongst like-minded individuals. Cheers

u/SirKrimzon has been subtly encouraging me to post more so I thought I'd one about personal style over the years hoping that it might resonate with some of you.

In my 20s, I didn’t just wear denim. I kind of lived inside it: Raw denim, heavy ounces, boots that felt like they could survive a war, and usually some variation of a flannel shirt that I thought gave me “depth”. It’s not really an exaggeration to say raw denim became a personality trait. I was deep in it. Osaka 5, selvedge forums, fade charts, debates about stitch density. I was also, in hindsight, extremely annoying about it, couldn't have made it through a conversation without saying the word “texture” at least twice.

There was also a kind of quiet snobbery to it. If it wasn’t raw, it wasn’t worth talking about. If it was washed, it was already compromised. I remember genuinely judging people for wearing regular slim jeans from high street brands, while I was out here treating denim like it was a philosophy degree.

The irony is that I looked terrible. I was (and still am) quite top heavy, and my entire silhouette back then was basically: heavily tapered 20oz jeans, chunky leather boots, a shirt, a gilet, and then some heavy blazer thrown on top like I was assembling armour. The result was less “heritage workwear icon” and more “popsicle trying to dress like a menswear blog in 2012”. I never wore any Iron Heart which is probably the denim heads equivalent to “I never used heroin”. 

Then something shifted in my 30s. It wasn’t a dramatic break. More like a slow embarrassment that crept in every time I opened my wardrobe. My jeans got slimmer and slimmer by comparison to how I actually wanted to dress. Eventually I stopped wearing most of them. Not because I didn’t like denim anymore, but because it felt like looking at a former version of myself I didn’t quite recognise. Around the same time, I pivoted hard into wider fits, and then basically took a long detour away from denim altogether. Fatigues, some gorp, workwear trousers, sneakers, layering pieces that didn’t require a doctrine to wear. Engineered Garments ended up becoming a kind of backbone for my wardrobe, and I think that’s where the shift really becomes clear in hindsight.

It stopped being about “heritage” as a fixed idea. And became more about “post-heritage”, where references still exist, but they’re not treated like rules. You’re not trying to recreate something anymore. You’re just borrowing what works and ignoring the rest. Function over ideology, I suppose, but without losing the enjoyment of it. I really enjoyed fashion again, to an extent I haven’t in a long time before. When you’re breaking in a pair of jeans, there was zero creativity involved, the whole idea is that you wear the same things over and over. 

In that phase, my denim didn’t fit me anymore, physically or mentally. Some of the low-rise tapered jeans would simply look ridiculous on me now. The fades I had obsessed over suddenly felt like artefacts of a different life. Impressive, maybe, but not especially useful.

Then I hit my 40s. Third kid arrived a month ago and somehow denim became a thing for me again. Maybe denim reminded me of being younger or something else that triggered 

 It started with denim jackets, mostly because the ones I had bought 15 years ago still just about worked for my current wardrobe. I put one on again and realised it didn’t feel like cosplay the way my old jeans did.

But jeans were trickier. People always say denim goes with everything, but I actually don’t think that’s true in practice. At least not for me. The problem was never denim itself, it was silhouette. Once your proportions shift, everything you thought you knew about “classic” combinations stops working. A slim tapered jean with certain jackets (or in my case ALL my jackets) just looks off. I like chunky footwear so a slim leg opening doesn’t work. I also think that once you start to appreciate things like drape or things hang, heavy ounce denim looses its appeal. Two jeans that I really enjoy wearing are 102 from Studio d’Artisan and Big John’s XX003. 

What I found myself gravitating towards again was wider cuts, lighter weight. I also just wash jeans whenever they’re dirty and I will never ever freeze denim again. I am also going to France tonight and will not be wearing jeans telling everyone that it’s actually super breathable. A lot of the dogmas around denim, I have put to rest. I even bought a pair of pre-faded denim and you know what? I love it. 

In a strange way, it feels like a meeting point between the two versions of me: The younger one who cared too much about denim. And the older one who stopped caring entirely for a while. Now I’m somewhere in between. I still like denim, but not because of what it represents. More because of how it sits in an outfit when everything else is doing its job properly. Because as a material, it actually does go with so many things, but I literally had to hit my 40s to appreciate why denim has such an enduring allure.

Thanks for reading guys! 

Personally I loved the use of more full cuts in Purple Label (finally) and the use of boro fabrics in this collection. As always, Ralph sticks to his formula that works best but adds incremental changes over time. Still think his styling is the best in the industry. I’m also just a huge Ralph Stan so I’m biased. Curious on your thoughts. Part 2 will be on TF

This is mainly for my friends from /n/navyblazer but I did want to expose everyone to more classic menswear and Trad stuff. I don’t want this sub to be limited to only the prevailing Japanese Americana and post minimalist aesthetics that are so prevalent now. I think we all grow through exposure to new ideas.

Yasin Tarabia is a menswear enthusiast based out of Vienna. His tailoring in my humble opinion, is some of the best I’ve ever seen. Not only is the fit of his garments immaculate (classic full cut but not obscenely so like certain people whose name rhymes with ass lowkey), but the details are exceptional. From interesting yokes and cuffs on his jackets to interesting signet rings and watch chains, everything is polished to a T.

Classic menswear does not have to be boring. I always thought it was pretty restrictive, but as evidenced by Yasin, there’s actually quite a good bit of variety within it. And if you’re like me and mix it with different styles such as western and workwear, it’s quite a fun way to dress up without feeling too stuffy. I hope you guys enjoy.

Starting with the sashiko patch I put in my thrifted 13MWZ Wranglers, after spilling acid on them at work, I quickly became hooked on the possibilities mending clothes allows. Specifically, the center of the Venn Diagram between anti-consumerism, vintage clothing, and (in)visible mending.

The removal of the public's attention from material, quality, and construction of clothes has caused an ignorance towards clothing like we have never seen before. The hyperconsumerism starting in the 90s paired with the transition to cheaper and cheaper manufacturing processes has lead to the perfect storm of nearly unrepairable clothing produced and sold for cheaper than ever before. Why would someone take the time and resources to repair a $10 shirt from TJ Maxx when they can go get a brand new one?

The availability of hyper-cheap clothes has moved the public's attention away from "is this a good investment for me" to "I dont care how long it lasts, its only $10." Along with the removal of many standard home-ec courses in public schools due to slashed funding, and we have the perfect storm of a generation (my generation) who is all but forced to either spend the time and money to self-educate on the value of decent clothes and mending techniques or continually buy more and more cheap plastic clothing. Which one is the easier path?

Further example, I went to a $15 fill-a-bag thrift sale and found a pair of genuine 1950-60s wool Korean War army surplus pants. Very surprising seeing as the sale had been going on for hours and nearly everything was picked through. They were my size so I looked them over trying to find why the pants were still there. Surely there must have been a massive stain, huge hole or tear? No, the zipper was off its track and thats it. Took the pants home and within 10 minutes I had a perfect pair of 60 year old trousers again that I could wear on my honeymoon.

Spending the few hours it takes to learn how to handstitch or even better yet, dusting off that old sewing machine in your parent's closet, will take your style to the next level. Lived in, worn in, repaired and mended jeans look infinitely cooler than brand new, off the rack acid washed/stone washed jeans. The trope of 'Is that a stylishly clad old man' or is that just an old man wearing the same clothes for 15 years is a trope for a reason. Clothes are meant to be lived in and especially in this day and age where everything is marketed to you as authentic, real or genuine, the authenticity of wearing your clothes is unmistakable.

More importantly to me, is the removal of oneself from the Hedonic Treadmill that is the clothing industry. I realize I might be preaching to the choir in this sub but not only is buying and fixing secondhand clothes one way to customize your style, but its more ethical. There is enough clothes left on Earth to clothe everyone on the planet for years to come. That isnt to say that buying new clothes makes you a bad person, but thinking about the longevity and repairability of your clothes will shift your mindset to one that is more beneficial for the earth as a whole.

This is an infinitesimally small cross section of the monolith of women’s fashion. I tried to include what I thought was a good variety of different styles, ages and cultures. Hope you guys enjoy. If you’d like to see more content featuring women please let me know. Even though I know most of you are male, I want to share what the community would like to see and not be stagnant.

Sorry it’s just one pic, but thought I’d contribute since I enjoy this subreddit so much! Found this 70s-80s (?) shirt at an estate sale 🙌 Thanks for all the inspiration, everybody! Keep the STYLES flowin! (P.S. Levys chords and Sperry topsiders)

Introduction

This is my updated guide to secondhand shopping on eBay. I’ve utilized comments and suggestions from my original post on TF, along with knowledge I’ve gained since, to create the best guide I possible can make. I hope you guys find it helpful.

Generally, gone are the days of stumbling into a vintage flea market like Brimfield or the Rose Bowl and finding a vintage treasure of a lifetime for $10. Yes, there are still gems out there (mainly in small towns in the middle of America, estate sales and obscure antique shops), but largely those days are gone as “vintage” became a hype commodity and resellers have gotten into the business. Perhaps one day we can return to the glory days of in person vintage shopping, but we have to deal with present day reality and that leads us to our next best option, eBay.

In my experience, eBay is the single best retailer for second hand clothes shopping. I genuinely believe it is the last bastion of true vintage on a budget. eBay offers extensive filters far more detailed than any other platform (even compared to Gem which is an amalgamation of different second hand websites but lacks many features), it is the largest platform, you get buyer protection and, crucially, it allows returns on many listings. eBay is also the only platform that lets you filter by the ever important, country of manufacture and material filters.

The Search

Start by searching for the item you want in the most general terms possible. For example, type “coat” instead of “Harris tweed made in England raglan sleeve balmacaan coat.” Being very specific can prompt eBay to apply filters automatically and sometimes inappropriately, which you don’t want. The safer approach is to start broad and then use the filters so you can capture the most items. Skip the first filter “buying format” and go to the next one.

Condition.
Click “Pre-owned” only which instantly removes a large portion of low-quality junk. Next, skip “authenticity guarantee” (unless you are buying certain hype sneakers or watches, but that is beyond the scope of this guide).

Price
Don't be afraid to low ball "offer only" items and even "buy it now" items. Usually sellers will offer a discount but be reasonable. You can go on a desktop and click on the link below to get a sense of expected prices for prior sold items. You must click off “completed listings”. For some reason this feature is not available on the app or mobile website.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/ebayadvsearch

Category
Narrow down the item until you cant anymore (this step is essential because it unlocks the “Country/Region of Manufacture” filter). Of note, sometimes you may have to go back a step and set up a new saved search if you feel you are subselecting too much. For example, if you are searching for a sport coat you will be forced to select between “coats, jackets and vests” or “suits and suit separates”. It’s likely the suits category may have more sport coats, but some sellers will list it under the coats and jackets category. So if you truly want to maximize your chances of seeing as much as possible, set up a second saved search with the other sub
selected categories. You can keep the rest of the filters identical to make sure you are filtering out stuff you don’t want.

Size
When dealing with vintage, remember that your tagged size can vary given the age of garments, stretching, and changes in sizing conventions over the decades. I will always search "around" my size. For example I am a true medium and size 40 in tops. But for pre-owned I will search S-L and 38-42. This is why it is absolutely crucial to know the next most important thing: your measurements. The key measurements are chest width (armpit to armpit), body length (usually from the top of the garment near the collar down to the front hem), and sleeve length (either from the shoulder seam to the cuff or from the underarm seam to the cuff). For pants, the crucial measurements are waist and inseam. Rise and leg opening are also good to know. I suggest writing all your standard measurements down in your phone notes for easy reference until you memorize them. If the seller has not listed measurements—and many do—just ask. Most sellers are friendly and will provide this information. Don't be afraid to ask them to show you how they measured as well (not everyone measures the same). Afterwards, compare them to your own measurements with garments that fit you well. Note, an overcoat will fit differently than a t-shirt, so just apply it correspondingly. Also, keep in mind things like rise. A vintage OG 107 has an insane rise so if you see an inseam of 26 instead of 30, it may still fit you. You need to account for these different factors and admittedly, it takes some trial and error. At the bottom of this filter there is sometimes a “one size” option which i would recommend clicking, as some sellers don’t specify. Also, do not be afraid to buy a size that is slightly large if it is exactly what you want. Generally, it’s better to buy a size up rather than down and spend a few bucks altering your garments. This is generally a decent tactic for a few measurements: taking in the pant waist, shortening inseams, and shortening sleeve lengths (can be lengthened as well but you have to ask the seller if there is sleeve allowance). I would not waste time adjusting a shoulder. It is very costly and you will likely lose the garment shape. The larger point is just not to discount items that are slightly large if everything else is perfect. But make sure it is worth the time and effort to alter it. This also takes practice.

Item Location
I personally set to the United States since I live here, because shipping and returning something overseas can be expensive once you factor in potential tariffs. If you live in the EU or elsewhere, apply the same logic to your own region. Obviously some hard to find pieces are only overseas so exercise your own risk / finance tolerance.

Generally I skip color unless I am very particular about it (for example a navy blazer I would click off “blue”) but as above click off “unspecified” to maximize your bucket.

Materials
This is by far the most important filter. The main materials you want to look for depending on garment type are natural materials including wool (look for the woolmark logo or “pure new wool” on pictures especially - see my post in [r/threadtalks](r/threadtalks) for more info. Also anything union made is guaranteed to be built to the highest standards), cotton, cashmere, leather, and linen. You will also see terms like “tweed,” “animal hair,” and “twill,” which are fabric types rather than specific fiber contents, but eBay does not always distinguish that properly. Click them off. Also click off all the other random natural fibers “camel, rabbit hair, angora, flax etc if applicable. As before, click “unspecified” at the bottom of every filter you can.

Brand
This filter is usually less important unless you are searching for something very specific, such as a vintage Brooks Brothers oxford-cloth button-down or a Drake’s tie. In most cases, your material and country-of-manufacture filters will be far more useful to you.

Skip the next filters before country of manufacture. A lot of it is arbitrary nonsense such as “occasion”, “accents” and “season”.

Country/Region of Manufacture
The second most useful filter. In general, selecting countries like USA, UK, Italy, Canada, and other European countries is a good starting point, as these regions have a long history of producing high quality garments. However, this is not an infallible rule. If you want a vintage madras shirt for example, you should select India, which historically is the major producer for madras cloth. If you want a vintage guayabera shirt, you will likely need to select Mexico and Cuba. There are also notable exceptions where excellent materials are used in garments produced in countries that historically have a reputation for low quality mass production. For instance, I found some beautiful pleated wool trousers made from Italian Loro Piana cloth but it was from a Chinese brand. This is why material composition comes before country of manufacture in the filter hierarchy. However for beginners, I recommend sticking to North America and the EU. As always, add non specified if you want to capture the largest bucket. Skip the next few filters and go to returns.

Returns accepted
Always select this unless you are 100% sure on the item. Free returns are an added bonus, though they are less common. In the beginning, you may lose some money returning items that do not fit or that you simply do not like in person. For many, including myself, this is worth it in the long run because once you have your measurements dialed in and know what you are looking for, eBay becomes a gold mine and you will return less with time.

Misc filters
There are many arguably useless filters such as “Occasion,” “Season,” and certain “Features” options like “party/cocktail,” “travel,” or “summer.” Using these can cause you to miss good pieces, and many sellers do not bother to fill them out as it is somewhat arbitrary. Some other potential helpful filters may appear such as “type” which can be useful sometimes to seperate general categories like “coats” vs “jackets” vs “vests”, but usually I skip this.

Save your searches

Once you find a search you are happy with and have checked the listings, click the little heart next to the search bar and eBay will send daily notifications if something gets posted within your criteria.

Closing thoughts

eBay truly is, in my opinion, the last great source of true vintage clothing available at reasonable prices. Curated vintage shops, such as Wooden Sleepers or Thoroughbred NY, can be excellent too, but you pay for that curation. By contrast, big-box thrift stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army are often the least efficient places to shop in my experience: you can spend a lot of time sorting through basic mall brand garbage, and walk away with nothing. Also, the chances of bed bugs are higher in goodwill and salvation army type stores. That risk is not exclusive to them only of course (even higher-end vintage shops or online sellers can have issues) but, in practice, curated shops and serious online resellers tend to be more careful. Their businesses depend heavily on reputation, and many eBay sellers store items in their homes and rely on feedback that reflects cleanliness and garment condition. I used to hit these type of stores extensively and only ended up with a handful of good pieces over the years. Since I switched to ebay, the amount of quality for the time I put in is night and day. Like I said, gems can be found in off the beaten path rural stores and estate sales, but most of us are not in a position to regularly thrift such locations.

As a fair warning, you will lose some money in the beginning returning items. I returned a fair amount of navy DB blazers and fisherman sweaters until I found the perfect one. And let me tell you, once you find the perfect one, it is worth it. Just know you will lose net between $10-20 on each return, so again, exercise financial risk and be as certain as you possibly can before purchasing. Ask all the questions you want. But know, you will inevitably lose some money but that’s part of the fun and that’s how you learn.

Finally, I posted a few pics where I highlight some vintage pieces I picked up from eBay. First is an absolutely perfect vintage 80s union made in the USA Polo Ralph Lauren double breasted blazer. This is an example of an item I’ve waited a long time for. The seller did not know that it was union made, and I got it for a steal for $170. For reference, modern versions of this from Polo, which are made objectively worse, retail for $1200. Second photo is a $30 made in US chambray with triple stitching! For reference, I have a $200 Buzz Rickson chambray which only has double stitching. Third pic is a fit with a vintage 100% merino wool fisherman sweater made in Ireland for $70 and vintage deadstock Polo Ralph Lauren Andrew double pleated chinos for $30. Fourth pic is a vintage US made great coat I found $40 (70% wool, 30% nylon but the fit and construction is top notch and it uses pure new wool. This shows that all rules are relative. And you have to look at the whole picture. Generally I wont go for less than 2/3 natural). Thanks for reading and happy hunting!

On Styleforum there's a thread that's coming up on being 15 years old, but that I revisit regularly. It's about the kit that gives you joy - the bits 'n pieces that just work, that you continue to wear though they're not "in" on the latest fashion cycle, or simply pieces that you've worn until the end of their life.

I wore my wedding shoes again this week. I got married almost 15 years ago, and the boots carried me through a very long day of the marriage ceremony and the party. After getting back from our honeymoon, I continued wearing these boots all throughout my time on my then-job; then I wore them on the next job; and the next job; and the next. I've been chewed out in them and I've been promoted in them.

They were close to being my only pair of shoes for a little while, when money was tight. The other pair I had were "undead" Chuck Taylors which were so worn out that I had to glue the soles back on every other week.

As life became a bit more stable and my expendable income grew, I bought more shoes. At times these boots were stuck in the back of the wardrobe: - there's been years where they saw the light of day maybe once every six months. Then I'd somehow reconnect with them and end up wearing the crap out of them for several months in a row again.

They've been resoled twice and reheeled several more times. The elastic has been replaced, but it's shot again. As Chelsea boots are easy to slip in, they were my footwear of choice whenever I had to fly and get through airport security. They've traveled half the world with me and would spend months on end with no conditioner and not a horsehair brush in sight.

This is a bad picture of a good pair of boots.

What's some of your gear that have been worn heavily yet you have no intention of replacing?

What have you squeezed every drop of life out of?

Nigel needs no introduction here. He was an absolute stalwart of menswear for decades primarily in the vintage repro and heritage scene. He probably has the most impressive singular vintage collection in the world and his clothing brand was making waves in Japan in the 80s, before most of us were born. I just wanted to share some outfits of his with you guys (he honestly has so many amazing fits I’ll have to post a pt 2 on TF) and appreciate and remember his legacy.

His personal style was remarkably consistent and singular through the years. He loved his overalls, military tops and sneakers. Unlike many vintage masters, Nigel was always a bit more eccentric through the way he played with silhouette, proportion, color and accessorizing. He was one of a kind and the menswear world will be a more hollow one without his continued presence. Rest in peace

I promise I will drop my eBay guide soon! But I just wanted to quickly to share some additional fits of Percia to supplement my main thread on /r/throwingfits