I sent a suit to my favorite re-weaver in Brooklyn, a woman in her 80s. She died and her children entered into a battle over her possessions. The house was locked (with my suit inside) until the matter was settled in court. Four years later, when the case was settled, my suit was returned. Good news was she finished re-weaving my suit just before she died and my suit was like new!
I'm a historical sewist which gets rather expensive at times. One trick for saving money on high end fabrics is to recycle men's suits. This can be used for modern styles as well as fashions of the past. A large men's suit can be remade into a waistcoat and trousers for instance. Most of the worn areas get cut off. As a bonus to me I get to pick the suit apart and admire all the lovely construction hidden inside. I have serious sewing envy when it comes to tailoring. In conclusion, please don't throw away gorgeous suits. Donate them so people like me can rescue them.
YES - I was learning drafting and tailoring over lockdown and I was getting suits from the second hand shop - pulling them apart to see how they were constructed and YES a suit jacket is a waistcoat with interfacing and arms. I later learned that the body part is called a "slob" and the drafting of a slob is part of drafting a shirt or a jacket or a waist coat.
I went to tailoring school and this was actually a fun tip we learned. If one didn't have money for fabric, purchase the garment of your desired fabric in the largest size possible and recycle the fabric.
I used to have my mum turn the cuffs on my French-cuffed dress shirts when they got slightl worn or badly stained. That lengthened their lives considerably at no cost. My tailor would also gladly do minor repairs to my dress garments cheaply.
Mr. Preston, you continue to impress me with your videos. You show your increasing wisdom and care for clothing and the listeners. Your comical side shows well and respectful. Thank you for the combination of intelligence, care, compassion, and comical. This gives us videos that inform us and not bore us.
True. My husband got a year end clearance jacket for cheap because it was missing buttons. My sister (taste & skills) replaced all the cheap plastic buttons making it better than new. He loved the bargain and looked great.
I don't understand why there aren't any readily accessible black shirts with white buttons in the shops. I always have a black shirt modified to white buttons in my stable. It's very 1950s-1980s and nobody understands these subtle things that used to be common once upon a time.
*I HAVE HAD PEOPLE* comment on a repair to a jacket or coat - and its like "OMG YOU HAVE CLOTHES WORTH REPAIRING" We now live in a world where having a visible repair on your clothes is a mark of quality and a status symbol - which is good, I just hope it does NOT become fashion.
@@hydroaegis6658 - OH many many things are, yes. But I mean I don't want it to become a trend to have a patch or a repaired rip visible cos that will last 18 months and be totally unacceptable for 10 years and any imperfection will mean people will throw away their clothes cos that WAS the tend in 2022 for example.
It will...and already has been for quite a while with tweed jackets in that they now come with leather elbow patches on them *new* from the manufacturer.
A shirt and tie i refuse to toss were my late girlfriends favorites. Even after she accidentally burned a hole in our with a cigarette she wanted me to wear it. They were her favorite color and she always loved to have me what our around her because she just like the look and feel of them on me. I can, five years after her death, still catch the scent of her perfume on them.
As a woman attorney in a major Wall St law firm, I was struck at how senior partners could have stained Burberry's, replace collars and cuffs, or resole Church's shoes. Their clothing looked broken-in. Dven more stately for the wear. They were old money. Their garments were very well-constructed. Brand new was not okay. I guess there are stains and stains. Brooks Brothers or Saville Row But I drooled at the few with fitted Italian garments. I learned so much from them. Women are moving more in that direction. Better financial investments than coming home laden with new clothing.
Here’s a tip. I use plastic shirt covers for all my RL and Boss shirts in my wardrobe. They are fantastic in keeping the short from rubbing on another and keeping the enemy of dust off.
This channel keeps churning out golden videos that I didn't know I needed! Thank you once again. Also, I finally got a Silk Plush Top Hat in my size, I am indeed happy :)
WOW!! Many many congratulations. Thats a great news. You really need to take care of it, as the silk plush is worn out it can never be mended, only in future I hope so.
@@keshavrao212 fear not my dear fellow! I've taken an obsession to researching how to maintain them. It's London made, Scottish (Edinburgh) owned (quite fitting as I live in Glasgow) and is early Edwardian (you can tell because there is a travel sticker from a railway that closed in 1915). It's been kept in the hat box which is covered in those travel stickers I mentioned, but because it's been in the box for its lifetime, it's pristine condition with a tiny bit of discolouration on the inner sweatband. Yesterday I was giving it a gentle dust and did a spray polish. If you're looking for a Silk Plush top hat, I'd highly recommend looking on eBay, being willing to save and pay a small premium (£100+) and being thorough (I was scammed by someone advertising a hat as a 58cm when it was a 52.5cm, so beware).
What a holy grail! I have a collapsible opera hat from the 20's which I use for pretty much every formal event, aside from a felt grey top hat for Summer. I would love a silk plush top hat, but I'm just not willing to pay that premium.
A little tip on buttons, from my experience in sewing and mending. If you have a garment that is missing quite a few buttons, but is otherwise in good repair, there's a couple things I suggest. The first is, if it has sleeve/cuff buttons and is missing buttons on the closure, take away buttons from the sleeves/cuffs evenly (even if you need to take three buttons, take four to make it even; the spot on a sleeve where a button used to be will be much more noticeable if the other sleeve has one more button than it). The second is, if your garment is missing too many buttons to repair without getting more buttons, if part of it will be covered (like a shirt you wear with a waistcoat), try to find buttons that are the closest possible match to the original ones, and whichever you now have more of (the originals or the replacements), place in the most visible spots. That way they all match. Alternatively, you could go get enough new buttons for the entire garment, and redo every button. Small fabric stores often have very nice button sections, and some will even have a basket or bin of assorted buttons. If you are looking for more vintage buttons, that can be quite a boon. Happy mending!
You may never have heard this but button down shirt collars can be turned when they wear out . I did it for many of my customers through the years and extended the life of button down shirts for them and they appreciated it very much. I had a pick up and delivery route for dry cleaning. I kept my customers clothes in great shape for them. I would be happy to explain this process for your RU-vid channel
Thank you for your elegance and style. Everytime you impress me with your intelligence, humor and passion for life. You ate absolutely professional. Every man should have your qualities. You are the best.
I’d love it if you guys could do a video on more stylish motorcycle attire or outdoors gear like that fancy British style or blue collar dress. I’m trying to dress stylish but a suit would look very out of place.
I have say I just discovered your channel. I am just awe struck. This is the lifestyle I want. Your informational expertise are absolutely fantastic. I am literally going to watch all of your videos. Glad to be a subscriber. Thank you sir.
Preston when you mentioned "You could also have a separate coin pocket sewn in when getting the original pocket replaced" and showed a smaller pocket partly inside a regular pocket the smaller pocket in jeans historically was for watches.
If you need to remove stains or dark discoloration from a white garment... apply undiluted Cheer (or in a pinch, Tide) liquid laundry detergent, and let soak for a while. This will usually remove the problem (even if it's been there a long time). You can also do this with colored garments, but test some hidden spot first, because sometimes it also removes the color.
something i do to extend the life of french cuffs is create a second set of button-holes. that way the cuff is a quarter inch shorter. once fraying becomes visible on the edge of the cuff i just switch to the original button-holes. now the fraying that was on the edge is underneath instead.
I have quite a few extremely expensive items that I can’t bring myself to throw away even though they have holes or stains. I even have a vintage Abercrombie shirt that doesn’t fit me and I can’t bring myself to toss it or sell it.
I have a really good advice for pit stains. You can just use a pad for women, tucked in your undershirt, and for the stain it self you can use a mixture of alcohol 70% abv and denatured oodorless paint thinner. Just make sure it's well rinsed after
Thank you for this video. I have an old sports coat that had a tear under the armpit. I was able to repair it. It is no longer something I wear as formal wear but rather works for grabbing coffee with friends or running errands. i have another sports coat with some small stains and I am trying to make a keep or discard decision.
This video was very helpful. I particularly liked the advice about wear on tweed jackets and buttons. I am very fond of my Harris Tweed jacket, and while it is pristine now, it is going to get a lot of wear, because I love wearing it with anything for ratty jeans to wool pants and a tie. Sooner or later, wear will start to show. By the way, I found a Ft. Belvedere knit tie in a online charity auction. I'm very happy with the quality and will keep you in mind for that special something to complete a look. After all, I have a lot of money saved from all my thrift store purchases!
I recently read an in interesting article, in Milady's Boudoir, entitled "What the well-dressed man is wearing". I forget the pensmiths name, but it may be worth looking up.
I would have worn my thrifted gloverall duffle coat another season but it was so faded and thin in patches that I had to hand it in. Other pieces I simply repair
Ah the sweat stains in the armpit. I've had to throw out quite a few things due to that. Now I take care of the stains (mostly during warm weather) treating them right away because I'm not always able to wash it right away.
Yeah, I hate when I’ve tossed on an item of clothing only to discover later in the day why I’d been avoiding wearing it. i.e. - a tear, snag, missing element, etc.
I miss my beautiful camel hair coat but it got some grey adhesive from somewhere that turned into a nightmare to get out .The cat has comfortable sleeping garment in his bed now.
When is it not worth resoling a vintage shoe? I come across shoes from time time that would definitely need to resoled, but how much wear is too much and just not worth the new welt?
5:55 - I think jeans and black dress shoes look fantastic when paired with matching leather accessories and a casual dress shirt, especially with a blazer. I've seen many content creators shoot down this idea, but I see the look pulled off exceptionally well on a regular basis.
Well it's always acceptable to wear clothes that have seen better days whilst doing a bit of farm work or such. I recall visiting a baronet I know once whilst he was out feeding his cattle and he was wearing a suit that had seen better days. On a more serious note though we live in an era of disposable 'fashion' with clothes designed to wear out fast or go out of fashion fast so that we run out and but more. Reminiscent of Huxley's dystopia whereby "ending is better than mending."
The streetwears affection towards vintage is a totally different beast than what you are referring to. No one is looking for an old dress shirt, its the older band tshirts, vintage levis and carhartt thats making the moves now.
16:58, my very first time wear a new polo and kids + polo = stains! 🤦♂️ By the time I was able to deal with it twas far too late, still tried and blunted the spots but alas they are there for life now. So much for light colors and young kids! 😂
I like this video. Good info, however, there are several shots of someone wearing jeans that puddle over the shoes. I don't like the puddling of jeans over the shoes. Is that how you recommend that jeans be worn? If so, I am not a fan. Still like your channel though. Keep the videos coming.
When is it appropriate to discard through a thrift store rather than throw a garment away? BTW thanks for your channel. I enjoy the research and efforts you all make.
My rule is when it doesn't fit or I just don't wear it anymore more but it is still nice, it fits in the donation category. If I won't wear it because it's worn out, really and truly worn out, why would want to waste someone else's time and money by donating it.
It's funny one of the things you showed was a tennis sweater. That was the first thing that came to mind when it came to ditching my stretched out not quite moth eaten Dads sweater out.
1:04 you're walking down the street and you see these three dapper gentlemen strolling in your direction. You're wearing some worn out street clothes. Wyd?
Unfortunately for me I just ripped one of my favorite sport coats in the back in between the dual Vince very small but noticeable to me I have to take it in. Do you happen to put this video in the nick of time for me. Thank you.
I want to emphasize RECYCLING discarded clothing. Please don't send discarded clothing to landfill; find a local textile or clothing recycling donation box.
Depends on the garment and size/location of the moth hole. For tweed jackets, I've repaired minor holes in the back and it's been quite wearable and only noticeable at extremely close proximity
All my vintage tweeds have a few small moth holes I’ve had to sew up. I’ve just accepted that with vintage clothing will come at least some light wear. Remember these clothes are 50 years old so it’s pretty much to be expected. I wouldn’t say said clothing item would have to be retired if it’s only minimal damage.
Go ahead and call the host and ask. If you can't, assume it's smart casual. I hope some day soon we can do away with all these vague and unhelpful dress codes and be concise and clear.
@@themoderndandy713 I showed up with blue khakis and a checked shirt tucked into them. Casual button down collar and all that. I was a bit over dressed
@@noahlarch9696 That kind of thing is bound to happen when hosts aren't clear about these things. Semi-formal can mean everything from business casual to black tie. Asking the hosts ahead of time is often wise, but being a bit overdressed never hurt anyone. I can't imagine showing up to any social event in anything less than an ascot and slacks, personally.
LOL. Not at all! It is super cool, environment friendly AND the quality of the clothes has no match with current stuff. (Also using new rags has been quite a thing for a long time)
Our great-grandfathers had a twenty times better sense of style than today. Men in the early 20th century understood fit, pattern matching, and aesthetic rules. Nowadays suits are so tight they make you look like a sausage and so incredibly boring that any form of personality or accesories is rare and almost looked down on.
@@henryhen76543 I think that's true in Hollywood, but at least where I live, you almost always see a dark plain notch lapel slim two piece suit, white or blue plain barrel cuff shirt, no tie, a plain silver belt, and at most a plain white pocket square. It's about as visually interesting and personality-filled as a block of cement.
