Old Clothing Can Be Classics

Repost with a little Editing  by Erik Peterson

By TERI AGINS @ WSJ.COM  original Article

Q: I have a corduroy jacket from the early 1980s that is now so faded around the edges that it keeps getting better. It is very New England “college professor,” and women compliment me on it often. Now that I’m 58, I think I prefer the look of worn classic clothes and I want ways to make more of my clothes look as cool as that jacket. Can you give me some more ideas on what I should look for?

—C.R., Westport, Conn.

A: A smart selection of distressed items can certainly give a man’s wardrobe a textured flair. So start experimenting with your run-over Topsider boat shoes, worn leather belts, and frayed Oxford dress shirts. Even consider that stretched-out, moth-eaten, Shetland sweater covered with fuzz balls.

But be warned that it takes swagger—and a reasonably it physique—to pull off the look. And a top-to-bottom outfit of clothes with holes may look just shabby, rather than chic. Study the vintage style of designer Ralph Lauren, who varies his formalwear by wearing a tuxedo jacket with faded jeans and scuffed cowboy boots. During office hours, he tools around in threadbare denim shirts and old motorcycle jackets.

Once in a while, brand-new pre-distressed clothes can look exceptional, like the $225 Jake Agave hand saned jeans for men, alas, I passed up in the late 1990s. But generally, it’s hard to replicate the genuine patina of old clothes—which is why vintage-fashion addicts (along with Hollywood stylists) comb the bins at secondhand shops, flea markets, and of course, eBay, which has the best selection of worn duds.

Impart some character to new T-shirts and cotton sweaters by whacking off the edges so they will roll and fray on their own. And don’t ever put an iron to your jeans or khakis.

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