A New Year resolution didn’t flow over into this year very well, at least for the first month of the year. I had resolved to not spend so much this year as before but the Goodwillitis bug just wouldn’t leave me alone. At least that is the best excuse one could conjure up at a moment’s notice. However, another resolution I was able to keep was to be more selective in the items I placed on the checkout counter. After grabbing what appears to be a decent high-end item, it is worth the few extra minutes it takes to find a tall rack or shelf to hang the items on one at a time for closer inspection. Inevitably, I was able to find those evasive moth holes in the merino wool sweaters or the tears at the end of the shirt sleeves that made the wonderful find a definite “put back”. One must keep in mind that there is a reason these fine items you spend time searching for make their way to the Goodwill stores.

On this page is the month of January 2016 haul of 55 “high end” items. The total expenditure of $303 came as a surprise to myself as I wasn’t aware I had spent that much, almost twice as much as the previous month and about the same value if purchased new. Not a good month if viewed in that perspective. However, there were some definite gems as you will see.

I located a fantastic gray Emporio Armani suit by Giorgio Armani for less than sixteen dollars. It fits like it was tailor-made for you know who. The dress coats produced a nice surprise when a navy Oxxford Clothes Diplomat was located. This company makes some of the best if not the finest American made clothing. The other two were a black Giorgio Armani Collezioni and a gray John Varvatos Dwell. Two overcoats were found; a very nice chocolate brown Armani which I had to sell to a co-worker to get him to leave me alone and then a tan St John’s Bay. The shirts totaled a great number of twenty-three purchases, specifically four from Armani, a Brioni, two Burberry’s, seven of my favorite brand of Ermenegildo Zegna, one Hugo Boss, one TailorByrd, three from Versace and a few others. Two sweaters, one from Armani Exchange and another from Giorgiolini made it into the house. The pants delivered some amazing examples from Armani Collezioni, Armani MANI, Burberry London, Christian Dior Monsieur and a Versace Jeans Couture ($8 vs $850). Lastly, the tie. What would a visit to Goodwill be without finding some great examples of the slivers of silk men tie around their necks (cravette) and I found eighteen of these. The ties came from Allen Edmonds, Armani, Brioni, Burberry, Canali, Croft & Barrow, Ermenegildo Zegna, Givenchy, Gucci, J. Ferrar, Lanvin and Valentino. A nice collection from some nice brands.

The store coupons and the special color tag discounts saved $130 from what the suggested price was listed as on each garment in total. It is even more surprising when you consider the comparison of what shirt you can buy for $5.99 such as a $995 Brioni top of the line or an $8 Wal-Mart special. It is worth the hour spent in each store just to find that one single item each month. The value becomes ever more apparent when worn to work and the ladies know you are wearing something special from their positive compliments. That’ll put a grin on any well-dressed fella’s face.

January 2016 Take

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