The official thrift/discount store bragging thread

[BerryWall]

The top coat button either fell off or was removed. With the lapel incorrectly pressed flat it would make an unsightly bulge, especially due to leather buttons are used. The piece of fabric secured by two buttons on the inside of the coat front is the throat latch. It can be attached to the buttons on either side of the inside coat collar edges when the coat is buttoned up with the collar turned up. The coat dates from the mid seventies to the mid eighties. The number you see on the inside pocket tag is the fabric lot number. The picture of this coat gave me a mild nostalgic shock. I grew up in Grosse Pointe Farms and shopped at Picard Norton. Tiny store, but they did a lot of business for a long time. I bought a very similar Hilton Shetland tweed jacket at Picard Norton in 1979. It finally gave up the ghost about thirty years or so later, according to my dear friend and college roommate who adopted it after I outgrew it. But I do go on...

Hmmm Norman Hilton 43R jacket is this 3r2? It has 3 button holes but 2 leather button and I can't see any disturbance for a 3 button. Also anyone know what the inside button on the collar is and the latch inside the coat? Finally is the item number the date perchance (i.e. 1954)? BTW everything I post here can be made available.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

 

[Shoeluv]

The top coat button either fell off or was removed. With the lapel incorrectly pressed flat it would make an unsightly bulge,
especially due to leather buttons are used. The piece of fabric secured by two buttons on the inside of the coat front is the throat latch. It can be attached to the buttons on either side of the inside coat collar edges when the coat is buttoned up with the collar turned up.

The coat dates from the mid seventies to the mid eighties. The number you see on the inside pocket tag is the fabric lot number.

The picture of this coat gave me a mild nostalgic shock. I grew up in Grosse Pointe Farms and shopped at Picard Norton. Tiny store, but they did a lot of business for a long time.

I bought a very similar Hilton Shetland tweed jacket at Picard Norton in 1979. It finally gave up the ghost about thirty years or so later, according to my dear friend and college roommate who
adopted it after I outgrew it. But I do go on...

Thank you very much, this was amazingly helpful. I appreciate that and your contribution to this this thread as well.

 

[BerryWall]

Thank you, Shoeluv, for your kind words. I am glad that I could be of help to you. Happy Hunting!

 

[hbkshin]

 

[Erichmax]

This will require a bit of reading, which I'm not terribly sure you enjoy.

I thought everyone else may be interested in it anyway.
As the French couturiers created boutique collections, they discovered that the easiest way to offset their mounting losses on couture was to sign up licensees, which provided a reliable money machine and a lifeline for their businesses. The father of fashion licensing was Christian Dior, who in 1948 signed up with Prestige, a New York hosiery company, which produced his Christian Dior nylon stockings. Dior rejected an initial offer of a flat $10,000 licensing fee and held out for a revenue stream - a sliding royalty based on a percentage of sales - which became the industry standard for such contracts in the future.

In fashion licensing, a designer collects a royalty payment - between about 3 percent and 8 percent of wholesale volume - from an outside manufacturer who produces and markets the merchandise. Licensing enabled designers to put their trademarks on handbags, jewelry, shoes, and bed sheets - as well as clothes - quickly and relatively painlessly. Millions of American women who would never see the inside of an exclusive Paris atelier nevertheless shared the allure of filling their closets with affordable designer merchandise that was blessed with a couture pedigree.

Long after Dior’s death in 1957, the house of Dior continued to milk its vaunted trademark, with more than two hundred licensees by the late 1980s, when royalties ran deep. “From 1983 to 1989 we had licenses that were getting 20 to 25 percent increases every year and we didn’t understand why,” said Marie Fornier, who worked at Dior at the time. “The system was so great; Asia was just opening and there wasn’t a lot of competition outside the traditional designer brands. So it was, why not more? We even licensed Dior slippers with Aris Isotoner.”

But “more” resulted in schlock instead of chic. Marc Bohan, Dior’s couturier for nearly thirty years, became more and more disgusted as the Dior label ceased to reflect all that was elegant and chic. Once in the late 1980s when Bohan was aghast upon seeing “all that horrible luggage with the Dior name on it!”

While Arnault could take pride in Dior’s popular fragrances such as Diorissimo and its chic Baby Dior infant’s wear, the Dior trademark nevertheless suffered from “inconsistency,” admitted Colombe Nicholas, who ran Dior’s U.S. division in the 1980s and signed up many of its licensees at the behest of Paris headquarters. Quality control became exceedingly difficult to maintain because the licensees were more interested in making money that genuflecting to the House of Dior.

For example, the licenses refused to make merchandise that complemented the fashions designed by Marc Bohan. According to Nicholas, Bohan’s “ready-to-wear [collections for Dior] never sold well in the U.S. because the clothes were all wrong - too expensive, too formal, too French-looking, and not lifestyle-driven. Marc would set styles; he would say, for example, that green was the color of the season and a half of the licensees would say ‘you can’t give away a green coat in America.’ So, they tended to ignore him, rightly or wronly.”

But the licensees were driven to safeguard their profits by any means necessary. They were already on the hook to pay Dior guaranteed minimum royalty payments, regardless of sales or profit levels. So it was in their best interest to jack up sales - to cut corners on quality, to make a handbag in a vinyl-trimmed canvas, for example, so that the handbags could retail for a lower price, making them easier to unload to department stores. Most high-fashion designers barred their licensees from shipping their merchandise to do discounters like Loehmann’s. But if nobody was watching - and the French fashion houses were lax when it came to monitoring - the licensees would surreptitiously ship merchandise to any stores they pleased.

In fashion licensing, Nicholas said, “It is very difficult to balance image and to make money. The challenge is standing up to the licensees, telling them that whatever limitations in price, there should be a certain quality level. But when you are sitting across from a licensee with whom you do $100 million of business, it is a difficult position to be in. They tell you, “ ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about.’”

The licensing boom saturated the world with designer merchandise that hardly lived up to its prestigious labels - polyester scarves and handbags stamped with brassy logos. Hurting the French mystique even further was the flood of illegal counterfeit T-shirts and handbags hawked on the streets of big cities like New York. By the late 1980s, American shoppers in particular had had their fill and were no longer fascinated by most French designer labels.

Thank you for the wonderful story. That means the Dior tie I just picked up is worthless

 

[nhindian]



Thank you for the wonderful story. That means the Dior tie I just picked up is worthless

A small price to pay to learn a lesson and some history!

 

[jebarne]

Semi-relevant Sunday Morning Derail Time..

I am soon in the market for new (used) wheels. I am looking at crossover type vehicles. This will be used solely for business (as is my current vehicle - Nissan Altima) and needs to meet a few requirements without breaking the bank for me to consider it.

1. Fuel Economy, hey I'm thrifty. I love the look and feel of the Mazda CX-9, but a sad 18 MPG is a deal breaker. Looking for something in the mid 20 MPG (city) range. Otherwise I may as well just drive my Silverado around.
2. Interior Capacity, not talking passengers obviously, stow and go seats with maximum hauling space without looking like a minivan.
3. Driver Comfort, I'm on the road for long hours, so this includes visibility, layout, ease of getting in and out, etc
4. Would prefer onboard navigation and handsfree phone linking, but of course this stuff is all available aftermarket.


So what are you other thrifty SUV drivers sporting these days?

PS, I will not drive a Ford, so Ford drivers need not respond. lol

V8 Explorer. Replaced my land cruiser. Land Cruiser was 12 city, 13 hwy. Premium. I used to have to schedule fill ups on my calendar it took so long.

my new car voice keeps whispering "tesla, tesla, tesla, tesla, tesla"

 

[jebarne]

Anyone know the maker of Barrie Limited shoes (made in England)?

Depends. I just picked up a pair that are Cheaney, but apparently Church's also made for them.

 

[jebarne]

I love my VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI. get actual 35MPG, though diesel prices have jumped. TONS of room, and you can get all those goodies, though do you really need onboard nav? I prefer my phone with a bluetooth connection to the car.

Interesting. Close friend just bought the audi version of this to commute. Same thing. 35mpg. Loves it. His main car is a 850 drop top and also has a suburban. The wagon is getting all the miles right now.

 

[jebarne]

Any of you punks been bidding against me on Linda's Cbarvet and Cesare Attolini lot? I got outbid, but bid the most I was willing to spend...so if someone here won, congrats!

lol.

I won a BB Loro Piana storm system car coat from her last week. Received via UPS a very nice Valentino Suit. Very fast shipping! (she seems to have her own deal with ups)

Only took 2 days for them to respond to my request for the right product. Basically, all emails were answered in 2 days. They couldn't figure out what I had, so I had to look at their sold items to give them the auction number.

On the topic of the coat I actually won, once received is perfect. I can't believe that despite misspelling the name, providing marginal photographs, they managed to under-sell it even more. They didn't mention or photograph the suede details under the collar, the monogram buttons, sold it as zipper when it had also had a button closure under the placket and more.

I'm confused by the success of such an indifferent consignment service. @Brianpore would have gotten at least $250 for this jacket.

 

[jebarne]

Yup, Dallas in September.

Thanks, My shoulders end up being the deciding factor, I'm usually about 19.25-19.5 which can sometimes even push me into a 56 EU! Crazy.

I'm a Minnesota boy moving to texas so even their fall will seem warm to me!

We loved our 7 years in Texas.

However, it took us a while to get used to the heat.

Positives are housing is way cheaper, tons to do, no state income tax, very much a live and let live culture. Every pro sports. Like Music? Every major concert goes through there. probably 20 mid-size music venues. Another 150 clubs, from Deep Ellum to Billy Bob's. Like to eat out? you could try a different restaurant every night for at least 3 years without repeating once.

Plus hbkshin needs some thrift competition down there.

 

[jebarne]

Can I get a Grenadine check?

 

[ocooney]

A few things yesterday:

Cherry pop on Zegna Couture for me...and yet another killer shirt in my size. Cucinelli are women's and the shoes are my size and fill a noticeable gap in my rotation.

Also, shout out to @GMMCL for an awesome exchange. Jacket fits great. Thanks man!

 

[GMMcL]



A few things yesterday:
Also, shout out to @GMMCL for an awesome exchange. Jacket fits great. Thanks man!

Right back at you. Loved everything in the box.

 

[Orgetorix]

I also owe a shout out to @GMMcL for a great trade. He was very gracious when the suit I sent him had more issues than I realized, but we worked it out and he was very patient.