Arts & Culture

Photo courtesy DJ Scammell

Fashion for Men: Men’s Fashion Don’t Rule Out Thrift Stores

By Douglas James Scammell

Published 3:12 PDT, Wed August 5, 2026

-

When it comes to shopping for men’s luxu- ry clothing, shoes, and accessories, there are many different ways to achieve what you are looking for, whether you shop at depart- ment stores, high-end boutique shops, luxury designer fashion stores, or online shopping. All of these forms of shopping will have exact- ly what you will be looking for, but you could end up paying a higher price than anticipat- ed. There is another form of shopping that I’d like you to consider when shopping for luxury items, and that is thrift shopping. Believe me, I have hit some serious pay dirt with little experi- ence and with very little effort.

Thrift shopping for men’s luxury clothing is an excellent way to start or add to wardrobes without paying exorbitant retail prices. It pro- vides access to premium materials, allows you to discover unique or discontinued styles, and promotes a more sustainable approach to building your fashion collection. One of the best things about thrift shopping is that it can be a lot of fun, never knowing what you might find. Not only men’s fashion, but you might also find some other items you might be interested in, such as Vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, books, women’s luxury items, paintings, tools, sports equipment... the list is almost endless, and that is really the bonus to thrifting for men’s fashion.

Thrifting for designer and luxury menswear is a great idea for several reasons:

1. Unmatched Value: You can acquire top-tier brands like Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, Tom Ford, Gucci, and Hugo Boss at a fraction of their original cost. You will find blazers, overcoats, shirts, sweaters, and shoes from 70-90% off the retail costs. The only thing is you have to be pa- tient. You will not find everything all at once.

2. Superior Construction: Many of the luxury and vintage items that are in someone’s clos- et waiting to be thrifted are built to last a life- time, featuring natural fibers, such as cash- mere, heavy wool, and raw silk, and many of the items, particularly the vintage items, will have craftsmanship that today’s contempo- rary fashion alternatives lack.

3. Distinctive Style: Pre-owned luxury pieces often have unique patterns, cuts, or details that are no longer produced. Shopping sec- ond hand allows you to craft a wardrobe with some character, with visuals that stand out from modern off-the-rack options.

4. Sustainable Fashion: Extending the lifespan of luxury garments keeps them out of land- fills and reduces the environmental impact and resource consumption associated with manufacturing new clothing.

5. High Return on Investment: High-quality vin- tage pieces usually retain their value, allowing you to wear them and later flip them on online platforms such as eBay or Poshmark to name a few. Sometimes you might come across an item you do not love, but you know you can make a profit on it to help you acquire some- thing you know that you will love more.

Here is a small fraction of the items I have thrifted shown here in the photos below:

I thrifted this pair of Gucci horsebit loafers for $20. These shoes sell brand new for over $1,200; all I had to do was take them to a shoe cobbler to be re-healed and get the leather conditioned and polished.

Also thrifted this beautiful pair of vintage Dack’s Genuine Camel Skin oxford dress shoes for $60. These shoes sold brand new for $600 in the 1980s, which in today’s money would be closer to $2,000. Again, all I had to do was have them re-healed at a shoe cobbler and get the leather conditioned and polished. The thing I love most about these shoes is how unique and rare they are today. You just can’t find anything like them in the stores today. I love them, and it really makes me feel good that I did my part to help keep them from being sent to the landfill.

Lastly, this beautiful Lacoste Vintage Cardigan acrylic sweater in this beautiful yellow color was a wonderful find. I paid only $20.00 for that one. This exact model has been delisted for decades, and yes, it looks retro and something any member of the Rat Pack, especially Dean Martin would wear... which to me makes the sweater even cooler because, after all, Dean Martin was the King of Cool.

When you make the choice to incorporate some thrift shopping you will have to put in a little work searching through each store’s inventory and it also helps to know vintage products and their market value the but once you begin finding some items one thing I can guarantee, you will not look like a carbon copy of today’s majority that are wearing fast retail fashion, instead you will have your own imagine a classic unique original look.