Happy New Year!
Man, 2025 was a packed year. I went to Japan (Tokyo and Kyoto with a few small towns in between), London, and Paris, making this the first year I’ve traveled to three countries, and I made a ton of clothing purchases. 47 to be exact, and 33 of them were thrifted.
This was a big year for thrifting for me. My wife got me into thrifting in 2024, and over the course of 2025, I feel that I’ve really developed an eye for good clothing and what fits in my personal style.
What I Was Looking For
My wife always says you can’t go into the thrift store with a plan; you need to accept whatever the thrift store shows you. That’s definitely true in my experience, but I did have an overarching goal for the year: overhaul my closet and codify my personal style.
I think I’ve achieved both those goals. Years ago, my style was pretty much whatever my parents bought me. Six or seven years ago, it was whatever my wife wanted me to buy intersected with what I could afford, which was usually H&M or Primark.
Today? It’s a little Ivy, a little classic American, with a hefty dash of New England staples.
But the biggest evolution of all was getting away from my “favorite brands” and recognizing quality where I found it.
Jackets and Outerwear
I bought far more jackets than I planned to, or frankly needed. Here are my top three that I absolutely love.
J.Crew Down Jacket
J.Crew really nailed the function + fashion aesthetic in the 1990s, and it shows in this awesome down jacket. 100% cotton and filled with goose down, this coat rivals Canada Goose jackets in warmth and offers incredible versatility: it’s a down vest, a down bomber, and a two-layer down coat for extra-cold Boston winters.
J.Press Reversible Overcoat
I feel like the best finds are when I go back for “one more look.” My wife and I were wrapping up, she more slowly than I, so I went to peruse the jackets to see if anything was interesting.
I didn’t need a wool coat, but boy am I glad I found this one. The herringbone stuck out to me, but what got me to rip it off the rack and run it to my wife’s cart was the vintage J.Press logo sewn into the pocket.
Today, these reversible tweed coats retail for $1,200+, so at $18, this coat was an absolute no-brainer. Paired with dark wash jeans or green chinos, the coat is an absolute stunner and one of the first I reach for when the temps drop below 50 degrees.
Wallace and Barnes Corduroy Chore Coat
One of my favorite modern brands is Taylor Stitch, and when I saw the bourbon corduroy Ojai jacket for $200+, my heart sank. It’s just a lot to stomach purchasing one item, especially one made overseas.
I found this Wallace and Barnes brown corduroy chore coat on eBay and snapped it up in an auction for less than a quarter of the price, and it’s quickly become one of my favorites. It’s a great light jacket in the fall and a good layering piece over an OCBD in the winter.
Shirts
I thrifted a TON of shirts this year, and they’ve quickly become my favorite shirts in my closet. Seriously, they really do not make button-down shirts the way that they used to. Here are my favorite thrifted shirts.
J.Crew Vintage Oxford
I bought this shirt in March, and it’s become one of my favorite shirts in my closet.
Released in 2008, the J.Crew Vintage Oxford is a perfect example of what made J.Crew so great post-IPO before its second decline in the late 2010s, before declaring bankruptcy. While it’s definitely a slimmer fit, I feel that it fits me well. The shirt also includes a few subtle details that modern retailers tend to forego to cut costs. Check out my in-depth review of this shirt here!
Banana Republic Houndstooth Flannel
This was a re-release of an older pattern that Banana Republic released back in the 1980s. Alas, this shirt is from the early 2000s. Still, it’s a fantastic shirt. It’s a wool-cotton blend, beautifully stitched, and soft to the touch yet sturdy – in fact, the shirt feels brand new despite being 20+ years old!
Banana Republic Denim Shirt
I really fell in love with Banana Republic in the 1980s after reading Wild Company by the founders. Banana Republic today is a shell of its former self; back then they sold up-styled surplus, adventure and military-inspired gear, and tons of other unique items. This shirt is a testament to the type of craftsmanship you could expect back then.
Even 40 years later, there’s not a stitch out of place in this shirt. The shirt has faded to a lovely light blue, and seams are triple-stitched throughout for durability; it even has rivets! This has quickly become my favorite denim shirt in my closet and works great as an over-shirt or light jacket.
Pants
At the start of this year, I had two pairs of J.Crew slim-fit chinos and two pairs of Huckberry 365 pants. Not bad, but skinnier fits than I wear now and not 100% cotton – I think an upgrade was very much needed!
Here are my favorite thrifted pants of the year.
J.Crew Chinos
Another 2008 offering from J.Crew! I believe these most closely resemble the current Broken-in Chino J.Crew currently offers. They’re a classic straight fit, dark khaki with a medium rise that works well with a tucked-in shirt or a simple t-shirt. Oh and they’re 100% cotton!
An honorable mention is a pair of 2008 J.Crew linen pants. They’re great, just a bit less versatile than the other purchases I made.
Structure Pleated Chinos
These surprised me. All the Instagram fashion bros are into pleated chinos, so a part of me really wants to resist the trend by jumping on and purchasing some. But I can’t get the idea of a linen shirt or OCBD with pleated chinos and boat shoes out of my head. It just screams Cape Cod to me.
I saw these Structure chinos for $3.99 and grabbed them without thinking. It turns out Structure was a sub-brand of Express in the 1980s and generally made high-quality stuff. These pants are a testament to that. At almost 40 years old, the most wear they show is on the cuffs. Otherwise, they’re perfectly broken-in and look darn good.
Wool trousers
I found these at a church thrift store for $3 and snapped them up right away. I’d never worn wool pants aside from dress pants with a suit, so this was a bit of a step outside my comfort zone, but I’m glad I took it. They’re 100% wool and soft, with a slightly hairy texture. They’re my go-to with an OCBD or sweater, and can easily be dressed up or down.
Shoes
I usually skip past the shoe section at most thrift stores because I find men’s shoes are often worn straight into the ground. While I still hold that true 99% of the time, I’ve now learned that the 1% chance makes it well worth taking a peek every visit.
Cole Haan Country Loafers
These days, Cole Haan is known as a low-quality department store brand, but these Cole Haan Country loafers were a higher-end shoe back in the 1980s, and it shows. Hand-stitched in Colombia, these tassel loafers jumped out at me from the rack and fit like a glove. With a little conditioning, they looked good as new!
Ralph Lauren Chukka Boots
I thought I was striking out the day I got these, but as is often the case, that “one last look” netted some gold. I walked past the shoe rack and noticed these suede boots at the very top without laces. The suede looked nice and in good condition, so I figured, why not check them out?
You wouldn’t believe my surprise when I saw these were Ralph Lauren, not Polo. They’d easily retail for $400+, so I tried them on and checked for damage, and then ran over to my wife’s cart to show her.
2025 Was a Big Year for Thrifting. What’s Next?
2025 was the year I decided to overhaul my closet and intentionally restock it with higher-quality pieces that meshed into a somewhat cohesive style.
I like to think I did a pretty good job at that. By far most of my purchases were thrifted this year, allowing me to be extra-discerning when buying new clothes. I came into this year with three Oxford Cloth Button-Downs and leave it with seven. I came in with two pairs of cotton-spandex chinos and left with five 100% cotton.
I really don’t need much for clothing now, though I’ll continue to join my wife and see what the thrift store reveals to me.
