I had a recent Goodwill find that was pretty serendipitous. WAAAAY back in 2012 when I moved to the Westside, the first pair of jeans I bought from Sid Mashburn were a pair of APC New Standards. I loved the dark blue shade of the selvedge denim, and the way they fit around my mid-section. It could be that APC builds in a little vanity in their sizing…regardless, it felt good buying a pair of size 31 jeans.
I had them tailored (and eventually re-shortened), and have been wearing them pretty frequently over the years. I would say I would average wearing them once a week. They have been in the starting lineup as my go-to date night jeans. Mrs. RCS loves them. Still does.
Over they years, they have developed an incredible patina. I love the way they look now, and the fit is exactly what you’d want in a pair of selvedge jeans. They have held up incredibly well. I haven’t had to make any repairs, and there aren’t any wear spots that are about to pop. Overall, I’m happy with these, but just like any old dog, you know that walk over the rainbow bridge is getting closer…
For those of you that don’t know, I like to visit Goodwill stores. It’s like therapy for me. Very rewarding therapy. Anyway, I recently visited an off-the-beaten-path Goodwill in Marietta. They type of Goodwill that I don’t expect to product much. I was basically killing time waiting on an appointment.
After striking out in the men’s clothes, I’m cutting through the Women’s jeans sections on my way to the Art, and I see a pair of really dark jeans. This grabbed my attention. I look at them, and they are a BRAND NEW pair of APC New Standards in Raw Denim. They hadn’t been touched. In fact, they still had the fold creases. These had been sitting somewhere for a while. What’s even more interesting is that they are my size – which is an odd size – a 31 inch waist.
Immediate buy.
To say I was excited was an understatement. I was a little apprehensive that I could still wear a size 31, as selvedge denim has a tendency to stretch out… Luckily they worked. Jackpot. They are going to get tailored exactly as I did my first pair, and I hope they take me for as good a ride as my originals. Here are some side by sides:
I get asked a lot about my ‘best’ Goodwill finds…while these APCs may not be the most expensive or valuable thing I’ve ever found, they are probably the most valuable to me, as they will immediately be added to the starting lineup…
Sweet find!
I hit the area Goodwills regularly as well, haunting Tucker, Decatur, and Piedmont each week.
I only scan the trousers because taking waist size, length, and rise into account, finding the illusive style + color + size + condition nexus is next to impossible compared to the relative ease of sizing shirts and jackets. Plus the way GW hangs their trousers makes going through several hundred pair a real chore.
Two weeks ago I did pick up a pair of pleated RL baby blue silk and linen trousers that had never been hemmed, I plan on rocking these in the spring.
When taking a quick look at GW trousers, my eye is searching for color only, which narrows things down a lot.
Nice post and your finds keep me energized for the hunt.
Cheers,
BSR
Very happy for you. The Goodwill stores in my area (Baton Rouge and surrounding) are terrible. You would find more in a dumpster than find quality, it’s almost upsetting.
Bravo. Have many excellent GW finds here in Colorado including a pair of brand new tags still on blackwatch flannels in my exact size made for an exclusive mens store in Dallas, bought for less than 8 dollars.. But they were unlined and itched, so sold them on ebay for about forty dollars. It is amazing what people give away. Best GW find ever was a book, a turn of the century Edgar Allen Poe edition, which contained a train ticket used as a bookmark from Pittsburgh to somewhere I do not recall at present, taken on March 7 1908. Also the second volume of Robert Caros’s LBJ bio series. Was not familiar with the author or the series until that day at GW. Don’t forget to stop by the book section.
Ha, congrats! I think I know the GW of which you speak! A couple years ago I found a great pair of NWT Raleigh Denim selvedge in my size there, mixed unobtrusively among the Old Navy and Lucky Denim that makes up most of the rack. Truthfully, that place is more of a “miss” than “hit”…but the hits are pretty great.
31??31!!?? Are you 12? Geez dude I haven’t seen 31 since 8th grade.