Pop-Ups and Fleas

Last weekend I stopped by a couple of clothing-related events taking place in the area. On Saturday I visited the American Field pop-up organized by Ball and Buck. It was a prime opportunity for close-up inspection of all sorts of American-made clothing and gear. I thought this was going to be an outdoor event, but it was inside an old building in the South End. (Maybe a hedge against the weather?) The live music was too loud for the indoor space, and the promised food trucks didn't materialize (there was one lone truck), but otherwise this is an event I'd like to see happening annually.

The highlights for me: imploring the rep from Red Wing to pass along my request to make more of their offerings in wide widths; getting hands-on with San Francisco's Tellason jeans (at $200 a pair they are definitely beyond my budget now, but someday I'm going to find a way to own a pair of these); and seeing Maine's Rancourt & Co. shoes in person for the first time—the quality and workmanship of these is really impressive, and they're also an excellent value. I also enjoyed looking over the goods from Taylor Stitch (also a San francisco company) and learning that their shirts are offered in chest sizes, which provides a better fit for more men.

On Sunday it was over to the VFW in Davis Square for the sixth edition of An Affordable Wardrobe's semi-annual Top Shelf Flea Market. It's always nice to stop by, say hello to Giuseppe, and chat about clothes. This time I was able to bring home something genuinely interesting and cool: a deadstock (old, but never sold) Brooks Brothers dress shirt (pics here) in my size, white with burgundy stripes and a semi-spread collar, still sporting a price tag from Filene's Basement along with its original collar stays and obvious fold lines from being in its original packaging for a long time. It's difficult to tell just how old this is, but the shirt is made in USA and the price tag suggests it probably dates from at least the late 1990s.