Issue #2 | Adventures on eBay
Vintage Levi’s, the joys of eBay, last minute wedding attire, Drake’s, and more
Happy Friday, and welcome to the second issue of Front of Book. A big thanks to new subscribers, especially those who supported this idea with a paid subscription. I appreciate it, and I’m excited to grow this newsletter!
Here’s what’s on my mind this week…
1. On the Hunt for ’90s Made in the U.S.A. Levi’s
Last year I hastily bought three pairs of Levi’s from a mall in upstate New York. I wasn’t wearing jeans much at the time, and whenever I purchased denim I upgraded to higher quality. My go-to was a pair of light blue Kapital from Japan. I loved those jeans and wore and repaired them until I couldn’t keep up with the holes I was putting in them. But they cost $300+ and I didn’t want to pay that much to replace them.
At the mall, I tried on a pair of faded Levi’s. I can’t remember the number, but they were relaxed with a slight taper. They fit well enough and were cheap, so I grabbed two other pairs of the same fit, one dark blue and the other gray.
When I started wearing them, I noticed each of the jeans was just… off. Even though they were all the same make and size, they each fit differently. But mostly it was the quality. The denim was frail, like they were made of paper towel.
Today, all of them have gone to Goodwill. I always remembered Levi’s as being of decent quality, even if they weren’t high-end denim. What happened?
Recently, I noticed a lot of style guys I follow on Instagram wearing Levi’s. But their jeans looked great: nice fades, sturdy, perfect fit. What was the difference between theirs and the ones I bought? It didn’t take long until I found the answer: Theirs were vintage Levi’s from the ’70s through ’90s, made in the U.S.A.
I did a little digging into Levi’s history. Back in 2003, Levi’s shuttered its factory in San Antonio and stopped making jeans in the U.S. Today, Levi’s are made in China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and elsewhere overseas. Around the same time, they also switched to a lower-grade cotton. As a result, the quality of Levi’s dropped considerably from the brand’s heyday.
Recently, I wanted to incorporate more denim into my wardrobe. So I went on the hunt for some ’90s Levi’s on eBay. Thanks to some guidance from the fashion site Permanent Style, this wasn’t particularly challenging. I looked for men’s 501s with the words “Made in the U.S.A.” in the search bar. I’m normally a 34, but I read that jeans back then usually fit small, so I looked for size 36. I only focused on listings that had photos of measurements and also photos of the inside label. On the flip side of the label is a series of numbers, one set of which indicates when it was made. (For example, the digits 071 mean they were made in July 1991.)
I found a pair of 501s with a slight fade from the early ’90s and a pair of black 550 relaxed fits from the later ’90s. I bought the 501s for $70 (including shipping), and the black pair for mere $20, all in. Both are terrific: The denim is soft to the touch, but super sturdy. The 501s are straight leg and classic—I want to go out and tool around with my car when I wear them.
I really like those 501s, but I love the black 550s. I’ve never been a black jeans guy, but I’m finding them to be incredibly versatile. But mostly it’s the fit, which is exactly how I like my pants to fit these days: high rise in the front, relaxed through the thigh with a slight taper, and cut about an inch above the ankle bone.
Now I’ve got two pairs of excellent vintage jeans with a story that I can wear for years. And it all cost less than $100, instead of the $300-$400 I might have otherwise paid for a single premium pair.
All of this brings me to…
2. Front of Book Endorses: The Joys of eBay Shopping
I’ve become an eBay zealot in recent years. It started with a Ryan Gosling-inspired hunt for vintage sweaters and denim jackets in 2018. I found a cool trucker style Lee jean jacket and a bunch of funky patterned sweaters. Some were hits, some were misses, but none cost me more than $20. Many I still wear today.
There are a ton of gems on eBay. You just need to dig a little and know what you’re looking for. There was a time when I really wanted a pair of Alden loafers. Alden is a brand from Massachusetts that fashion obsessed guys are crazy about. But their shoes cost upwards of $700. On eBay, however, you can find barely worn pairs in the $100-$200 range. A few years ago I bought a pair of brown horse bit loafers and another burgundy tasseled loafer made of a horse rump leather known as shell cordovan. Those shoes will last a lifetime.
For inspiration, here’s a fall-ready, head-to-toe outfit I put together in recent months through eBay finds (except the boots, which I haven’t bought—yet.)
3. “I have a wedding next week and I have nothing to wear. What should I do?”
I’m going to a wedding this weekend, and a friend of mine who is also attending told me last week has doesn’t have anything to wear. He has one suit, and it doesn’t fit very well, and nothing else wedding appropriate.
Here’s what I would do: Pick up an off-the-rack suit from Todd Snyder. Todd has a solid range of colors and materials, and the jacket and pants are casual enough that a) you’ll look fine with an off-the-rack suit, and b) be able to break up the pieces later on to get more wear of them.
This olive suit Ryan Reynolds wore a few weeks ago is from Todd Snyder (in fact, so is the whole outfit—shirt, tie, shoes).
They probably tailored the suit specifically for Reynolds, but in my experience the jackets and pants at Todd’s fit pretty well right off the rack, and they will adjust the pants in-store in a few days.
Reynold’s suit is the Italian wool flannel Sutton suit in olive, which costs $996. Todd Snyder offers a range of off-the-rack suits in a similar price range.
4. A Brand I Love: Drake’s
You’ll see Drake’s come up a lot in this newsletter, so I might as well intro them now. It’s been my favorite brand for the last five years or so, since I bought my single most prized piece of clothing (other than items with sentimental value): a camel corduroy top coat. I’ve been stopped on the street and complimented for this coat more times than I can count.
Since then, I’ve picked up a number of pieces that remain wardrobe staples: A natural silk-linen knit polo, a pair of suede boots, an olive cotton suit, white jeans, and more. I currently have a moratorium on buying any more Drake’s because I have too much of it (and not enough money), but if you’re looking for a brand to help build the foundations of a wardrobe, that’s neither too formal nor too casual, and that’s of exceptional quality and style, Drake’s is it.
5. Weekly Inspiration
Jason Jules is a writer, creative director, and style god in the menswear universe, and for good reason. No one makes a chore coat, jeans, Oxford shirt, and cap look better. He models sometimes for Drake’s and other brands, and he’s author of the book Black Ivy: A Revolt in Style, about a revolutionary moment in Black American style.
Afterword: A Note From My Dad
My dad sent me this message after last week’s post with an interesting tidbit about pleated pants.
Hi Mitch. Just read the Front of Book piece. It certainly resonated with me. I just the other day bought my first ever jean jacket and I hit my late teen years at a time when dress pants meant pleats. Most of them also had cuffs. Their purpose was not just fashion. The cool young man always had a pack of Players Plain (everyone smoked, or pretended to) and he flicked his ashes into the cuff of his pleated pants. So classy.
Thanks for reading, Dad.
Until next week!
Mitch
Question? Comment? Suggestion? Caught a typo? Email me at mitch.moxley@gmail.com
