Think Local
By Chris Hoffman
(Sherburne, NY) In previous columns, I have written a time or two about the exasperating experience of shopping for clothes these days. Gone is the local department store where you could find quality seasonal clothing, stocked with items for both adults and children, in multiple sizes. Gone are the haberdasher, the tailor, the milliner, the cordwainer, and the cobbler.
Most clothing and shoe stores now are national chains or discount stores that carry cheap imported (read: made in China) crap designed to be worn for a season and discarded. Shoes are rarely made of leather any more. Fabrics are chintzy and frequently ugly. Buttons and zippers are plastic. Hems are sewn on machines, never by hand, and seams tend to come undone because they’re not properly finished. Buttonholes are ragged and unfinished. Elastic does its job for about six months and then goes flaccid; underwear and socks literally fall apart after six months. Sizes tend to concentrate at the extremes: lots of store acreage for Plus sizes and 4 Petites; minimal acreage for anyone in between. Sizes are no longer standardized, so if you order online or from catalogs, what you get might fit. And then again, it might not. This state of affairs seems to be particular to the United States; clothing in other countries is of a much higher quality overall. I experienced this myself when I was in Spain, and recently friends returned from England and Australia raving about the variety of beautiful clothing readily available there.
All of which is why I prefer to shop for used clothing at consignment and thrift shops. But even those have become disappointing of late, since we are now seeing the recycling not of quality clothing but rather of clothing from the last 5-10 years, which is frequently little more than clothing that was junk to begin with now in its last gasp.
But over the weekend, a friend told me about a shop in Hamilton that defies all these trends. I’m almost reluctant to share this information, because I selfishly want to keep it to myself as much as possible, but that wouldn’t be quite right, would it?
The shop is Thrifty Threads & Collections, owned by Sandy MacKinnon. Because my mother made many of my clothes when I was growing up, including prom dresses and my wedding dress, I, too, learned to sew my own clothing and did so for many years. I know what quality workmanship is, and I know what to look for in the details. Ten minutes in Sandy’s shop had me purring over fine wool jackets and suits, silk shirts, sweaters of angora and cashmere, boiled wool jackets, tailored slacks, and stunning formal wear. Included in her inventory are all kinds of accessories – jewelry, scarves, gloves, handbags, shoes – all in pristine condition.
Everything is washed or steamed and ironed before being put on the rack, and Sandy’s focus is on natural rather than synthetic fabrics – cotton, wool, silk. Some of the items were so beautiful, I found myself having a discussion in my head about how long would it take to lose enough pounds so I could actually fit into a size six and therefore justify buying a particular item of clothing! My friend who was with me bought an exquisite camel’s hair scarf in shades of brown that truly looked as if it had never been worn. It cost him all of $7.50.
Sandy is the kind of shop owner who is helpful and genuinely friendly, without being annoying, and extremely knowledgeable about clothing and fabrics, brands and styles. She had a Prada handbag on display, but told us, “I don’t think it’s a real Prada, because the name is not on the inside of the bag.” When we asked her where she is able to find such quality items, she said, “I just can’t reveal that.” And I have no doubt that she has deeply secreted sources, because it’s been a long, long time since I’ve seen clothing and accessories of this quality anywhere.
Thrifty Threads & Collections is located at 40 Milford Street in Hamilton and is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm, and also by appointment (315-750-9356).
Chris Hoffman lives in the village of Sherburne in her 150+ year-old house where she caters to the demands of her four cats, attempts to grow heirloom tomatoes and herbs and reads voraciously. She passionately pursues various avenues with like-minded friends to preserve and protect a sustainable rural lifestyle for everyone in Central New York.