The Official Thrift Reclamation Thread

[DanM]

Gents, scattered throughout SF is a wealth of information on how to reclaim our thrifted finds by removing stains, rehydrating vintage shell cordovan, slimming billowy dress shirts, and reweaving the damage of villainous moths.

Going forward, let's try to collect all that knowledge in this thread, as well as photographic evidence of how well (or not) our methods work.

 

[size 38R]

I guess a good place to start is, " buy a sewing kit" whether you get a complete kit, or select what you want.
get some quality needles, and several common thread colors.
like Black,Navy,White,Brown,Red,etc. and take every chance you get to collect buttons.

find a good sewing store. they will have all you need. and new buttons, buckles,and other stuff. you would be surprised.


if you are really keen, buy a sewing machine, (i have 2) play with it and learn to use it. then check on Youtube how to do basic repairs on your own.


you can then replace buttons, re-sew split seams, shorten pants, and make your own pocket squares as a start. all the info you need is online, a good kit will enable you to maintain and repair your clothes.
- so you need not pass a suit with a ripped lining etc.
Most (not all) of my kit:


I started with a "Snoopy & friends" sewing kit (on sale) and added to it.
items like scissors, thread picker, slim box knife, more threads, and a chalk triangle. plus a measuring tape, pins&cushion. make basic repairs simple.

 

[dazedstate]

^ I am not brave enough for most of that but this is how I learned to sew on a button : http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/06/28/sewing-on-a-button/

 

[Orgetorix]

The Method:

http://putthison.com/post/441812762/cleaningshirts

http://www.styleforum.net/t/9006/th...t-store-bragging-thread/6800_100#post_3039885

How to Clean Shirts


1. Soak shirt in a solution made from one gallon hot water (as hot as it will come out of the faucet) and one cup of vinegar. Let the shirt soak for 30 mins to 2 hours.

2. Rinse shirts, and squeeze out excess water. Empty bucket and rinse. In a cup, prepare a concentrated Oxy-Clean solution. Make sure to use the Oxy-Clean granules that come in the tub. Make the solution about 10 parts HOT water to one part O-C. Usually this amounts to two scoops of O-C (using the provided scoop) per 4-6 ounces of water. You want this to be very concentrated.

3. Apply the strong solution generously to the stained areas. Place the shirts in a bucket (so that the solution doesn’t flow away, or dry) with the stained areas towards the bottom of the bucket so they stay nice and covered in the solution. Allow to soak overnight. It can also help to use an old toothbrush and scrub the stained areas every hour or so, if you’ve got the time.

4. In the morning, remove the shirts from bucket. Fill the bucket with a gallon of hot water, and two scoops of the Oxy-Clean (basically, follow the recipe on the package for a general cleaning solution) and mix well. Place the shirts in the bucket, and soak for 2-24 hours. This just helps to remove any trace of stain. You might want to stir the shirts around with your hands after you put them in the bucket with the weaker solution just to remove some of the stronger solution that is still on the shirts.

5. Remove, and wash/rinse in the regular cycle on your washing machine.

 

[AlexJ1100]

My broad shoulders and slimmer waist will appreciate this thread. Now I need to learn
how to use my girlfriends sewing machine.

 

[ChetB]

I thought this was going to be about #takebackthethread

 

[DanM]



I thought this was going to be about #takebackthethread 

Only if the thread is a marinara covered tie or piss-stained Zanellas (are there any other kind in the thrift?)

 

[rhyme]

The Method:

http://putthison.com/post/441812762/cleaningshirts

http://www.styleforum.net/t/9006/th...t-store-bragging-thread/6800_100#post_3039885

If ^ is too much work for you then plug your sink, Fill it with hot water, throw in 2 scoops of Oxyclean and dump 3-4 shirts in it at once for the next 24 hours. This usually gets rid of the neck stains etc and all the shirts tested came out clean. I have mixed white with navy blue using this method without any color bleeding issues but ymmv.

 

[barrelntrigger]

I guess a good place to start is, " buy a sewing kit" whether you get a complete kit, or select what you want.
get some quality needles, and several common thread colors.
like Black,Navy,White,Brown,Red,etc. and take every chance you get to collect buttons.

find a good sewing store. they will have all you need. and new buttons, buckles,and other stuff. you would be surprised.


if you are really keen, buy a sewing machine, (i have 2) play with it and learn to use it. then check on Youtube how to do basic repairs on your own.


you can then replace buttons, re-sew split seams, shorten pants, and make your own pocket squares as a start. all the info you need is online, a good kit will enable you to maintain and repair your clothes.
- so you need not pass a suit with a ripped lining etc.
Most (not all) of my kit:


I started with a "Snoopy & friends" sewing kit (on sale) and added to it.
items like scissors, thread picker, slim box knife, more threads, and a chalk triangle. plus a measuring tape, pins&cushion. make basic repairs simple.

Bro, when you are up and running, look for some hemp threads!

I thought this was going to be about #takebackthethread

Oh, I get it! Reclamation as in reclaim your thrift pieces from **** and piss stains!!!

 

[luv2breformed]

Subscribed.

 

[hbkshin]

Orgetorororisiaixieix's famous tie pull fixing method from PTO:

http://putthison.com/post/1170228710/fixing-a-pull-in-a-silk-tie

 

[DanM]



Orgetorororisiaixieix's famous tie pull fixing method from PTO:

http://putthison.com/post/1170228710/fixing-a-pull-in-a-silk-tie

@orgetorix I always meant to ask about that one - that's just for woven silk ties, right? Would that actually work on a fine printed silk tie? I've got a Ben Silver that I absolutely love, and am ashamed to say it got a pull while in my care, I know not how.

 

[Orgetorix]



@orgetorix I always meant to ask about that one - that's just for woven silk ties, right? Would that actually work on a fine printed silk tie? I've got a Ben Silver that I absolutely love, and am ashamed to say it got a pull while in my care, I know not how.

Well, all ties (except knits) are made from woven fabrics, so it should work. The challenge will be that printed silks are usually a finer, tighter, smoother weave, so it'll make it more difficult to get the needle in the right place.

 

[Lirum]

Well, all ties (except knits) are made from woven fabrics, so it should work. The challenge will be that printed silks are usually a finer, tighter, smoother weave, so it'll make it more difficult to get the needle in the right place.

Really, really good to know. I toss any tie with pulls on the front blade so this should help quite a bit if I can get it working even half the time.

 

[DanM]

^agreed. I have a pile of ties where I missed pulls during my store check, perfect to test this out.