Individuals 2 / What a Piece: Buffalo Plaid Jacket

Glenn O'Brien, the GQ Magazine Style Guy, from a recent interview:

"I have been spotted in my red plaid Woolrich jacket around town a couple of times, but usually on a casual day. And there’s something to be said for that. It’s warm. The thing about vintage is, you don’t want to look like everybody else. So you buy something old, you know there aren’t a thousand of them out there. It’s more likely to be a unique thing at this point."

True. It's about being unique - an individual. Personalize your wardrobe, as well as your home. Find the items - clothing, dishes, lighting, luggage, etc. - that define your personality and specific taste. Don't be fooled by the advertisers, who prey on insecurities. If you like something, like it with confidence. Confidence is classic. Individual style is classic. Be that.

Nearly a century ago, Woolrich originally popularized the buffalo plaid print jacket that O'Brien refers to here. We have a quality-made John Blair jacket that is patterned after the Woolrich. Best guess, it's from the 1960s. Amazing jacket. Amazing price. Made in the USA. The vintage Woolrich jackets will run a few hundred, as will the new ones. Our vintage John Blair is only $33.00. Seriously.

Junk and Howe's John Blair Buffalo Plaid Jacket (BUY IT):

Junk and Howe Finds - 4/8/11

Got a lot, and a little bit of everything. Some junk for others, some junk for us (like the Clue and Stratego games!), and a bunch of junk for YOU! Here's your preview. Let us know if you see something you like...

Pyrex Primary Color Nesting Bowl Set
Pyrex Woodland Mixing Bowl Set – Original Box, Never Opened!
Pyrex Butterfly Gold Divided Dish – Original Box, Never Opened!
Pyrex Primary Color Refrigerator Dish Set
Handmade Yellow Polyester Skirt and Sleeveless Top
Brown Box Handbag - Satin Lining inside slots
Pyrex Juice Server – new with original cardboard insert
Sears Forecast Cream Train Case with tray and zip bag – brand new
Equitable Handbag Co. Genuine Leather Black Structured Handbag - Gimbels 14.90
Brown Structured Handbag inside zip section
Anchor Hocking Fire King Mugs – green and yellow
Anchor Hocking Juice Servers – white tops
Lincoln Beautyware Coffee and Tea Canisters
Minnetonka Brown Moccasins – Women’s 9 – Brand new (1989)
J.A. Miller Tweed and Suede Hat – Large
Thermos Picnic Set
Anchor Hocking Juice Server – orange top
Porky and Petunia Pepsi/WB Glass - 1976
Proctor and Gamble Tin Fruit Canisters
Stratego Board Game – 1961 – Never used
Clue Board Game – 1956
1970 All Star Game Baseball Pennant
Milwaukee Brewers Souvenir Baseball Bat
1975 All Star Game Baseball Tickets
Wilson Harvey Kuenn Baseball Glove
Goodell Pratt Drill
Black Plane

Individuals 1

People doing things. Many different things. Participating and contributing. Working hard. Individuals.

Fantastic picture. Three men studying plants on Brandenburg Farm in Lake Villa, IL - 1931. One, Gunnar Erdtman, a renowned Swedish scientist whose primary study was pollen (left). Another, George Damon Fuller, a professor of Botany from the University of Chicago (right). And the third, Henry Chandler Cowles, helped ecology get recognized as a field of science (middle).

Within five minutes of searching, I got an idea of who these men were and what they did before their lives ended. It was a nice little jaunt, and it got my imagination going. Other pictures of these men, which just added to it...

The Tailor

The men's clothing store and the tailor are endangered species, and they have been for a generation now. However, is it possible that the tailor could make a comeback? I'd like to think so.

A tailor shop in south Texas, early 1900s. Photos by Robert Runyon...

Watching the Hawks

WGN is killing it today. First the Cubs (though they blew the game at the end), now Hawks are on. Here's an awesome old picture of Bobby Hull - 1966.

Junk and Howe April Fools Finds

Spring is here, and the tags sales are abundant. Next month, the flea markets start up. Can't wait! It was a great first weekend of April for Junk and Howe, and here's a taste of some items that are coming to the store this week.

As always, drop us a line if you see something you like and want to make a fair offer on it before it reaches the Junk and Howe store.

We're on Twitter, so go follow us to see and hear about cool things we come across while out junking or enjoying our beautiful city here in Chicago. You'll know the minute new items are up, so you can grab that cool vintage treasure you've been looking for before someone else gets it first!

Pyrex New Dot Orange Bowls
Pyrex Daisy Cinderella Bowl Set
Pyrex Refrigerator Dishes - 2 early (yellow & blue with old clear lids), 1 later (blue)
Washington Forge Bakelite Stainless Steel Steak Knives
Pyrex Pink Daisy Casserole and Divided Dishes
Pyrex Butterprint Iridescent Mixing Bowl Set - RARE
Hazel Atlas Milkglass Pepper Range Shaker
Jackson Pollock Styled Mid-Century Glass Pitcher
Gits-Ware Orange Plastic Cups with Yellow Starbursts
Purses and Handbags
Pyrex Clear Refrigerator Dish - early dish - RARE
Yellow Plastic Napkin Holder with Green Daisies
Glass Juicer

Watching the Cubs

Cubs are on WGN (a rarity today). Here's a picture of two old Chicago Cubs on the street in Chicago in 1905 - Frank Chance and Otto Williams. The former, part of the famous Tinkers, Evers, Chance infield combination. Happy Sunday...