The Virtue of Wearing Out Your Favorite things
Growing up in New England, I was raised in a family that, stereotypically, cherished thriftiness and a well-worn aesthetic. In a household of five boys, it was both economical and a practical imperative. That top image is a little before I showed up, but rest assured that I wore pretty much all of that gear at one point or another.
Handing down blue blazers, jeans and winter jackets, reusing sports gear, and viewing Christmas as the wonderful time of year when new socks and boxer shorts showed up was the rhythm of our sartorial life.
To be sure, we also…