Help me find a cheap "rock 'n' roll" blazer (jacket)

[dougjwray]

I need a black blazer (suit jacket, but funkier). Brick and mortar stores only, please. Under $50 or so. Slim fit.
Old Navy has one on sale right now (regularly $99, on sale for $59), but it's dark blue.
I AM NOT GOING ONLINE. SO FORGET THAT!
I'm looking for something that, say, Bryan Ferry might wear. Not the loan officer at your local bank.
Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

 

[Oddly]

Where are you? If a decent sized town or city are there any vintage /second-hand stores nearby?

 

[Winslow]

^ Yep. Thrift stores and Goodwill.

 

[dougjwray]

Thanks, Oddly and Winslow. I will eventually try those as a last resort.
I live in the NYC metropolitan area.
(I'm aiming to avoid prolonged searching.)

 

[Zooberwerx]

I need a black blazer (suit jacket, but funkier). Brick and mortar stores only, please. Under $50 or so. Slim fit.
Old Navy has one on sale right now (regularly $99, on sale for $59), but it's dark blue.
I AM NOT GOING ONLINE. SO FORGET THAT!
I'm looking for something that, say, Bryan Ferry might wear. Not the loan officer at your local bank.
Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

Actually, you want dark navy as it shows-up black under stage lighting. Black shows-up with an unnatural green sheen.

Riis

 

[friskinator]

What's your budget? That would help with advice.

 

[Winslow]

What's your budget? That would help with advice.

First line of the OP:

Under $50 or so

 

[dougjwray]

I realize that I might need to radically reconsider my budget and visit a place in NYC like Trash and Vaudeville.
I go to Goodwill often (got all my cups, glasses, dishes, bowls, towels, etc. for my new apartment at Goodwill last summer), but the blazers they currently have are too conservative.

 

[Winslow]

Yeah, I do understand the dual hopes for convenience and speed, but it's threading a bit of a needle to hope for "rock'n'roll radical," plus "cheap and listed online." Realistically, the best results will probably come from an old fashioned hit-the-bricks store crawl. You could make it a social thing, and enlist some friends to help, with a pizza lunch break somewhere or some such.

It's another challenge that blazers are pretty much the hallmark of "conservative" clothing. That said, if you've got a friend who sews, ~or~ a hot glue gun, some shiny bits, and a taste for adventure, you could always get a couple of cheap/normie things from Goodwill, and customize them to your heart's content. Back in the back-when, I dressed up a pair of regular black chinos with a line of mirrors down one leg (they were DIY things that attached with brackets). They looked good, reflected the stage lights, and nobody else I knew had anything like them. Eons later, I saw Chris Isaak wearing an entire suit covered in mirrors; It was both hilarious and awesome.

Turn your creativity loose, and who knows what you might come up with.

In any case, good luck in the hunt!

 

[friskinator]

First line of the OP:

Whoops, I missed that. I was going to recommend John Varvatos USA if you've got money to spend. They have a store in the old CBGBs location. They definitely nail the rock and roll vibes.

 

[dougjwray]

Yeah, I do understand the dual hopes for convenience and speed, but it's threading a bit of a needle to hope for "rock'n'roll radical," plus "cheap and listed online." Realistically, the best results will probably come from an old fashioned hit-the-bricks store crawl. You could make it a social thing, and enlist some friends to help, with a pizza lunch break somewhere or some such.

It's another challenge that blazers are pretty much the hallmark of "conservative" clothing. That said, if you've got a friend who sews, ~or~ a hot glue gun, some shiny bits, and a taste for adventure, you could always get a couple of cheap/normie things from Goodwill, and customize them to your heart's content. Back in the back-when, I dressed up a pair of regular black chinos with a line of mirrors down one leg (they were DIY things that attached with brackets). They looked good, reflected the stage lights, and nobody else I knew had anything like them. Eons later, I saw Chris Isaak wearing an entire suit covered in mirrors; It was both hilarious and awesome.

Turn your creativity loose, and who knows what you might come up with.

In any case, good luck in the hunt!

Thanks for that post, Winslow!

 

[dougjwray]

Whoops, I missed that. I was going to recommend John Varvatos USA if you've got money to spend. They have a store in the old CBGBs location. They definitely nail the rock and roll vibes.

Great, thanks for the tip.

 

[Lo-E]

Take the 2 to the end of the line in Brooklyn. Within walking distance of the Flatbush Avenue station - right on Flatbush Avenue in an area called Flatbush Junction - there are several men’s fashion stores that will cover some seriously glam needs. Everything from very conservative to green sequins can be found, or any gradation in between.

 

[Oddly]

Whatever you end up getting, please post a photo... I'm envisioning something like a Nudie jacket. I do love Winslow's two ideas...DIY or a sort of scavenger hunt!

 

[PennyroyalWe]

if you’re going to be this picky, you’re going to need to add another 0 to that price cap.

 

[Gluvhand]

And Bryan Ferry isn't even looking at anything in your price range. Maybe a pocket hanky.

 

[dougjwray]

Whatever you end up getting, please post a photo... I'm envisioning something like a Nudie jacket. I do love Winslow's two ideas...DIY or a sort of scavenger hunt!

I'll definitely post a photo.
Not a Nudie jacket. More like an all black tuxedo/military hybrid with a slim cut. Tails are ok.

 

[Winslow]

A couple more "scavenger" options: Yard sale season is cranking up with the spring time. Also check around for estate sales within reach.

Speaking of tux w/tails though, now you've got me wondering if I still have my old prom tux. That's exactly what I wore.

Probably Goodwilled it a million years ago though.

 

[friskinator]

A good rule for this sort of thing is to think of an artist/musician whose style you like, and try your best to find pieces that look similar. Granted, a lot of them wear designer items, but you can find less expensive dupes if you look around. This sort of thing is a bit difficult to do in person, so you may end up having to look online even though you don’t want to.

 

[S-Bigbottom]

a black blazer (suit jacket, but funkier). Brick and mortar stores only, please. Under $50 or so. Slim fit.

We into Hoffman's Iron Law or the Iron Triangle here, pick two.

Or...

Get a cheap regular at a thrift shop for $10 - $15.

Take it to a Tailor/Seamstress and have it cut and slimmed as needed for another $20 - $30ish depending on how much you alter. The ones at Dry Cleaners are cheap. Plus you are already there because you want that used item cleaned.

Take it to your friend that likes to customize their clothing and will paint, sew flames or rhinestone that thing up. Pay them according to how elaborate they go. Another $20- $50ish. Someone will know someone that can do this.

You got your custom under $100. Unless the Custom art is very good. Pay them more.