Since about 18 years old charity/thrift/vintage shops have been my go to. It started as a musician in my first band looking for vintage clothes. Wanted to be on stage with certain styles. Also. Visited hippy stores too like the wonderful smoke filled joss stick splendour of ‘I am’, a shop in Coventry.  Now of course it is ethically green eco thinking. To be honest. I rarely buy new clothes. Hand on heart I can say that 90% of my clothes over a lifetime have been secondhand or given to me. Weird! I think it is because I can’t afford ‘new’ with the well made with quality and long life principles I love.
 
Carhartt dungarees have been a ‘need to own’ for decades. Found the trousers in charity shops. But no dungarees. Love my permanent for life iconic status stuff like 2 Tilley hats, 1 Billingham camera bag, The French infantry musette mle 35 bag (seen in ‘The Ninth Gate’ film with Johnny Depp carrying it as a permanent accessory man bag), Harris Tweed jacket, Rainman Mac, Italian hand knit woollen tie, Swan Mabie Todd 1930s fountain pen, Kangol leather trimmed black beret, Holt Renfrew heavy cord trousers, Abercrombie and Fitch leather belt, Algha round gold rimmed spectacles, etc.
 
They are simply there and always reliable. When we were teenagers, my brother Steve said ‘buy the good stuff. It’ll be around forever’. He bought decent Crombie, Ben Sherman, two tone tonic trousers, Levi’s, high end brogues/loafers, etc. I bought cheap. His lasted and lasted and looked ace. Mine? Well…you can guess. So it became a mantra for me. But the expense meant charity shops. And now? The eBay obsessions. 
 
Carhartt bought from eBay. Amazing. Angie, my wife, says I look like Mr. Tumble. I wasn’t offended to say the least. I do like Mr. Tumble. The photograph above? I reckon I look cool. That’s my version of the visuals anyways. After years upon decades wanting a pair. Nothing is going to upset the dream! And actually when used for gardening practicalities. Amazing. No brambles bite and rip my legs whilst wearing. Secondhand? They have patina and history. Shows they are one of the iconic survivors. 
 
Welcome to the Gray Summers small elite iconic collection Carhartts.