Inflation hurts. If you’ve bought a car, or a house, or hell even a regular ol’ cup of coffee lately, you know all too well that a dollar just doesn’t go as far as it used to. And never is this more true than with sweaters. Yes that’s right, sweaters. Or really, just one sweater: the J. Press Shaggy Dog. There was a time, a time that now seems mythical, when you could buy a Shaggy Dog for under a hundred bucks, and I don’t even want to think about how little JFK, or John Updike, or even George H.W. Bush paid for their Shaggy Dogs back in the day. Now, I’m not a complete economic nincompoop and I completely understand that prices rise naturally with time, but Shaggy Dogs now clock at $230 full retail (to be fair they are currently on sale for $172.50), and quite frankly that price hurts.
While J. Press might have originated the Shaggy Dog, the free market has prevailed and their fuzzy, brushed out sweaters are hardly the only shetland sweaters available anymore. Below are ten shetlands (not all of which are Shaggy though) that are just as warm, just as classic, and just as JFK approved as J. Press’ original. Best of all though, each one can be had for less than $200. Inflation be damned.
What a Great photo of WFB!
Whatever happen to Pringles?
I got one on your recommendation a while back when they were like 70US. Is that Will Buckley in the first pic? I dont think it is, but it… almost is…
Now all I want is a Shaggy Dog. Thanks Man.
A few months ago, I happened upon a York Street shaggy dog for a mere $70 at my local apparel liquidator. They had only two sizes, but one was mine.
Made in Scotland. Warm. Classic. One of my favorite items.
That absolutely IS William F. Buckley, Jr.!
Inflation? Not so much, actually. At least not by historical standards. (Compare the early 80’s!!!!!!)
http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/historical-inflation-rates/
UK? Not much different.
http://www.inflation.eu/inflation-rates/great-britain/historic-inflation/cpi-inflation-great-britain.aspx
I love the sweaters, too and have fewer now that I did as a young man. But it seems inflation is not the culprit.
As an economics student, I can’t resist the urge to point out a couple problems with this article. First, inflation in the US is quite low at the moment. Most economists are more concerned about the US economy slipping into deflation. Second, for buyers of cars and houses, inflation is a good thing, as an increase in the price level makes it easier for debtors to pay off debts.
Ok, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, thanks for the shetland recommendations. It’s also worth noting that Brooks Brothers came out with a good one this year too, which, last I checked, is on sale.
Pringle of Scotland is still around. Sold in the late 1960s, and splashed all ’round the world by the 1990’s especially on the sports and golf circuits, the successor company tried unsuccessfully to deflate its over-expansion while hemorrhaging millions. In 2000 S.C. Fang & Sons, one of the larger and older textile companies in Hong Kong, bought the assets. If it matters, only the upmarket items have the “Made in Scotland” cachet. Closer to the source, all else is made at the factories in the coastal province of Jiangsu, China. The styles are not dull; one can check their current offerings at pringlescotland,com.
A couple of years ago my dad gave me a pile of his clothes to drop off at Goodwill. Fortunately I went through the boxes: among other treasures, there were a couple of Pringle cashmere sweaters he got back in the 1950s or 1960s. Compared to what I’ve fingered today, the thickness and quality of those nearly 60-year old sweaters can truly be called “luxurious.”
That Crypto-Fascist looks very handsome in his sweater.
I’d recommend checking out Leith Clothing’s offerings, theirs are £80, made in Scotland and come in about 10 colours. I picked up the mustard one a few weeks back. Can’t fault it. Albam’s too are decent, very similar.
Back in the 1950s or 60s, men owned fewer clothes but they were better made.
Today it seems a man might own some 20 sweaters, and most of them will be junk that loses its shape or is badly made.
So maybe the solution is to throw out most of them and just invest in one or two good ones.