Thrifty, Yes, but Look at the Company She Keeps

I am a thrift-store shopper, always on the lookout for silk, wool and designer items and leather shoes from Italy (“Adventures in the Rag Trade,” by Mimi Avins, Aug. 24). To discover that I’m in the company of movie stars and clothing designers is a real eye-opener. I guess I’m not as eccentric as I thought.

LuLu Lederer

Rancho Encino

Of course, 30- to 40-year-old designer clothes are in demand (“Glamour, Anyone?” by A. Grey Le Cuyer, So SoCal, Aug. 24). They were glamorous garments--a class act. Even copies, which some of us could afford, made us feel special. The problem is that there’s no more class. Hanging-out breasts, bottoms and bellybuttons will never be as glamorous as, say, Marlene Dietrich covered from neck to toe in matte jersey.

Anne Eiseman

Los Angeles