Most stylish New Yorkers: Fritz Karch

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Karch wears solely vintage goods, such as this '50s Custom Imperial Clothes cashmere jacket, cashmere sweater vest, '40s gingham wool scarf and cotton corduroy pants.

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"You don't get bored because you can change more often, since it doesn't cost as much," Karch explains of his devotion to consignment threads. "If you go buy an Herms coat, it should last for 60 years, but I don't want to wear the same jacket for that long."

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"They remind me of the brilliant architect I.M. Pei," says Karch of his French-made glasses from the '80s.

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One of Karch's only nonvintage purchases is this classic leather belt from Target (locations throughout the city; visit target.com).

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Karch purchased these Argyll wellies at Earnest Sewn (locations throughout the city; visit earnestsewn.com). "My goal is to be warm, dry and comfortable," he says. "It's never fashionable to be uncomfortable or freezing."

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Karch dons another preloved ensemble, complete with a Nat Goodwin jacket, his father's "old party pants," a Timber Ridge shirt, a no-name silk tie and a Christian Dior scarf.

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"I first fell in love with gingham prints one summer in the late '90s," recalls Karch. "I liked wearing a lot of patterns, but I asked myself, 'what patterns are made in wool that I could wear during the winter?' It turns out the most colorful wool ones come in tartan."

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Karch collects wool Tam O'Shanter-style hats. "I like the name, how they look and the bull's-eye pattern," he says. He bought this one at the Golden Nugget Antique Market (gnmarket.com) in Lambertville, NJ.

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Karch rocks a pair of tortoise Italian eyeglasses.

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"Working for Martha Stewart enabled me to travel the U.S. and discover a lot of new vintage retail markets," says Karch of his boss's influence on his style. His no-name, pre-used silk tie matches his outfit perfectly here.

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Karch's classic Alden leather wing-tip shoes balance out the plaid explosion.

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"It's not just plaid; I like patterns and anything but all-solids---if you get enough colors together, it becomes like a pattern," says Karch. "I don't know if it's a revolt from my upbringing, but I just like pattern on pattern on pattern---more is more is more. There is a [Latin] phrase, horror vacui, for the fear of empty space and plainness. I think that sums me up."

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"This is my Martha Stewart holiday party outfit," says Karch of this plaid ensemble, which he wore to a company fte three years ago. The print is called the Royal Stewart. He combines it with a Stanley Blacker jacket, Puritan vest, Nautica shirt, '30s Cape Cod Weavers tie and the Scotch House scarf.

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"[Popped collars] are a do outdoors to protect you from weather, but a don't indoors because hopefully the weather is nicer," opines Karch.

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He accessorizes with another Tam O'Shanter-style hat and a pair of his Sferoflex eyeglasses, purchased at the Sight Improvement Center (25 W 43rd St between Fifth and Sixth Aves; 212-921-1888, sightimprovementcenter.com).