Brooks Brothers

Only on f-chat. Thanks for the heads up!

 

used to be good clothing....hate them now....

 

Went into Brooks Brothers recently. They replaced the shelf space which previously housed their Golden Fleece suits with some new cheap line they just introduced. They are repeating the same mistake that almost put them out of business in the late 90’s.

 

Rob shops at Kmart for his haberdashery needs.

 

I think we may need to post up some pix of Kirk and me...we are fashionisti for sure!
Kirk lives in bathing suits and crocs...and I almost exclusively wear cargo shorts from North Face or Lulu Lemon pants...LOL!
Meanwhile we roll up in our Ferrari's and I'm wearing a Patek and Kirk has usually his Hublot.
Yep.....people don't know WTF to make of us.

 

No more Hublot. AP. Fixed it for you.

 

I still like there American made button downs, but I know what you mean about some of their lines. I also find it depends on which store you go to. There are two in downtown Chicago which still carry everything. The stores in the suburban malls on the other hand often leave a lot to be desired. It seems like some stores are aiming for the youth market. The mall store is fine for my 18 yo son who likes their Red Fleece shirts, but for a suit I ordered him one online to get one of the better quality ones.

 

I have never shopped at Brooks Bros, but I had no idea the place was anywhere near this price point. I just assumed you are looking at $2,500 for a suit.

 

I have 3 of their classic blue blazers. The last two I purchased while traveling too lite.

 

They have clothes at almost every price point if you include their outlet/346 lines. $40 chinos to several thousand dollar suits. As I stated in a previous post, the quality varies widely based on the country of origin IMHO. Their English made wool/cotton blend socks are an absolute bargain when they are on sale for $5.00(usually $20). Their Chinese made chinos are utilitarian. They work, but they’re not Bill’s. I only buy their American made wool suits. Excellent quality. They have a 25% off sale around Columbus Day. Likewise, if you have their credit card they’ll add an additional 10% off. I’ve never spent more than $500 for one of their suits. I also love their American made button downs. Four for $200 usually. Soft and durable. Ironed they look good with a tie and sport coat. Wrinkled on the weekend with jeans, perfect for hanging out. I’m a fan.

 

At $500 you are almost into a custom tailored suit if you but three at a time. So what's the attraction of an off the rack suit?

 

I’ve only bought bespoke shirts, so my experience is limited to one tailor, Marty’s in Thailand. (Great shirts, $60-$70 each depending on the fabric.) Based on his prices Image Unavailable, Please Login , I would agree with you that if I’d spent $500 on a S80 or S100 wool suit, custom would be better. However, the one I paid $500 for is a S160. No way that would have been comparable in price if I did custom. Regular BB s110($299IIRC) BB s160 on the right.

 

BB now makes our Navy Service Dress Blue uniforms. They are OK, a bit nicer than the standard Navy brand. I will say they are very comfortable.
Their shirts are OK too. Luckily, we get them at the PX for 50% off. I wouldn't pay full price for them.

 

BB is better than Jos A Banks. JAB has jumped the shark... terrible now. No suits for me, just slacks and dress shirts. JAB changed their shirt cuts and they don’t fit me any longer. Weird button position among other issues. Shirt is hanging open or way too tight at the neck.

 

Yeah, a friend of mine hosts a Marty’s party every year. He’s a bit of a clothes guy. Other than jeans and workout clothes, I think everything he wears is by Marty. I really like their French cuff dress shirts and linen summer shirts.