Brooks Brothers Goes Mod
So there I was reading the Wall Street Journal (July 17, 2007, B1) and I turned the page to a headline and picture which really set me back: “Brooks Brothers Tries A Hip Line: Will It Suit?†Are they joking? What is that white-taped seam doing on—a morning coat?
If Brooks Brothers’ founders could see the “Black Fleece†line just released by high-end designer Thom Browne, (“Black Fleece†is a take-off on Brooks Brothers’ traditional Golden Fleece logo), they would probably think of this as the Black Fleece of death. Browne claims to be interested in bringing the suit back into fashion. His collections have appeared at retailers like Bergdorf Goodman, Barney’s, and Jeffrey, and typically have featured high-water pants and capes (some observers have likened the look to Pee Wee Herman or Austin Powers), with a “skinny†cut and proportion. An estimated $7 million ad campaign for the Brooks Brothers collection will appear in GQ and Vogue. Suits range from $1,900 to $2,700.
I’m not the only one to think this fashion is hideous. A Washington Post article on the “Browne Flannel Suit at Brooks Brothers†(March 23, 2007) points out that â€It’s difficult to see how someone who envisions men going through their work day wearing a suit that looks like it was borrowed from a 12-year-old boy (admittedly with grown-up prices). Most emphatically, Brooks Brothers customers are not the sort who wear anything purely for the sake of fashion.†As reader “Donald†writes in the user comments on Web-based Fashionista.com, “Brooks is fine as is—timeless, well-made wardrobe staples. If I wanted a tight short suit, I’d just gain some weight.â€
I worked for Garfinckels, Brooks Brothers, Miller & Rhoads, Inc., corporate data center from 1973–1983. What a world leader it was then. In many ways in their 189 years Brooks Brothers has been a leading force in men’s fashion—think of button-downs, polo shirts, Madras materials. Introducing ladies shoes and apparel in the mid 1970s was chaos. For a traditional retailer like Brooks Brothers (founded in 1818) to go so far to attract new, younger, means that customers will just push their typical customer to seek what they are looking for from other men’s retailers such as Jos. A. Banks, The Men’s Warehouse, Rochester Big and Tall, etc.
I also read the other day that baby boomers have 71% of the wealth in this country. I understand the need to appeal to a younger customer, but I just hope this doesn’t destroy Brooks Brothers. Much of the business community has adopted more casual business attire, no suit required, companies like Brooks Brothers have expanded their offerings over the last 20 years to hold on to existing customers and attract new ones.
There is still a need to sell suits, as not all businesses have abandoned them, certainly not Wall Street and government officials. For the business man or woman who needs to have traditional business attire, they can find this at other major and specialty retailers.
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Curt Barry is president of F. Curtis Barry & Co., a warehouse consulting firm; online at: http://www.fcbco.com.
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