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#1 2007-02-11 08:19:19
- bosthist
- Member
- Posts: 220
Thom Browne/Brooks Brothers
From today's Boston Globe, an opinion piece on the Thom Browne/Brooks Brothers venture:
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2007/02/11/mismatch/
"In the 19 or so years since Brooks was purchased by a British corporation (it was later acquired by an Italian one), the company has expanded to 170 North American stores and, predictably, the expansion has diluted the brand and compromised the quality control. Fifty years ago a Brooks Brothers sweater whose sleeves pilled would have been unthinkable. Now, it's inevitable. The store has misplaced its exclusive aura and its business-class reputation."
I think the writer is on the money in a lot of ways, but I'm puzzled by his assertion that in Boston
"J.Press is now the haughtiest menswear institution in town, with Brooks Brothers stuck in coach, deigning, more or less, to fight with J.Crew and Banana Republic, much younger brands that also want to be what you wear to work."
Unless he's not including Louis Boston because it sells more than just menswear, I'm not sure exactly what he's talking about. J. Press? Haughtiest?
Last edited by bosthist (2007-02-11 08:20:10)
#2 2007-02-11 08:42:25
- Terry Lean
- Member
- Posts: 2440
Re: Thom Browne/Brooks Brothers
LOL!
'Haughty' is an AAAT word.
It's what they call it when one of their dumb-asses can't answer your question. They take silence to mean something far more than it is when you call one of them on their bullshit. Silence is golden over there as it gives them an excuse not to defend or explain their made-up-yesterday position.
But that's all in the past now.
(I did say I was going to be nice this week...)
t.
Edit:
Is J. Press 'haughty'?
No, because Press are not playing the snob game or the Trad game.
Press have hired a young guy to revitalise their brand, sell clothes, & make money. Hate that fact all you want.
Press sells clothes - you want to buy Trad dreams, you go to Ralph.
Last edited by Terry Lean (2007-02-11 08:46:15)
"One of these mornings
You're going to rise up singing"
#3 2007-02-12 01:53:50
- Horace
- Member
- Posts: 6433
Re: Thom Browne/Brooks Brothers
""This is probably the last Deb season...because of the stock market, the economy, Everything..." - W. Stillman.
#4 2007-02-12 02:22:16
- Terry Lean
- Member
- Posts: 2440
Re: Thom Browne/Brooks Brothers
I wondered how self-conscious the look of the Cambridge Press was.
Does it just naturally look that way or do they carefully keep it looking old?
When I used to visit the nearby Crimson Shop the clothes were very similar to Press but the shop was clean white & blond wood. Not 'Trad' at all.
"One of these mornings
You're going to rise up singing"
#5 2007-03-21 10:15:14
- bosthist
- Member
- Posts: 220
Re: Thom Browne/Brooks Brothers
Patrick Sullivan nails the new Thom Browne/Brooks Bros. collection: http://tcextra.com/patricksullivan/main/eddie-munster-for-brooks-brothers/
#6 2007-03-21 10:54:28
- Marc Grayson
- Member
- Posts: 8860
Re: Thom Browne/Brooks Brothers
Could help BB broaden its appeal, maybe at the expense of its core customer base, but I wonder about the wisdom of getting into bed with Thom Browne, who I think is a flash in the pan.
"‘The sense of being perfectly well dressed gives a feeling of inner tranquility which even religion is powerless to bestow." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Looking good and dressing well is a necessity. Having a purpose in life is not." Oscar Wilde
#7 2007-03-21 10:57:14
- Terry Lean
- Member
- Posts: 2440
Re: Thom Browne/Brooks Brothers
Not edgy, not Hip.
Shoulda gone to 'Thick as Thieves'.
http://www.thickasthievesla.com/
t.
"One of these mornings
You're going to rise up singing"
#8 2007-03-22 09:20:31
- Get Smart
- Member
- Posts: 1106
Re: Thom Browne/Brooks Brothers
haha thanks for the name drop TL!
personally, I'm looking forward to this BBxTB line. I'm sure his instore gear will be very accessible to most guys' personal style, and if you judge his collection by his runway show then you're doing yourself a disservice because you rarely see any of his runway pieces on the racks.
The pricing is said to still be high for Brooks, but cheap compared to TB