I never really knew the Brooks Brothers many people rave about. By the time I got to New York in the late Eighties I was disappointed by 346.

The London store never did it for me either. Soul-less, rubbish merchandising, poor staff and bad location.

The Brooks that I knew best was a Ralph clone with a fixation on slim fits. And then the lights went off and BB was reborn under new ownership and a "creative director".

The good news is that the US site is now packed full of good merchandise. I wouldn't call it Ivy but a considered evolution of classic American menswear.

They have introduced a small collection of 3/2 suits and a seersucker jacket. The seersucker jacket looks good with hook vent and patch and flap pockets. It is darted but it adds to its charm.

They have a number of tasteful madras shirts, pocket squares and shorts on offer.

Seersucker shirts are available in all white and all navy combinations.

I noticed a wide range of chino shorts that featured a large coin pocket.

There were also jersey polo shirts in both plain and stripes. These looked a tad neat but came with a warning to size up.

If I was in the market for PJ"s and a robe there was a lovely dark navy linen version.

The shoe partnership is now with Rancourt.

My only negative observation is that they are still obsessed with slim fits. Given the size of the average American male I find this really surprising..

Whilst BB is no longer a bastion of Ivy style, the route they appear to be taking makes sense - I just wish all the good stuff I saw would be available in the UK.