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Good luck to Brooks Brothers

Tuesday, August 4th, 2020

“I wear Brooks clothes and white shoes all the time…”

In the first line of “Harvard Blues”, a 1941 tune by Count Basie and his Orchestra, vocalist Jimmy Rushing lets us know exactly what sort of cool Ivy League student he is. Since 1818 the firm of Brooks Brothers has been dressing America’s leading lights and power brokers, along the way developing an unmistakeable look that became known as preppy (after the preparatory schools where Ivy League university undergraduates begin their expensive education).

I am a big fan of Brooks Bros, simply because its signature styles are, well, simple. In my experience they are well-made, long-lasting, neat and easy to wear. They offer the comfort and familiarity of a uniform – and they are often as recognisable as a uniform.

Its button-down shirt in an oxford-weave cloth is a classic, as are its short-sleeved polo shirts, available in a huge palette of colours and decorated in an understated way with the firm’s logo of The Golden Fleece (or The Hanging Sheep to those of a less romantic nature).

With a single-breasted navy blue blazer and khaki cotton chinos, finished off with cordovan-coloured penny loafers on my feet, I can pretend I am a WASP from New England as opposed to a White Anglo-Saxon (lapsed) Protestant from Olde England.

Another huge attraction for me over the years has been Brooks Bros’ confident and enthusiastic use of pattern and colour, whether in solid shades, stripes or checks. For a “conservative” brand, it avoids dullness very easily.

On trips to America, whenever possible I would head to a Brooks Bros outlet store and then head for its Sale rail, where I’d hope to find the sort of clothes that did not attract a mass of followers, such as salmon-coloured summer slacks, wide-legged apricot-coloured linen trousers or heavyweight chinos in a vivid apple green. Happy days indeed.

One of my favourite Brook Bros garments is my boldly-checked sports jacket in Pure New Wool. It was given to me as a present around Christmas 2005 by John Hind, who was running the then fairly-new London operation for Brooks Brothers. When he saw me admiring the jacket in the City of London shop, John revealed that not one had been sold during the autumn season and if I wanted one, I was welcome to it. Every time I have worn it since I have been complimented on it.

Sadly, lots of other things have not been selling in recent years, even in the USA. After 202 years, the business founded by Henry Sands Brooks in 1818 and renamed Brooks Brothers by his sons Daniel H, John, Elisha and Edward in 1850, has lost its way and in early July declared itself bankrupt. It might be rescued yet and will hopefully survive, but probably as a much smaller concern. As long as it stays true to its style and quality – and that’s a big if, obviously – I’ll be happy.

I might even look out for some white shoes to wear with my Brooks clothes.

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