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Jos Bank vs. Men's Warehouse - Page 2

post #16 of 24
6/17/05 at 11:25am
I don't think alchimiste was taking a cheap shot. He's right in the practical sense; that it doesn't help them out much to go over the details of high quality construction techniques if they don't actually apply to the merchandise. If I did get asked by a customer about canvas front suits, I'd be really surprised to see said customer even shopping there. If I did get asked, I'd explain as much as I know about canvassing and offer my honest observation that stores like Jos. A Bank cater to different niche that values convenience and price over high-end craftsmanship. It doesn't come up from customers, though, and most salesmen don't need to know these details. The worry on my part re: the underemphasis on clothing knowledge beyond the basics like sizing and fabric types is that it extends past mere salesmen at entry level stores and results in managers and high end salesmen who don't know anything about their expensive products because all their past experience derives from folding t-shirts at the Gap, and they didn't have any sort screening for this knowledge in the hiring process. I don't feel like going into a rant here, but when your average internet hobbyist can run circles around your average professional Barney's or Saks menswear salesman in terms of clothing knowledge, something's wrong. I think this would be a good topic for another thread, and since I have to leave for work in a bit I'll stop digressing. Anyways, the gist of what I'm saying is that the nature of the mainstream market allows the industry to get away with being complacently ignorant about clothing, be it at the low or high ends. It's not so much the fault of your average salesman so much as it is the status quo that allows them to get hired and get by without accumulating sufficient knowledge of the subject.
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post #17 of 24
6/17/05 at 4:39pm
Thanks, aybojs. I certainly understood the intent of what alchimiste stated, and it's clear you understood it as well. I simply mean that even in an environment where you may not need to use a superior knowledge of apparel, having it doesn't hurt, and can always help you help others better...or advance yourself, of course. To resign oneself to "not bothering" because the company doesn't bother to offer quality just adds even more to its already heavy burden of poor quality and product ignorance. Buck the status quo. Be different. Learn more. Demand more of yourself. Surprise someone. And yeah, if need be, surpass your superiors who don't know diddly. That's all I'm sayng.
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post #18 of 24
6/17/05 at 8:10pm
You regular and long rise guys just don't know what its like to go shopping and find that on every pant you put on the belt is way above your waist. Jos Bank makes short rise pants, gabardines in 16 colors 14 colors in the better gabardine (signature) line,8 colors in better line tropical weaves, 4 colors in better line hearingbones, and plads and tartans and seersucker and madras and flannels and chinos and cords. And in pleats and flat front. The current Brooks Bros catalog has NONE in short rise. Other than Bank there are few makers of short rise pants and those that make them eg. Corbin , Oritsky, Berle have a very sparse selection. While Bank's regular line is nothing to write home about Bank's better "signature" line is as good or better than what Corbin et al. are making today. For the first 35 years of my life, while the pants to my suit fit , pretty much the only other pants I could find that fit were jeans. I appreciate Jos Bank. Patrick Tolbert (ptolbert) who works in the Waco TX Bank store and is a regular on the Ask Andy site says Bank's best line ,signature gold, is made at the same facility as Zegna. While we know that the same facility can turn out different grades of clothes the only comparison of Bank to that warehouse is that both are sucessful marketers.
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post #19 of 24
6/17/05 at 9:35pm
I bought my first suit at Men's Warehouse. I was 16 and needed a suit for job interviews, as well as for formal family get togethers. All the money I had came in the form of allowance and birthday money so I didn't want to spend more than $100 on a suit. In that capacity MW is adequate.
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post #20 of 24
6/17/05 at 10:40pm
arkirshner: As for the short rise, you might try Jon at FIH and his Prandina suits. The Pants that go with the suits typically have a shorter rise. Very high quality for a reasonable price. And Jon gives great service.
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post #21 of 24
6/17/05 at 11:07pm
How is "Jos" pronounced? I'm guessing "Jose" as in short for Joseph.
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post #22 of 24
6/17/05 at 11:39pm
I belive it has no pronunciation aside from the original in that Jos. is just an abreviation when writing Joseph just as Wm. is an abreviation in writing William
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post #23 of 24
6/18/05 at 2:23am
Bachbeet, I appreciate that you tookthe time to recommend FIH for suits with short rise pants.I guess I didn't make myself clear. We of the short rise have never had a problem finding short suits. Most companys make them with both a short jacket accompanied by matching short rise pants. I wear american 2 button and double breasteds and have several dozen from oxxford on down and while local stores in Toledo don't carry any I've never had a problem finding Hickey, Samuelsen, H Freeman, o rPolo suits in a larger city. We short rise men certainly do not need to look to Bank for suits. The problem is there are almost no short rise odd dress or leisure pants. not just in stores. but also on line or in catalogs. For example this year I ordered two different pattern madrass pants, a red stripe seersucker and a gray tropical weave(not the same as tropical wool) from Bank. No one else I could find carried these in a short rise. Last year I ordered 3 different pattern wool pleated odd pants and 2 different wale cords. I might ,and I stress might, have found a pattered odd pant in stock from Oritsky but that would be it. No one else had cords. Yes, Lands End offers short rise poplins but they are 60% cotton 40% plastic. Regular and long rise men take a look next time you get a catalog and check how many short rise pants are offered or should I say how few. Next time your'e in your favorite store ask if there are any short rise pants and compare the answer to the selection of pants in your size. I'm not here to plug all of Bank's offerings.I don't wear their suits or shirts or outerwear or accessories. And ther is no question that you regular and long rise guys can find better pants. But I can and will say the Bank "signature " line is actually a decent pant that I can wear with a Hickey blazer without embarresment. Bank has found a nice niche here and I appreciate them for it.
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post #24 of 24
6/18/05 at 4:07am
Quote:
Bachbeet,            I appreciate that you tookthe time to recommend FIH for suits with short rise pants.I guess I didn't make myself clear.  We of the short rise have never had  a problem finding short suits. Most companys make them with both a short jacket accompanied by matching short rise pants.  I wear american 2 button and double breasteds and have several dozen from oxxford on down and while local stores in Toledo don't carry any I've never had a problem finding  Hickey, Samuelsen, H Freeman, o rPolo suits in a larger city.  We short rise men certainly do not need to look to Bank for suits.        The problem is there are almost no short rise odd dress or leisure pants. not just in stores. but also on line or in catalogs.  For example this year I ordered two different pattern madrass pants, a red stripe seersucker and a gray tropical weave(not the same as tropical wool) from Bank. No one else I could find carried these in a short rise. Last year I ordered 3 different pattern wool pleated odd pants and 2 different wale cords.  I might ,and I stress might, have found a pattered odd pant in stock from Oritsky  but that would be it.  No one else had cords.  Yes, Lands End offers short rise poplins but they are 60% cotton 40% plastic.     Regular and long rise men    take a look next time you get a catalog and check how many short rise pants are offered or should I say how few. Next time your'e in your favorite store ask if there are any short rise pants and compare the answer to the selection of pants in your size.        I'm not here to plug all of Bank's offerings.I don't wear their suits or shirts or outerwear or accessories. And ther is no question that you regular and long rise guys can find better pants. But I can and will say  the Bank "signature "    line is actually a decent pant that I can wear with a Hickey blazer  without embarresment.         Bank has found a nice niche here and I appreciate them for it.
For short rise, have you tried Bean? If not, they might have something. Also Andover Shop has short, mid, and tall rise odd trousers.
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