Why no love for BB?

Brooks Brother's 1818 line is half canvassed construction as well as Polo Blue Label, but BB offer garments cheaper than Ralph Lauren. It could be my personal point of view, but it looks like many Sf'er like Ralph Lauren more than BB. What makes you like Ralph Lauren more?

Design?
Brand Name?
Fit?

Or because Ralph Lauren's tailored clothes are all made in Italy?

Please share your thoughts.

Probably the cut and fit for the most part. 95% of BB is too baggy for the slimmer man.

But not everyone hates on BB here. I've got the odd BB thing in my wardrobe. BB is getting better with their cuts as well, I see the new Milano stuff of the 1818 line is two button double vented with a decent buttoning point. Looks promising. I guarantee if they produced a suit that looked like Black Label SFers would be flocking in droves to buy it given BB's price point on suits (just shy of 1K per, and often on sale at 2 for 1500).

The Fitz is very similar to the Polo Bradford. And the Milano is like the RLBL Anthony (minus the shoulder padding)

There is enough love for BB here I think. I certainly have not seen a thread saying BB are BS, or seen too many members knock them to the ground. Ralph Lauren gets my nod only because suits fit better and do not require excessive tailoring.

BB with their newer cuts and double back vents means I am ready to buy at least two blazers in coming weeks. Their Madison light blue windowpane blazer listed on their site looks marvelous - cut slightly long but I will go a length down to reg. Check it out and please do not buy them all

http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCatP...lor=Light-blue

Does Brooks Brothers make a suit anything like the Polo (the "blue label") line from RL--soft construction, very lightly padded shoulders, a fit that's generous without being unshaped or baggy, etc?

If they do I've never seen it.

I like both brands; RL & BB. But I echo what some of the previous posters have said about RL being slimmer and better fitting

BB is fine. They offer excellent value for good clothes, way better than what most Americans routinely wear, but they seem to aim for great value rather than for true excellence. People who want something truly excellent, and are willing to pay for it, know to look elsewhere.

Brooks Brothers is a great suit, Gorbachev bought one when he visited USA. Its just that the cut is not meant for young slim men. I always go shopping at RL and BB with my dad and whenever we are in BB he tries to make me buy a BB suit, but the BB employees always say I should go to the Kids section (I'm in my 20's).
At RL, the suits also feel a little bigger but not as big depending on the style you grab, RLBL & Rugby RL is the best fit for me from the different brands they offer.

Originally Posted by Saturdays

Click to expand...

Its just that the cut is not meant for young slim men.

Milano and Fitzgerald...

PRL suits fit better! For me BB's problem is inconsistent sizing of their slimmer lines. Regent is extremely tight for me - I have to go one size up - as a result suit is not slim-fitting at all. Even European brands famous for their slimmer fit like Isaia and Caruso are more true to size.

Originally Posted by jrd617

Click to expand...

Milano and Fitzgerald...

Can't say anything about Milano or Fitzgerald at BB just because i've never seen them at a BB.

PRL still does forward pleated trousers, so they get my vote. And the natural shoulder of the Polo model is unmatched by any other suit in that price range. RL does traditional BB style better than BB does it. But RL also has the English flare. BB's goal in the day was to take English style and make it boring. Polo takes the BB style and puts the flare back in. BB suits are not unique any more. They no longer have the ivy league look they were known for, but they still don't have any style. Their products have no identity. They look just like everything else.

I recently brought a Fitzgerald suit to my tailor.

The first thing she said was, that suit looks like it is cut for fat Americans. It doesn't fit you properly, it's made for people with stomachs that bulge out... Very discouraging.

Haven't tried the Milano out, might be better.

Originally Posted by cbird

Click to expand...

People who want something truly excellent, and are willing to pay for it, know to look elsewhere.

Thats the thing I like with BB, they are not a luxury manufacter of clothing, but they are easily good enough. If I go to work, I do not feel the necessity of being kitted out in $10K worth of clothes everyday, I am not C level. I buy my fair share of luxury shirts or suits elsewhere, but I look at BB (and Ralph Lauren) as an everyday wardrobe staple. I see no point in buying 5 Cucinelli or Loro Piana cashmere sweaters at $500+ each just to chuck over a shirt for work. Brooks easily fills the gap for a lot cheaper, and their stuff is certainly not junk.

Originally Posted by Matt S

Click to expand...

Their products have no identity. They look just like everything else.

Brooks make fairly conservative clothes, but having recently checked out Loro Piana's latest as well as Brunello Cucinelli, there was nothing there that implied "different to everything else". I mean hell, just how many ways can one design a plain blue crewneck sweater? Apart from the big fashion labels, Tom Ford, etc, I pretty much see "same old same old" for a significant portion of all other brand's collections year in and year out.

Brooks has done a great job recently with the Milano cut on pants. It is a slim fit, comes in great colors, etc...The Extra Slim fit shirt is great for me. For the first time in my life I feel like I could shop there, (I am 29).

I find that Brooks is too conservative for most fashion afficionados, and they probably don't have any carry over from designer stores. IE, no one shopping at Gucci for a suit, or wearing Etro ties, or Paul Smith shirts has any interest in what ever Brooks Bros is selling. Quality/Fit/Value or not.

Then again, for that conservative crowd that grew up shopping there, it is a mecca. I have walked into a store with a guy who is rich enough that no matter how much his kids screw up, they will die rich, and he told me he could buy 2 of every item in the store. Didn't seem to matter how ugly the polo shirt, or how boring the dress shirt or tie was. He was drooling over them the way I look at a Ferrari. So I guess there will always be a shopper for that product.