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What happened to Brooks Brothers?

post #1 of 58
7/11/12 at 1:07pm
Thread Starter 

I saw this today. This looks like something from Abercrombie and Fitch (and not the good years). BB is very popular where I go to school and I can't believe it's degenerated into this. 

 

 

BB.PNG

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post #2 of 58
7/11/12 at 1:10pm

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRz8_QTrvZL45YPTAcH7T63_Z72QuS5ofRpH2bZTvsKNILsIfcG

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post #3 of 58
7/11/12 at 1:19pm
survival, finding new market/customers.

If every store just cater to those who remember the good ol' days, then it'll go the way of the dinosaur.
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post #4 of 58
7/11/12 at 1:35pm
op, tragic indeed but notsureifserious

as a side note, I was in a BB store last weekend and I'm trying on a shirt when the SA walks by and says "hey, no opening up the shirts from the packaging, you can't do that, sorry... we have some try-on shirts in the back."

I was blown away.
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post #5 of 58
7/11/12 at 2:01pm
Thread Starter 

I completely understand about accessing a broader range of clientele, but I never expected BB to try to share market share with Abercrombie and Fitch...

 

ps. what about the original post seemed insincere? 

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post #6 of 58
7/11/12 at 2:05pm
First, it was bought by a Limey department store. Then it was bought by Italians. They have become desperate to compete with Old Navy.
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post #7 of 58
7/11/12 at 2:33pm

Quite surprising and a bit sad. BB is probably the last brand I would think of If I ever needed a hoodie!

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post #8 of 58
7/11/12 at 2:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jshastings View Post

I completely understand about accessing a broader range of clientele, but I never expected BB to try to share market share with Abercrombie and Fitch...

 

ps. what about the original post seemed insincere? 

 

This has been discussed before, and I fail to see the correlation between selling a hoodie and the quality of their clothing.  Just because they start to offer (still not sure if this is actually true or not - could find no trace on their website) more casual clothing does not mean that their other lines are of lesser quality.  Gucci makes track jackets and sells them for $700.  If BB can make a hoodie of nice fabric and construction and sell it for $100 then good on them.  That's smart business.  Only a complete fool would avoid the brand because of something like this.

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post #9 of 58
7/11/12 at 2:44pm
Brooks Brotha.... there goes the neighbourhood.

Perhaps BB finally caught up with the 1970s?
247
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post #10 of 58
7/11/12 at 2:47pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
This has been discussed before, and I fail to see the correlation between selling a hoodie and the quality of their clothing.  Just because they start to offer (still not sure if this is actually true or not - could find no trace on their website) more casual clothing does not mean that their other lines are of lesser quality.  Gucci makes track jackets and sells them for $700.  If BB can make a hoodie of nice fabric and construction and sell it for $100 then good on them.  That's smart business.  Only a complete fool would avoid the brand because of something like this.

 

Look under "New Arrivals." There are polos that are equally old-navy-esque.

 

To be sure, I don't mean to comment on the quality of the clothes. I have no doubt that it's a well made hoodie, but the gauche branding is something that I thought was unusual for BB and more akin to the lower-quality/high-margin brands that rely on giant logos to sell. 

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post #11 of 58
7/11/12 at 2:53pm

Agree to disagree I suppose.  Not an issue for me.

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post #12 of 58
7/11/12 at 3:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by furo View Post

was in a BB store last weekend and I'm trying on a shirt when the SA walks by and says "hey, no opening up the shirts from the packaging, you can't do that, sorry... we have some try-on shirts in the back."
I was blown away.

Try-on shirts are a common practice among so-called luxury shops, the ones who sell 100-150 euros shirts, at least in France. The other day, a salesperson yelled at me & gave me a telling-off because I opened and tried six shirts (with the permission of some inferior salesperson). I had to buy two shirts to calm him down.

Regarding the hood, we may see this from Brioni someday, with their programmed development of a "sportswear" line.
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post #13 of 58
7/11/12 at 3:58pm
I have an old green and navy striped BB Rugby shirt that has a giant 'B' on the back. It doesn't bother me at all but I have to come up with creative answers whenever people ask me what the giant 'B' stands for. My top 3 responses are Brilliant, Broke or Busy.
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post #14 of 58
7/11/12 at 4:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Man Of Lint View Post

I have an old green and navy striped BB Rugby shirt that has a giant 'B' on the back. It doesn't bother me at all but I have to come up with creative answers whenever people ask me what the giant 'B' stands for. My top 3 responses are Brilliant, Broke or Busy.

Booyakasha?
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post #15 of 58
7/11/12 at 4:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by furo View Post

op, tragic indeed but notsureifserious
as a side note, I was in a BB store last weekend and I'm trying on a shirt when the SA walks by and says "hey, no opening up the shirts from the packaging, you can't do that, sorry... we have some try-on shirts in the back."
I was blown away.

Wow. Can't try on the shirt I actually want to purchase to be sure the fit is good = can't take the plastic out of the wallet. No sale.

I would have been tempted to ask for scissors, then cut my BB card in two in front of the guy. I haven't been in a BB in a while. Guess I won't be going any time soon if that's where they are going.
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