Brooks Brothers Golden Fleece Dress Shirts

[johnnynorman3]

Brooks Bros. is having an insane shirt sale right now -- 3 shirts for $139. They have racks of great patterned shirts, including their Golden Fleece, which are Swiss fabrics and retail at $175. Pearl buttons, pretty good stitching etc. I have a gift card there, and I was thinking about maybe giving these shirts a shot if I can find 3 GF in my size (a $525 value for $140. Not bad. But I don't want them if they are still cut full, as I just can't wear that type of cut. Unpinning the shirts seems like it would be a pain ***********.

So could someone tell me how the GF shirts are cut? I'd probably get a 15/34. I am about a 39R suit size.

 

[bry2000]

Let's just say that the GF shirts make the regular BB shirts look slim fitting. I bought 2 last year for $85 per and I thought I got a steal....until I tried them on. Fullest cut shirts I had ever seen. I returned both immediately. I agree with you; the construction is excellent; the buttons, lustrous, and the fabric, superb. But the cut is awful; no wonder they are blowing them at low prices.

 

[johnnynorman3]

Eeek. Everyone else that's tried them agree with this?

 

[Duveen]

I agree with bry2000. After the postings on this forum about the wonders of the shirt I went ahead and bought one on sale. I tried it on in the store and convinced myself that I liked it, but after bringing it home I realized it really wasn't going to work.

It was returned within about two days of purchase - a quick trip to the tailor confirmed that low armholes (which, as Mr. Kabbaz says, can't be fixed) were a major culprit and there wasn't much to be done.

 

[johnnynorman3]

Thanks, guys. That will save me a trip to BB today, where I would have had to scrounge through looking for 15/34s.

I'll probably end up saving my gift card for next time I'm in NYC -- I'll try to pick up a GF Italian suit for $700.

 

[bry2000]

The GF suits are, by and large, decent value at $700, but the quality of the Italian GFs seems to have declined this year. Don't know if others would agree.

 

[curt222]

I don't know about the Golden Fleece shirts but I can confirm that the "Luxury" line shirts are slimmer fitting. I believe they are about 2 1/2 inches slimmer than BB's regular line. I really like the fabric and construction of these shirts. The buttons, while thicker than normal BB buttons, are still plastic.

 

[bry2000]

The luxury shirts that Curt describes are good value for the money; you can often get them for <$70 on sale. I have had a few for several years and I cannot wear them out. Unfortunately, BB offers these shirts in these horrible collars, like point collars, golf colors, and really crappy modified spreads. Also, this past year, BB brought back those horrible late 80s, early 90s horizontal bengel stripes with contrasting collars and cuffs. Ugh. BB can't get anything right.

 

[Lint Brush]

Even though I'm sitting here swimming in a Bobby Jones by Hickey Freeman sportshirt ($50 at the sample sale.), I had to bite on a couple of the Golden Fleece shirts at the downtown BB store, plus one nice made-in-USA (list at $95) luxury grey/black plaid. Including my January birthday discount from BB of $20, the three set me back $120, which I think is a good price. Total list was $445.

 

[johnnynorman3]

I picked up three GF shirts for my dad, who needs a full cut shirt. $140 for 3 Swiss Cotton 200s -- list price $225 each..

 

[NateJP]

Just bought a GF shirt on Ebay, I have a skinny neck (14.5), and although I am fairly skinny (5'10" 155lbs) a lot of slimmer shirts pull across my chest. I was interested in this shirt because the seller quoted a 21" chest, which is right where I want it. I will post my impressions when I get it.

 

[needshoehelp]

GF shirts are not slim, but they are not somehow more full than BB's standard shirts. I have several of BB's offerings in almost all the fits. I'm a 15.5 in slim fit, and 15 in GF and Luxury.

 

[KObalto]

The fabric's great. Egyptian cotton woven in Italy and made in the USA? That stuff loves to travel! Not slim fitting but not huge.