Brooks brothers slim-fit polo’s

[imageWIS]

I posted a while back if anyone had tried the new Brooks Brothers Slim-Fit polo shirts and no one responded that they had, so I took it upon myself to purchase a few to see how slim they really are. Unfortunately, the stores no longer carry the slim-fit polo's, they can only be ordered from the website or the catalogue. The slim-fits only come in performance polo style: 2-button placket, tennis tail, and long, hemmed above-the-elbow sleeves.

My package arrives and I see that the colors seem to have improved; they are brighter and seemingly better dyed than in previous years. The buttons are still perfectly tied onto the shirt and there is little or no chance that they will fall off. Also, the use of a vertical buttonhole for the lower button and a horizontal buttonhole for the upper button is a nice touch. At the same time, when BB redesigned the Polo shirt for a slimmer fit, they severely miscalculated the proportions of the shirt. I have "˜original' BB polo shirts and when I lay one shirt upon the other, the sleeves were basically the same size, the slim-fit was just a hair smaller in circumference, but still kept the same length. The same applies to the body of the shirt; it is much slimmer than the original, but barely ½ inch higher. Overall, it looks like they made the body really slim, and left almost everything else with the same dimensions as the original-fit shirt. When I took a look in the mirror, I looked ridiculous; especially, when compared to the regular RL Custom-Fit Polo's, which truly are slimmer, shorter, well proportioned. I am going to exchange the BB polo's for more shoetrees and then purchase more RL Custom-fit Polo's. Jon.

 

[gregory]

Thanks for sharing. I wish some magazine would just do a special feature comparing of different polo market shirts out there.

 

[johnnynorman3]

Can they get a clue and shorten their damn sleeves?

 

[imageWIS]

Today, I am wearing this, the Custom-Fit Pink Pony Polo:

Sleeves are just the right length, same goes for the split-tail, and body size. Maybe BB should look at RL for inspiration. Jon.

 

[johnnynorman3]

Is the split tail not hugely "tennised" like most most Polos? That is the ONE thing I hate about normal Polo blue label polo shirts -- the back tail is WAY longer than the front. It makes it hard to wear it untucked.

 

[gregory]

Today, I am wearing this, the Custom-Fit Pink Pony Polo: Sleeves are just the right length, same goes for the split-tail, and body size. Maybe BB should look at RL for inspiration. Jon.

The pink pony is just so gay.... of course, not  in a "bad" way, but a sexy way. I happen to own a RL polo shirt in aqua color. It is not from their pink pony range but it has a pink pony anyway and I think it looks great against the aqua background.

 

[gregory]

Is the split tail not hugely "tennised" like most most Polos? Â That is the ONE thing I hate about normal Polo blue label polo shirts -- the back tail is WAY longer than the front. Â It makes it hard to wear it untucked.

I feel the same way - I am not terribly bothered by the long back tail but given the choice, I would rather have the back and front be equal in length. Try Lacoste?

Seriously, their shirts are far better quality than Polo Ralph Lauren. Lacoste is $69 retail and Polo Ralph Lauren has increased their price to $65 retail. To me, Lacoste is a far better value with better cotton, pearl buttons, and nice tails. Polo Ralph Lauren, however, can usually be had for $15 - $25 from eBay, etc. In fact, www.barginhut.com ( no 'a' in 'bargin' ) sells them for $15.

 

[imageWIS]

Quote:

(imageWIS @ 25 June 2004, 12:12) Today, I am wearing this, the Custom-Fit Pink Pony Polo: Sleeves are just the right length, same goes for the split-tail, and body size. Maybe BB should look at RL for inspiration. Jon.
The pink pony is just so gay.... of course, not in a "bad" way, but a sexy way. I happen to own a RL polo shirt in aqua color. It is not from their pink pony range but it has a pink pony anyway and I think it looks great against the aqua background.
Actually I think it just is so philanthropic.

Plus in South Florida, with all the tropical colors and the fact that pink is primarily a man's color in Palm Beach, it matches perfectly with the fashion / style of the area. The tail is not that bad o the RL's, it is about ½ inch longer in the rear than in the front. Compared to the BB polo's, which have a huge difference between front and rear lengths. The problem with Lacoste, at least for my body, is that even a "˜S' is too big. I like a tighter / slimmer cut polo and the Lacoste's are not cut that way at all. Granted, that they are made from better materials, but I rather go for fit than quality in this case. Plus, RL Polo's last wash after wash. Jon.

 

[justbrowsing]

www.barginhut.com ( no 'a' in 'bargin' )

That spelling is so ghetto.

But if I'm saving money, what do I care? I guess websites with misspellings are like owning a shop a couples blocks off of Savile Row - lower overhead with savings passed on to the consumer.

 

[shoreman80]

Plus, RL Polo's last wash after wash.

This is the main reason I return to Polo.

I had a few Lacostes from a few years back that were waaaay too big, but since they seem to have changed their sizing the new ones fit better.
The RL polos may not be made of the same-grade cotton, but neither is made in France or the US anymore, so for me it comes down to the finished product. I prefer RL's collars, and I like the tennis tail (esp. on the custom fits, where it doesn't hang to my knees). What if I want to play tennis with my shirt tucked in?
Alas, I lament the MOP buttons found only on the Lacostes.
I like my Fred Perry polos, though they are pretty darned slim, and I have to make sure I don't inadvertently shave my head and put on cherry red doc martens.
I feel like I've read this all before...

Anyone got a Custom Fit Oxford from RL yet? I wanted to check those out.

 

[imageWIS]

I just realized what else I really like about RL Polo's, the wide placket. The reason being, that if you don't button either one of the buttons, the wide placket allows for just enough natural spreading of the collar, thus not too much, but not too little of the neck is shown.

Whereas in a polo shirt with a thin placket and both buttons undone, the placket tends to spread way too much, and sometimes shows the neck in an unflattering manner.

Jon.