Jos A Bank vs. Brooks Brothers

[rainwater]

Apologies...I read a thread comparing Brooks Brothers to Jos A Banks, and it overwhelmingly favored Brooks Brothers. I am a Jos A Bank regular. I visit Brooks Brothers also. I will admit that JAB has some cheaper lines, but my nice suits compare perfectly with Brooks Brothers. I just purchased a Blue Herringbone Blazer from JAB outlet for $119.00 (on sale). The same outlet had the same Blazer in BB for $450.00 (on sale) The feel, the tailoring, the look was no better from BB. Both Blazers are made in some Asian or Central American country...give me a break that one quality is better than the other.....actually, the JAB fit me much better. All my JAB suits and Sport Coat sets have passed the test of time. The best barometer for me is that JAB has better selection for me. I like to mix patterns, colors, etc. JAB always has more variety of patterns. JAB is not so hooked into the usual pinstripe pattens. Shirts at BB are featuring many wrinkle free shirts like everyone else (which I'm not partial to). Prices are about the same, but JAB has more frequent sales. My wife always finds something she likes on me at JAB, but not so at BB. The Merino Wool and Camel Hair overcoats are no softer or better tailored at BB. I have a few things that I've bought at JAB that I've never been able to find at any other place. A beautiful Wool/Linen Blazer.......A beautiful Silk Blazer (My wife adores)....both bought on tremendous sale and have stood the test of time and wear. Tailoring and fit superb, on me anyway. I might add that I'm 62 and still fit and not huge like many older gents....another issue....more selection for 38R and 39R for me at JAB. Some patterns at BB aren't even available in my size. I like BB, but I'm not sold that the quality is so much better at BB. Same Asian and Central American production...etc......My statement.....pay more at BB if you want......My suits from JAB look, feel, and fit great.......Sales at JAB are phenomenal......My experience with the sales personnel has been better at JAB, but that could change any moment with turnover in the retail business.
For me......I'm dreaming of the day I can rationalize a bespoke suit.......for me, that would be a jump in quality that would be apparent. Thank you for your time....I like BB and JAB for my budget, but I will take advantage of the selection and sales at JAB more often.

 

[Klobber]

A well constructed sales pitch

 

[reidrothchild]

Are you sure the blazer at the BB outlet was $450.00? I've never seen a 346 jacket that retailed for more than $300, and I've never been a BB outlet when the jackets weren't at least 40% off. The average price for 346 jackets is $100 to $150 in my experience.

 

[sns23]

I would not say Jos A Bank has sales. When clothing is "on sale" every single day it is not really "on sale." I prefer Brooks Brothers because i can get MTM and made in the USA clothing.

 

[BackInTheJox]

I feel like Brooks Brothers would've taken more time to craft a better advertisement post than JAB has done here. I'm sold on BB > JAB for life!

 

[mcbrown]

Subscribed. I have high hopes for this thread.

 

[Prof. B. Bear]

From what I've seen JAB tends to target those with "portly" or larger than average sizes. Can't say that I'm a fan whatsoever.

 

[rainwater]

Maybe BB has some higher end stuff I'm not aware of......many of the labels in BB were Central America, China, etc.......similar to JAB.......my jibe is that I don't notice much quality difference in BB over JAB......One consumer finds JAB catering to the larger client....my experience is just the opposite......JAB has some cheaper lines.....but my nice suits, jackets, slacks, shirts compare perfectly with BB......like I said....I saw the same sad wrinkle resistent shirts at BB, which I disdain, but seems to be taking over....they look great, but I feel they don't breathe as well as conventional cotton (I'm not sure wrinkle resistent wears as long). I sincerely feel I shop at JAB and BB because I'm not ready to commit to the real quality of a "Bespoke" suit.....I'm not sure my wife is ready to permit this kind of sense gratification. I would never say JAB is better, but I'm not sure BB is better....JAB works better for me.....both shops are like Alfa Romeo (which I've owned before) to me.......Alfa Romeo is called the "pocket Ferrari"........italian sports car for people who can't afford the real thing. My wife and I will be retiring to the Ukraine in the next few years......My wife has many "bespoke" outfits she had tailored in Kiev for $300.00 to $600.00 dollars.....beautiful fabrics, beautiful tailoring, and personal input into the finished design.....I'm interested to see what Eastern European tailors have to offer for men. Honestly, I wish I weren't having this discussion......I prefer to dream about bespoke suits from Savoy Row, Naples, and hand made English Shoes. Does anyone know anything about "Adrian Jules" as an American (New York) bespoke tailor???? I would be interested to have some feedback for his work. Thank you.

 

[AlexE]

Apologies...I read many books comparing real punctuation to the text message style of yours...most of them overwhelmingly favored real punctuation. Seems like you are a text message style regular. However, maybe you can also visit real punctuation world sometimes.......maybe you realize that using funky symbols like periods, commas and line-breaks makes the text more visually appealing...........and easier to read................then it becomes also more obvious how "great" the content of your posting is...that is is not just an amateur sales pitch for a line of low-quality garments for fat man........and that it goes way beyond those dozens of already existing threads discussing JAB vs. BB........................adding ground breaking and important new information................like your personal opinion...something you could not have just added to one of the existing threads.

 

[AMProf]

 

[dks202]

JAB and BB "346" look the same because they ARE the same junk. Brooks Brothers "346" items are cheap overseas items made only for the BB outlets. Go to a real Brooks Brothers store, not the outlet. That's where you'll find the real stuff.

 

[Jeff M]

I went to JAB a couple months ago when they had one of their buy 1 get 2 things going on, and since I look much better in slim fitting clothing, the salesman recommended I look elsewhere since JAB is more "portly", to quote what was mentioned above. However, I think it might be a recent addition to their line, they have slim fit suits and shirts now. Does anyone have experience with their slim fitting stuff? I suppose I could always go to the store and try stuff on, but I figured I would ask while I'm here to see if anyone has good feedback.

 

[VinnyMac]

From what I've seen JAB tends to target those with "portly" or larger than average sizes. Can't say that I'm a fan whatsoever.

...agreed. BB clothes are a bit less "portly" than JAB, but it's tough for me to find decent fits from either company. JAB has cheap to slightly above average quality at low to average prices, and BB has cheap to slightly above average quality at average to high prices.

JAB and BB "346" look the same because they ARE the same junk. Brooks Brothers "346" items are cheap overseas items made only for the BB outlets. Go to a real Brooks Brothers store, not the outlet. That's where you'll find the real stuff.

See the above. BB isn't much better than JAB. The BB name makes people feel better about what they're seeing and buying.

 

[VinnyMac]

I went to JAB a couple months ago when they had one of their buy 1 get 2 things going on, and since I look much better in slim fitting clothing, the salesman recommended I look elsewhere since JAB is more "portly", to quote what was mentioned above. However, I think it might be a recent addition to their line, they have slim fit suits and shirts now. Does anyone have experience with their slim fitting stuff? I suppose I could always go to the store and try stuff on, but I figured I would ask while I'm here to see if anyone has good feedback.

It's not new. They've had "tailored fit" clothing for years. Maybe they have an "ULTRA tailored fit" line now. I haven't shopped there in years, so I can't comment on that, but I bought "tailored fit" clothes from them in the past and they still fit me like a rain tarp. In the end, I paid to have them significantly taken in. They've held up well.

I'm 6ft and I workout pretty frequently. My drop is about 12 inches. If you're shorter, and you only need something that's slightly....SLIGHTLY more slim than usual, then "tailored fit" may work for you.

 

[KObalto]



It's
See the above. BB isn't much better than JAB. The BB name makes people feel better about what they're seeing and buying.

BB's non-outlet stuff is miles ahead of most JAB in quality and JAB has always had a fuller cut than most. BB 1818 and GF are good quality. I work with a lot of guys who patronize JAB and they are always complaining about how quickly the suits show wear. Then they go back and buy 3 more for $500 or whatever.The trim cut suits are a recent addition.