New lawyer- should I jump on the BB bankruptcy sale?

[123zero]

Hi all,
I just got my license to practice law in California. I currently have two CK suits and some separates that got me through law school externships, but now I'll need at least three more good suits. The CK suits are black and charcoal and look pretty good, especially the charcoal one (the black is too sombre, although in some parts of CA a black dress jacket is a signifier that you're an attorney when worn as a seperate, so it's fine for that). I also have a green/brown herring bone sports coat that I love- good for casual day or hearings, or for going out, but not for trial (I actually love this particular jacket).

Maybe I'm asking more about wardrobe construction than about just whether or not I should buy some 40% off BB suits. Putting aside the black suit, I would need at least two more suits, or even three, since I can wear seperates on days I don't have hearings (approximately one day of the week I think).

I've been saving some money, and I'll soon be starting a decently well paying entry level legal position that will have me in court all day, and within a few months I'll be in front of juries. I will basically be living in my suits for a few years, so this is a fairly weighty decision.

I was thinking about buying two, or even three Brooks Brothers suits online during the sale, since they're only $600 if you buy more than one. I could get three suits and four ties for under $2500, which is about my budget for this (at the moment).

Question then: is this a good idea? Could I get better quality elsewhere? Is it risky to buy them online during the pandemic when I can't try on multiple sizes? I have a tailor, but I'm actually going to need these suits in about a month so I'd prefer to avoid back and forth in the mail. And why are they making the hems on their pants so high? Can I get that tailored out somehow? Any information is highly appreciated!

 

[Phileas Fogg]

Given what’s going on with them, it’s probably not a bad idea.

For all the crap we give them here, Brooks Brothers still offers pretty good value. If you’ll be needing to wear suits as part of your profession, you could do a lot worse.

Are their retail locations closed? Sorry...I haven’t been paying attention. You could take it into them for alterations. Otherwise, find a good alterations tailor for the finishing.

 

[123zero]

Given what’s going on with them, it’s probably not a bad idea.

For all the crap we give them here, Brooks Brothers still offers pretty good value. If you’ll be needing to wear suits as part of your profession, you could do a lot worse.

Are their retail locations closed? Sorry...I haven’t been paying attention. You could take it into them for alterations. Otherwise, find a good alterations tailor for the finishing.

Thanks for the response.
Yes, I just called, their retail stores are all closed except for one in Palm Desert. Which is about four hours from me. But is not an outlet, so I'm almost tempted to run down there since I'll be in the area soon. I do have a pretty good tailor near me; I'm more worried about having to mail things back and forth with a company in bankruptcy (although Chapter 11 for now, it could go over to Chapter 7 if the cards fall wrong; then it would be chaos).

 

[Phileas Fogg]

Personally I think you’ll be ok. The safest bet, of course, is to go there in person, get fitted properly and have the alterations done there and shipped to your home.

BB has several different fits so depending on your body type, the same size in different fits will feel different.

Check Saks too as you may be able to find a good deal on their house label suits. It’s their semi annual sale and their house label suits are made by Samuelsohn.

 

[Res]

I never really got into BB suits not sure why this is. But I do purchase their basics, oxfords, socks, sweaters etc..

A lot of companies are taking the time to restructure themselves during this pandemic because it will be a lot harder to renegotiate better deals afterwards.

Going on the BB site I don't see any eye catching deals, could be my area.

 

[compuccesory]

Hi all,
I just got my license to practice law in California. I currently have two CK suits and some separates that got me through law school externships, but now I'll need at least three more good suits. The CK suits are black and charcoal and look pretty good, especially the charcoal one (the black is too sombre, although in some parts of CA a black dress jacket is a signifier that you're an attorney when worn as a seperate, so it's fine for that). I also have a green/brown herring bone sports coat that I love- good for casual day or hearings, or for going out, but not for trial (I actually love this particular jacket).

Maybe I'm asking more about wardrobe construction than about just whether or not I should buy some 40% off BB suits. Putting aside the black suit, I would need at least two more suits, or even three, since I can wear seperates on days I don't have hearings (approximately one day of the week I think).

I've been saving some money, and I'll soon be starting a decently well paying entry level legal position that will have me in court all day, and within a few months I'll be in front of juries. I will basically be living in my suits for a few years, so this is a fairly weighty decision.

I was thinking about buying two, or even three Brooks Brothers suits online during the sale, since they're only $600 if you buy more than one. I could get three suits and four ties for under $2500, which is about my budget for this (at the moment).

Question then: is this a good idea? Could I get better quality elsewhere? Is it risky to buy them online during the pandemic when I can't try on multiple sizes? I have a tailor, but I'm actually going to need these suits in about a month so I'd prefer to avoid back and forth in the mail. And why are they making the hems on their pants so high? Can I get that tailored out somehow? Any information is highly appreciated!

$2500 for 3 BB suits is Jeff Bezos levels of extravagance. Here's a reddit post I made with a list of Golden Fleece suits for $509 as listed. If you use code BC1818 it takes the price down to $432 shipped, non-final sale. I recommend you grab 1 each of the Loro Piana Super 150 in Gray and Navy to start, see how they fit, maybe get them in different sizes if you're not sure, and consider getting more if they fit well, and given the way their ship is sailing, there might be further discounts down the road. I understand that you will get at least free pants alterations and possible some simple jacket alterations in store as well. Use Shoprunner for free return shipping.

Reddit - Dive into anything

www.reddit.com

As I say in my review I grabbed one of the flannels just to see how they fit (I was trying to grab one of the $173 C&J shoes but no dice). It's not a bad deal for a beginner but ultimately $432 is more than I want to spend on a suit and while the fit was OK, the skinny lapels are kind of dated and not flattering enough for me to keep it.

 

[123zero]

$2500 for 3 BB suits is Jeff Bezos levels of extravagance. Here's a reddit post I made with a list of Golden Fleece suits for $509 as listed. If you use code BC1818 it takes the price down to $432 shipped, non-final sale. I recommend you grab 1 each of the Loro Piana Super 150 in Gray and Navy to start, see how they fit, maybe get them in different sizes if you're not sure, and consider getting more if they fit well, and given the way their ship is sailing, there might be further discounts down the road. I understand that you will get at least free pants alterations and possible some simple jacket alterations in store as well. Use Shoprunner for free return shipping.

Reddit - Dive into anything

www.reddit.com

As I say in my review I grabbed one of the flannels just to see how they fit (I was trying to grab one of the $173 C&J shoes but no dice). It's not a bad deal for a beginner but ultimately $432 is more than I want to spend on a suit and while the fit was OK, the skinny lapels are kind of dated and not flattering enough for me to keep it.

Thanks for the code! I like that Merino wool pinstripe in grey from your list- I think I may pick that one up. It comes with unfinished sleaves and hems though. The nearest (open) Brookes Brothers is in Palm Desert (near Palm Springs) which is about a 6 hour drive for me... but I'll be on vacation near there next week so it's not out of the question. I called the store there earlier today and they said that their tailor will be going back to work next week, so I could get fitted there- if they get the suit by then. Thing is I have a great tailor in the town where I live. She just did a great job tailoring the suits I already have, plus some un-hemmed dress pants for me. I guess if the suit is only $450 it's not that big a deal whether the accept the return.

As far as better sales coming up, I think it could go either way. It depends if they can find a buyer. They filed Chapter 11, which allows them to play games with their creditors and thier contracts; as long as they can get back to profitability by swapping debt for equity they can probably come back leander. The danger will be if their creditors can convince the court that they're actually not ever going to be profitable again. But, I don't think that will happen, based on the sheer number of store closures they just did. I mean, they just closed the San Francisco store, which was sort of surprising, but then on second thought makes sense. People in SF have money but they don't dress up - just their lawyers do. Then again, it may be eight months to a year before we see a vaccine, and evne then the economy might be so bad that their brand can't swim. So bigger sales may be coming. It's just impossible to tell for now.

Thanks again for the promo, that saved me $180...

 

[compuccesory]

Good luck, the code worked for me but some people have reported problems, because the code theoretically is only for their credit card holders. If that happens you might get it resolved by calling customer service.

 

[123zero]

Oh yeah, they want me to get a credit card. I may have to call them...

 

[123zero]

I take it back- they let me use it. Thanks for the tip, it saved me $280, plus the 40% off these three suits... plus the sales tax, which is brutal in CA.

I have 60 days to return these, so we'll see how it goes. I just bought these to see how they fit/look. They have to look good but sort of conservative - so I'm not sure about the Regent Fit. But what do I know. If I don't like one or the other I'll send them back. I also got some ties while I was at it because they're buy one, get one 50% off. Seems like a good deal. And I'm excited by the Glen Fit Plaid - I need a medium grey suit.

 

[compuccesory]

Those 1818 suits regularly go down to $300 even without the code, and I wouldn't have bothered at that price, Golden Fleece only for me. EDIT: Oh you said 3 for $600, that's about right I guess.

 

[123zero]

No, they were about $600 each. But I can return them within 60 days for a refund. I need to see them in person to make up my mind. If they aren't a whole lot better than what I can get for less around here then I'll send them all back and start over. I've never tried out a BB suit, so I'll basically be comparing them to my CK ones and I would hope that they'd be better.

And actually, if I hold onto them long enough I can see how their financial situation is working, and if the prices go down further I'll send them back and buy again at a lower price point. All kinds of angles to work here.

This website is great btw, that was great info on the code. I'm going to have more questions for people on here in the future...

 

[compuccesory]

OK, well it's your money, but I wouldn't pay more than $200 for a half canvas 1818, so Brooks Brothers must be happy to have you as a customer.