The New Brooks Brothers

[sid11111]

I found the article interesting, but have to wonder if the LaBontes should have been a bit more prepared for a tenant abandoning them and their stuff. I would think this is not all that uncommon in the world of rented warehouses. I know it happens in the self-storage and residential-apartment industry all the time, so the owners factor abandoned-goods disposal into their costs. When a company goes bankrupt, they always stop paying their bills, and people who have sold them goods or lent them money always end up not getting paid. That's why they often require deposits or collateral or excellent credit beforehand. That's why merchants stopped selling to Barney's, because they were afraid they weren't going to get paid. Shouldn't the LaBontes have required a sizable upfront deposit, or maybe had insurance for tenant abandonments? I don't know how warehouse rentals work, but I can't help feeling that perhaps the LaBontes, being new to the business, thought, "Hey, it's Brooks Brothers, they've been around forever," and didn't take proper precautions. And now they are saying that Brooks Brothers should act differently (more responsibly) than other merchants because of its long history and tradition. Maybe I just don't know enough about the industry, but I feel that if this wasn't Brooks Brothers, it would not be worth a news story

It's insane that the same people who lament BB's demise and its negative impact on the local economy are the same asshole who would never pay full price for the MiUSA wares that BB offers.

 

[Viral]

It's insane that the same people who lament BB's demise and its negative impact on the local economy are the same asshole who would never pay full price for the MiUSA wares that BB offers.

Not insane actually........the reality. Just look at what gets said in threads like this vs what those same people say in real-life interactions with others.

But I get your point =(

 

[blue suede shoes]

So it's insane for me to wait a couple of months to buy that $140 shirt for only $70? I think insanity is the other way around, paying $140 for a shirt that you know you can get for $70 in a couple of months.

Brooks Brothers did not become the bankrupt disaster that it is today because some customers waited to catch certain items on sale. It fell into this mess for a number of reasons, most notably because the executives at the top were clueless about how to run the company, what the customers wanted, and the strengths and heritage of the company which they purchased and failed to capitalize on.

 

[Norwester]

I purchased several items at (near) full price: a couple Fitzgerald 1818 suits, the classic Fitzgerald blazer, some shirts and ties and dress trousers to go with the blazer. That exhausted my classic menswear needs, and if Brooks Brothers had stuck to their roots (which seems to be the version of BB that everyone is nostalgic about), that would have been the end of my interactions with them, other than an occasional shirt perhaps. I also like some of their more casual wear, but there the pricing is all over the map. Their Golden Fleece cotton dress chinos are nice, but someone in BB management decided that anything with the Golden Fleece label had to be priced at $400. I bought a pair when they were 40% off, which seems a more reasonable price given that Spier & Mackay sells cotton dress chinos made from Tessuti di Sondrio fabric for $118. I'll pay an extra $120 for MiUSA, but not an extra $280. And I do my own alterations so I can testify that the construction is no better than the made in Thailand or Mexico pants. Once BB opened the floodgates in 2020 with their 70% off sale on the good stuff... well, I'm sure I'll have an occasion to wear that Fitzgerald shawl collar tuxedo some day.

 

[dieworkwear]

So it's insane for me to wait a couple of months to buy that $140 shirt for only $70? I think insanity is the other way around, paying $140 for a shirt that you know you can get for $70 in a couple of months.

Brooks Brothers did not become the bankrupt disaster that it is today because some customers waited to catch certain items on sale. It fell into this mess for a number of reasons, most notably because the executives at the top were clueless about how to run the company, what the customers wanted, and the strengths and heritage of the company which they purchased and failed to capitalize on.

I think it was a complex problem, but driven in part by their customers' reluctance to pay full price (which, of course, was also fueled by Brooks Brothers' constant discounting, creating a feedback loop).

I heard from one of the companies that manufactured at Garland that it's too hard now to get people to pay for MiUSA goods. People want discounts and are less likely to pay the premium for American-made goods, compared to the market ten years ago.

 

[Viral]

I think it was a complex problem, but driven in part by their customers' reluctance to pay full price (which, of course, was also fueled by Brooks Brothers' constant discounting, creating a feedback loop).

I heard from one of the companies that manufactured at Garland that it's too hard now to get people to pay for MiUSA goods. People want discounts and are less likely to pay the premium for American-made goods, compared to the market ten years ago.

What’s the value in MiUSA anymore? There’s no craftsmanship or skill involved - and if you thinkan American set of hands are more capable than those of people from elsewhere in the world then that’s majorly fucked-up.

the word ‘Premium’ for MiUSA is cringe worthy

 

[Phileas Fogg]

I think it was a complex problem, but driven in part by their customers' reluctance to pay full price (which, of course, was also fueled by Brooks Brothers' constant discounting, creating a feedback loop).

Is that any different than the dilemma any Other retailer faces? Everyone is looking for a discount. Brooks Brothers ideal or average customer was and is not really high end. The BB costumer is not concerned with exclusivity, rather his goal is value. Hence, he will wait for discounts.

BB did not exactly offer its products at an attractive price point. Of the handful of BB items I own, most were purchased on sale or with volume discounts (2/$199, etc.). It had a lot of competition and did not really set itself apart. Year in and year out or offered the same boring products. Professional men had largely moved away from wearing suits and tailored clothing to the office yet about 1/3 to 1/2 of the floor space was dedicated to such items.

I heard from one of the companies that manufactured at Garland that it's too hard now to get people to pay for MiUSA goods. People want discounts and are less likely to pay the premium for American-made goods, compared to the market ten years ago.

people are willing to pay a premium for MiUSA products provided those products stand out. Denim is a good example.

 

[dieworkwear]

What’s the value in MiUSA anymore? There’s no craftsmanship or skill involved - and if you thinkan American set of hands are more capable than those of people from elsewhere in the world then that’s majorly fucked-up.

the word ‘Premium’ for MiUSA is cringe worthy

There are many reasons to produce in the USA. One of them is that you get a higher BOFA.

 

[Viral]

There are many reasons to produce in the USA. One of them is that you get a higher BOFA.

step your troll game up........

 

[dieworkwear]

step your troll game up........

My post was handmade in the USA, but provided to you for free. Please adjust your expectations.

 

[Viral]

lol

 

[PhilKenSebben]

There are many reasons to produce in the USA. One of them is that you get a higher BOFA.

Sigh. Since @dieworkwear is one of my favorite posters, and he is so informative and I teresting, and none of you other animals have taken the bait...

What's BOFA?

 

[Norwester]

Sigh. Since @dieworkwear is one of my favorite posters, and he is so informative and I teresting, and none of you other animals have taken the bait...

What's BOFA?

No soap radio?

 

[Keith Taylor]

And I do my own alterations so I can testify that the construction is no better than the made in Thailand or Mexico pants.

Seconded. I also do my own alterations, and I know that the stitches on a pair of pants machine stitched in the USA come out just as easily as those machine stitched anywhere else. Buying MiUSA (or in my case MiUK) offers no tangible added value for most products that goes beyond flag waving.

people are willing to pay a premium for MiUSA products provided those products stand out. Denim is a good example.

Yup. The only MiUSA products for which I’ve ever been happy to pay a premium are my Duluth Pack bags, because they offer all the benefits that make MiUSA worthwhile: a heritage brand that hand crafts unique products that look great, are absolutely bulletproof, and come with a lifetime guarantee. And their website features a photo gallery of the dozen or so staff members in the workshop who spend their days making the bag that will last you a lifetime. That can be worth $400 to me, but I couldn’t say the same about a pair of BB pants that are indistinguishable from the same model made with the exact same materials using the exact same machines elsewhere.

 

[sid11111]

people are willing to pay a premium for MiUSA products provided those products stand out. Denim is a good example.

With Cone Mills being a excellent case study?