Quality of Brooks Brothers and Jos A Bank Slimfit Shirts

Timeless Fashion · May 3, 2009

How long a shirt lasts also has to do with how often you wear the shirt and how well you take care of it. If you wear a shirt once every 2 weeks, it should last longer than if you were it every week. Avoiding starch and fabric softeners will help it last longer as well.

mcmillin · May 3, 2009

@Timeless Fashion : true story

specialblend · May 3, 2009

Originally Posted by StyGen

Hi everyone, long time reader, first time poster, hoping you guys can provide me with some insight.

I recently took some non-iron slimfit shirts from brooks brothers and Jos A Bank to my tailor and when he finished the job, he told me to not buy from these companies again because they were glued/fused.

I'm not sure about Jos but I always thought Brooks were of pretty high quality so is it true that their shirts are glued? If they are that would be a shame since I own over a dozen of them.

Don't alter BB non-iron shirts. They have tape along the seams so that they don't pucker during wear, a tailor cannot reproduce this work. Also the fabric doesn't stand up well to alterations and the fabric will always pucker even when ironed, I found this out the hard way when I had the backs darted on two of em. Brooks will never alter a non-iron shirt themselves because of this.

Other than that they are great shirts, usually last me about 2 years, worn twice a month. Can't be beat for the price

Mathew J · May 4, 2009

So I'll admit that I prefer non iron shirts, I am a bit "husky" and I am lazy/cheap...thus I don't like ironing or having my shirts cleaned at a cleaner...

With that said I have owned BB non iron trad fit, as well as Jos Banks Traveller and Sig non iron shirts...

Of them the BB non irons and the Sig shirts have faired the best, the Traveller shirts always seemed to fall apart at the cuff after about a year if not less.

Warren G. · May 4, 2009

Originally Posted by specialblend

Don't alter BB non-iron shirts. They have tape along the seams so that they don't pucker during wear, a tailor cannot reproduce this work. Also the fabric doesn't stand up well to alterations and the fabric will always pucker even when ironed, I found this out the hard way when I had the backs darted on two of em. Brooks will never alter a non-iron shirt themselves because of this.

Other than that they are great shirts, usually last me about 2 years, worn twice a month. Can't be beat for the price

Yup, my tailor told me the same thing.

furo · May 4, 2009

Originally Posted by Timeless Fashion

How long a shirt lasts also has to do with how often you wear the shirt and how well you take care of it. If you wear a shirt once every 2 weeks, it should last longer than if you were it every week. Avoiding starch and fabric softeners will help it last longer as well.

Well here's a follow up:

What if you don't wash the shirt after every wear? And I'm being honest when I say that because I usually wear the shirts 3-4 times before washing (unless of course I had a bad day with body odor).

Slewfoot · May 4, 2009

I must admit, I'm a fan of the BB non-iron for the simple reason that they are so easy to take care of. Wash, dry and hang is right up my alley. If I wear the shirt with a tie I wear it once, but otherwise twice so it doesn't get washed too often. Most of my shirts have lasted 3+ years thus far. Perhaps I'll try a Jos A. Bank non-iron sometime.

My only complaint with the BB shirts is that even the slim-fit is too big and billowy. Do any companies make non-iron in a slimmer fit?

Cas Ruffin · May 4, 2009

Originally Posted by furo

I own about 8 of the BB slim fits (some 346 and some retail). The BB 346 have the 2 buttons on the barrel cuff and the retail ones only have one button.

I'm perfectly happy with all of them but then again, I've only had them all for about 8 months or less, so I'm curious to know why they'd "fall apart" or be worn out in a year as the above poster mentioned.

If so, why would they wear down any quicker than a non-wrinkle-free shirt? The chemical treatment?

And here's another question: if we're comparing shirts like these, what is the price range of those shirts that "last longer than a year?" I typically get the BB slim fit shirts on sale for about $30 a piece (marked down from $80 retail).

It doesn't make any sense to me to pay $300 for a RLPL shirt or something, especially since they aren't even cut slim and tailoring a shirt is a lot of unneeded expense imo, but that's just me.

They have slimfit at 346?!!? You're lying. Prove it.

anon · May 4, 2009

Originally Posted by Cas Ruffin

They have slimfit at 346?!!? You're lying. Prove it.
I've seen them. They're hard to come across, though. I was there this weekend and of the ~6 tables with shirts out, only 1 had slim fits. FWIW, most of my shirts are JAB wrinkle-free and, for the most part, they've help up fine. I started washing my first shirts with fabric softener and they are not holding up as well as newer shirts I got and have not washed with fabric softener. I don't know if it's because the older shirts have been worn more, if it's because the technique of making them wrinkle-free has changed, or if it is because of the fabric softener.

furo · May 4, 2009

Originally Posted by Slewfoot

I must admit, I'm a fan of the BB non-iron for the simple reason that they are so easy to take care of. Wash, dry and hang is right up my alley. If I wear the shirt with a tie I wear it once, but otherwise twice so it doesn't get washed too often. Most of my shirts have lasted 3+ years thus far. Perhaps I'll try a Jos A. Bank non-iron sometime.

My only complaint with the BB shirts is that even the slim-fit is too big and billowy. Do any companies make non-iron in a slimmer fit?

3+ years seems reasonable to me. I'll just make sure I use the proper detergent

Originally Posted by Cas Ruffin

They have slimfit at 346?!!? You're lying. Prove it.

Will post pics when I get home

radicaldog · May 5, 2009

Even some pretty good Neapolitan shirts (e.g. Barba) have fused collars and cuffs. Kabbaz bespoke shirts have fused collars. It is the construction method of cheap shirts, but it can also be a conscious style choice. Not everybody likes the look of unfused collars, and they're a pain to iron. BB does fused collars because it's cheaper, but so do Barba, Finamore, etc.

bowtielover · May 5, 2009

I am pretty sure that Jos A Bank dose not glue their shirts, I have several shirts from them that have seemed to hold up to their promise. I get them already fitted though.

mcmillin · Jun 7, 2009

Originally Posted by bowtielover

I am pretty sure that Jos A Bank dose not glue their shirts, I have several shirts from them that have seemed to hold up to their promise. I get them already fitted though.

I am a JAB store manager and there seems to be a little confusion between the seam tape that is used and "glue" that we do not use. There is a tape in the seam that helps to prevent puckering though wearings and washings, but they are not glued.

anon · Jun 7, 2009

does anyone know if the slim-fit shirts at either of these stores have narrower shoulders compared to non-slim fit shirts in the same size?

Connemara · Jun 7, 2009

Almost all of my OCBD's are Brooks Bros. Slim Fit (regular fabric, not the non-iron crap). They hold up remarkably well and the fit is really great, at least for me, a 15-33.

Anon, yes, the shoulders certainly are narrower.

Quality of Brooks Brothers and Jos A Bank Slimfit Shirts

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