BROOKS BROTHERS

[Mr. Rover]

I really like that tie. Is there a story behind it?
I was at the shirtmaker the other day and was debating if I should get a club collar shirt. I think 'll get one when I come back from the states.

And yars, Arrowcollarman, find a Brooks Bros. outlet. They're quite useful, like when you're in need of a cummerbund in my case.

 

[Matt Deckard]

There is a story behind every article of clothing I wear (some are just more boring than others).

I was working the Vintage Fashion Expo in 2005 (setting things up) and I saw one of the vendors had a deadstock in the box wool tie from the (i think) late 30's. -- I haggled.

 

[ArrowCollarMan]

Ah, so you were wearing that shirt! I remember that picture, I thought it looked real nice (also liked the suit, is it linen?). And by the way, what'd people think about the getup?

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

I just picked up one of those brooks club collar shirts at the outlet last week. They indeed had a whole load of them, in three different colors. Unfortunately only one in my size. It is a pity more people don't wear interesting shirts like these though.

 

[Sefton]

It's a style I like also. It gives a nice 1920s look without having to actually attach the collar. You may not have been in leggings and wearing a codpiece (at least as far as we can tell from the photo!lol ) but you're clothes were just a wee bit closer in age to the renaissance than all of those people wearing jeans and t-shirts!

 

[Matt Deckard]

Well for reaction to me wearing the linen suit... you should ask Trickeration and Miss Neecerie... I had ladies in renwear stopping to take my pick... I even snubbed the queen apparently when I missunderstood one of her servantts who was calling me over when i thought she was shooing me away.

 

[Mr. Rover]

I just picked up a pair of linen trousers from Brooks Bros. on Tuesday during a sale. They were originally a size 32, but the in-house tailor is going to take it into a 29" waist. Because of this, the rise goes all the way to my belly button. I get it back on Thurs. so pics then!

 

[Tomasso]

They were originally a size 32, but the in-house tailor is going to take it into a 29" waist. Because of this, the rise goes all the way to my belly button.

Ray, I don't get it. How does taking in the waist lengthen the rise?

 

[Mr. Rover]

Sorry about my crappy word choice and sentence structure at 4AM. The rise is quite high for me due to the proportions of a pair of 32" waist pants compared to a 28" waist pair of pants. With the waist taken in, it will fit me and still hit my belly button.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Sucks, doesn't it, that many companies now start their lines at 32 waist.

bk

 

[jamespowers]

Sucks, doesn't it, that many companies now start their lines at 32 waist.

bk

Nope. It works out just fine for the rest of us.

Regards,

J

 

[Matt Deckard]

So I went into the Beverly hills brooks Brothers again today and saw that suit that Me and Hemingway Jones looked at in New York... three piece with a bi-swing and belted back. I don't understand it. it's like they desigend the jacket frome a picture of a vintage one and lowered the belt and gave it no fit. Instead of having pleats under the belt there are darts that go up 10 or more inches... doesn't make sense and doesn
't look good.

 

[Mr. Rover]

I went to the Manhasset, NY Brooks Bros. store and they told me that they have that suit in for the fall/winter season but don't have it in stock right. Maybe if I have time I'll check out their flagship stores in NYC.

 

[otterhound]

They were originally a size 32, but the in-house tailor is going to take it into a 29" waist.

Doesn't this pull the back pockets together so much that they almost touch?

 

[Mr. Rover]

We'll See when I get it. The salesman said it looked fine. I don't know if they will alter it from only the back seam or if they'll use the side seams as well.
I may have to ask them to alter the length, too. I remember it being slightly long.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Fitzgerald suit from Brooks Brothers

It's harking back to the Kennedy fashion accoring to my favorite saleslady at the Camarillo Outlets... I went with Ray to see the actual suits she was telling me about.

I walked into the Beverly Hills store a week ago with my friend Ray. I spoke with several of their salesmen and they love the suit. I like the fact that the armholes have a higher cut and they have jackets with which you can pair their university ties... though unlike the suits that Kennedy wore in the 60's, these ones still have lower armholes than what Brooks was making back then.. I have one, I know. Why can't they just make their off the rack the same as it was then?

My only other gripe is very little waist suppression. The pic below shows it very suppressed. The ones on the racks in the store are more of a tube fit.

I do have to say that they are stepping up their quality. I liked what I saw in the way of their higher end suits. Couldn't find one without a boutenere loop under the lapel buttonhole.

The cuts on their three piece suits are looking better as well.

I'm not a fan of their interpretation of the belt back suit or jacket, I think it's looks like it was designed using an old drawing rather than an old pattern, and the armholes are set in in a really really unflattering manner. If they would just grab a vintage one from somewhere and copy the design they would sell like hotcakes, and be more comfortable.

 

[Mr. Rover]

Well, what we've learned from talking to Brooks Bros. salespeople is that they often don't know all that much...certainly far less than what most of the gents here know.

 

[carebear]

The only high-armhole garment I've ever worn (to my knowledge) is my Dress Blue blouse. You've all seen them, they're fitted pretty tightly and are a heavy boned fabric.

My question involves freedom of movement. When you wear the tunic and raise your arms even just to shoulder height it pulls up and eventually you just can't lift anymore, neither can you move your arms with easy comfortability to the front or rear. Certainly not all day or while doing any vigorous activity.

How can a daily wear suit have tightish armholes and still let you run, climb, scrap (in an emergency), etc without tearing seams loose?

Am I mistaken in assuming higher armholes would necessarily be tighter?

 

[Matt Deckard]

higher armholes means less stress on the fabric from you pulling the stitching near the armpit. military fit is closer to what the tailors were doing back in 20's. Less shoulder padding and high armholes. In the 30's the armholes stayed high though the shoulders became bigger. Movement stayed still easier that low armholed garments.

Try it with any jacket and you will notice that there is less stress put on the armholes with jackets that have higher cut armholes. You don't feel constricted or bound. You don't feel like you have to keep your arms at your side.

 

[carebear]

Okay, tried a jacket on and it makes counterintuitive comfort sense.

Even though the armhole itself has less room for the arm to move around in, the fabric on the bottom of the sleeve is now the actual full length of the arm. The sleeve can move around at the shoulder joint and go anywhere the arm in the sleeve can go. Thus when you lift, you don't get the cantilevered shorter length locking out like a glider wing or having to lift the torso of the garment.

Call me convinced. :eusa_clap

Now tell me why it changed. [huh] Small savings in fabric?