In my closet, there are few brands that I am loyal to.
Brooks Brothers is one of those brands that I am loyal to.
I have many Brooks Brothers buttoned down shirts of all different colors in Regent size and I know what I’m getting with their shirts, which is always a perfect fit and the 1818 tag (and occasionally, the fleece logo on the front).
But for those who have been Brooks Brothers loyalists, we have seen the company go through a variety of changes through the decades.
Back then, Brooks Brothers was an elegant brand that made quality clothing. They still make quality clothing. There are some who feel the company has changed, some who feel they are still one of the best clothing brands in America and you have your loyalists and you have those who are willing to try the many competitively-priced brands out there.
What Brooks Brothers has is over 200-years as an established brand. Not just in America but worldwide.
So, having owned numerous books on the Brooks Brothers, I wanted a book that was about one’s love for Brooks Brothers but also brave enough to take on the more troublesome decades of the company’s history.
John William Cooke’s 2003 book, “Brooks Brothers. Generations of Style. It’s All About the Clothing.” is probably one, if not the finest book on the Brooks Brothers (and there are a few out there).
Cooke does a great job of showcasing the company’s history. From the founding of the company by Henry Sands Brooks in 1818 when it was known H. Brooks & Co., later to H. & D.H. Brooks & Co.) when his brother David joined.
Then the family affair with the sons taking over, Elisha, Daniel, Edward and John and the company being renamed to Brooks Brothers in 1850.
Cooke covers the lavish buildings built for Brooks Brothers in the past and even the Civil War Draft Riots, when the store was ransacked in 1863.
The book goes heavily into apparel, from the sack suit, when girls started buying the popular Polo Coat, the detachable collar, the polo shirt, the hats, the Seersucker suit, the Number Two Suit and more.
Even going to when the clothes became popular for young men and women who were Ivy League students and with the young women buying the pink polo button downs, the company then having made the decision to sell to young women.
But the book goes through the good times and the tough times. The Depression and even World War II when fabric was under strict govt. rules during the wartime.
But one thing remained consistent, the loyal fans of Brooks Brothers were always vocal. Vocal when Brooks Brother put pricing on their show windows, concern when no one in the blood-line would run the company, until Winthrop Brooks would remain with the company before the company was sold in 1946.
The company faced its first major challenge with World War II and the company being sold.
And this is where Cooke would go into detail of how the company changed and loyalists voice grew louder, when it was first acquired by Julius Garfinckel & Co., then by Allied Stores, then Mark & Spencer and probably one of the biggest disservice to the followers of Brooks Brothers loyalists, to rid of the Golden Fleece logo for a short time. And even wanting to aim their demographic towards a younger demographic.
Which was no surprise to me at the time, because during the ’90s, another older company, Abercrombie & Fitch would do the same.
But Brooks Brothers was a symbol of quality and elegance.
There is a reason why people say, “Brooks Brothers is not the same quality as back then”. It’s a long established dialogue that even loyalists have challenged the company since its heyday and today. What the young people say today, maybe something out of their father’s mouths or even grandfather’s mouths who grew up with the brand.
There is no doubt that with today’s older adults, like myself, we went to college wearing Brooks Brothers, but the Brooks Brothers I grew up with, is not the same Brooks Brothers of the past.
But I do feel that the Brooks Brothers brand is still one of the most well-known American brands. There is no doubt more competition but I remain loyal and still wear the clothing. Because Brooks Brothers to me is tradition. I know that when I buy a Regent Sized Brooks Brothers shirt in my size, it’s going to fit me without needing to try it on. That’s how confident I am in the brand after all these years.
While I do wish Cooke would release an expanded update of this book, since a lot has happened since the company was bought by Retail Brand Alliance (RBA) in 2001, even during the Pandemic with Brooks Brothers in bankruptcy and being acquired by Authentic Brands Group (which already owns brands such as Reebok, Lucky Brand Jeans, Nautica, Izod, Geoffrey Beene, Van Heusen, etc.) and Simon Property Group’s SPARC Group LLC for $325 million. It will be interesting to see how the brand will thrive into the future.
If there was one thing that Brooks Brothers loyalists can agree on, that the powers may be were smart to do was to release more sizing instead of traditional and Merino and add the Regent and Slim sizes.
But there are those of us who are loyalists to Brooks Brothers no matter the changes that are happening. The belief that the company stills make quality shirts and sure, they may not be as affordable to other brands who have cheaper sales, that’s one thing that loyalists of the brand’s heyday would complain about. Because they wanted the company to keep it professional, elegant and quality still remaining a focal point. And today, Brooks Brothers loyalists will be the first to vouch for the 1818 shirts before they will ever show any love for the Brooks Brothers 346 Outlet shirts.
Even Japanese loyalists fought for a return of the Golden Fleece (I have to say the Brooks Brothers stores in Tokyo are awesome).
But this is a wonderful Brooks Brothers book that goes into the history, many photos and illustrations. From Presidents (Abraham Lincoln wore Brooks Brothers on the day of his second inauguration and even on the night he was assassinated) and even celebrities like Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, Rudolph Valentino to the Yale singing group, The Whiffenpoofs.
This is a wonderful resource, a wonderful trip to the past to learn about the magnificent and not so magnificent years of Brooks Brothers (including photos from 9/11). Easy to read, entertaining to read… John William Cooke, I really do hope you expand and update this book.
“Brooks Brothers. Generations of Style. It’s All About the Clothing”… it has been nearly 20-years since this book was released and it’s my favorite book about the Brooks Brothers. Recommended!
