Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Hipper Clothes at Brooks Brothers?

I can't claim to be a big fan of Brooks Brothers despite having shopped there for most of my professional life and spent a small fortune at their stores. I purchased their clothes due to, in equal parts, a lack of courage and lack of alternatives: I consider their clothes "safe" for a professional environment and am a petite who refuses to purchase clothes that require altering (they carry a petite line of women's clothes). Also, the quality of the clothes is pretty much indisputable and I can say without employing hyperbole that their non-iron shirts have just about saved my life. Therefore, I reacted with cautious optimism when I read in today's Wall Street Journal that Brooks Brothers is launching a campaign to promote a new clothing line, Black Fleece, designed by Thom Browne. Browne, who won this year’s Council of Fashion Designers of America award for menswear designer of the year, is known for his ankle-bearing men's pants and teeny tiny jackets. I have serious doubts that the average male professional, presumably Brook's Brothers' staple customer, is going to embrace these fashions. Believe me, I work in the hedge fund industry and not even hedge funds are THAT cool yet. As a woman, however, I have to look forward to Brooks Brothers quality in a not so frumpy package. Now if they could just work on their snooty sales people.

Link to the article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118463380199268380.html?mod=todays_us_nonsub_marketplace

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