Brooks Brothers

{{Infobox company

| name = Brooks Brothers Inc.

| logo = Brooks Brothers new logo.svg

| former_name = H. & D. H. Brooks & Co.
(1818–1850)

| type = Private

| industry = Fashion

| locations = 170 (2021)

| foundation = {{start date and age|1818|4|7}}

| founder = Henry Sands Brooks

| location = 1180 Madison Avenue

| location_city = New York City

| location_country = U.S.

| key_people = {{ubl|Ken Ohashi (CEO)|Michael Bastian (Creative director)}}

| products = {{hlist|Luxury clothing|accessories|home furnishings}}

| owners = Authentic Brands Group
SPARC Group LLC

| parent = Catalyst Brands

| homepage = [https://www.brooksbrothers.com/ brooksbrothers.com]

[https://www.brooksbrothers.eu/ brooksbrothers.eu]

}}

Brooks Brothers Inc. is an American high-end clothing brand, founded in 1818. It is the oldest apparel brand in continuous operation in the United States.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/05/business/brooks-brothers-factory-closings.html |title=Brooks Bros., 'Made in America' Since 1818, May Soon Need a New Calling Card – The New York Times|newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 5, 2020 |last1=Friedman |first1=Vanessa |last2=Maheshwari |first2=Sapna}} Originally a family business, it is currently owned as a joint venture between Authentic Brands Group and Simon Property Group.

Brooks Brothers produces clothing for men, women and children, and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear,{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2010-03-31 |title=Brooks Brothers and Luxottica Renew Global Eyewear License Agreement for An Additional Five Years |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brooks-brothers-and-luxottica-renew-global-eyewear-license-agreement-for-an-additional-five-years-89596977.html |access-date=2022-09-03 |publisher=PR News Wire |language=en}} Interparfums for fragrances,{{Cite web |last=Mann |first=Rebecca |date=2007-11-28 |title=Inter Parfums inks deal with Brooks Brothers – 28/11/07 |url=https://www.moodiedavittreport.com/inter-parfums-inks-deal-with-brooks-brothers-281107/ |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=The Moodie Davitt Report |language=en-GB}} and Turko Textiles for its home collection.{{Cite web |last=Palmieri |first=Jean E. |date=2022-04-21 |title=Brooks Brothers Signs License for Home Collection |url=https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/brooks-brothers-license-home-collection-1235163450/ |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=Women's Wear Daily |language=en-US}}

History

= Founding and 19th century =

On April 7, 1818, at the age of 45, Henry Sands Brooks opened H. & D. H. Brooks & Co. on the northeast corner of Catherine St and Cherry St in Manhattan. He proclaimed that his guiding principle was, "To make and deal only in merchandise of the finest body, to sell it at a fair profit, and to deal with people who seek and appreciate such merchandise."{{cite web |first=Elie |last=Perler |date=April 7, 2014 |url=http://www.boweryboogie.com/2014/04/today-1818-brooks-brothers-debuts-lower-east-side-history/ |title=Today in 1818: Brooks Brothers Debuts on the Lower East Side |website=Bowery Boogie |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630082507/https://boweryboogie.com/2014/04/today-1818-brooks-brothers-debuts-lower-east-side-history/ |archive-date=June 30, 2022}} In 1833, his four sons, Elisha, Daniel, Edward, and John, inherited the family business and in 1850 renamed the company "Brooks Brothers."[http://www.brooksbrothers.com/about-us/about-us,default,pg.html "About Us"]. Brooks Brothers. Retrieved September 12, 2015

The Golden Fleece symbol was adopted as the company's trademark in 1850. A wooly sheep suspended in a ribbon had long been a symbol of British woolen merchants. Dating from the fifteenth century, the image had been the emblem of the Knights of the Golden Fleece, founded by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy.{{cite web |date=August 8, 2012 |title=The Brooks Brothers Logo History |url=http://www.electrogent.com/2012/08/brooks-brothers-logo-history/ |access-date=March 28, 2015 |publisher=Electrogent}}

File:Brooks Clothing Store, Catharine St. N.Y. 1845.jpg, 1845]]

In its early history, Brooks Brothers was known for introducing the ready-to-wear suit to American customers. In the mid-nineteenth century, Brooks Brothers outfitted United States President Abraham Lincoln and considered him a loyal customer.{{cite web |url= https://www.brooksbrothers.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-brooksbrothers-Site/en_US/Heritage-Show |title= Two Centuries of Iconic American Design |publisher=Brooks Brothers |date=February 11, 2013 |access-date=February 11, 2013}} At his second inauguration, Lincoln wore a coat specially crafted for him by Brooks Brothers. Hand-stitched into the coat's lining was a design featuring an eagle and the inscription, "One Country, One Destiny". He was wearing the coat and a Brooks Brothers suit when he was assassinated.{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2011/01/abraham-lincolns-overcoat-returns-public-display-fords-theatre7511 |publisher=National Parks Traveler |title=Abraham Lincoln's Overcoat Returns to Public Display at Ford's Theatre |first=Jim |last=Barnett| date=January 27, 2011 |access-date=March 28, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.brooksbrothers.com/aboutus/customers.tem |title=Notable Customers |publisher=Brooks Brothers |access-date=January 6, 2012}} As a supplier of soldiers' uniforms during the Civil War, Brooks Brothers became a target of outrage for its allegedly shoddy production. With a contract from New York State to supply uniforms for the New York Volunteers, Brooks Brothers took shredded and sometimes decaying rags, glued them together and stitched them into uniforms. They would fall apart in the rain and were the subject of ridicule from other regiments.{{cite news|url=http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/09/the-unions-shoddy-aristocracy/ |title=The Union's "Shoddy Aristocracy" |work=The New York Times|date=May 9, 2011|access-date=March 30, 2013 |first=Ron |last=Soodalter}}

{{clear left}} According to James Murray (primary editor of the Oxford English Dictionary from 1879 until his death in 1915) Brook Brothers were allegedly responsible for bringing "shoddy" into American usage. {{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jLAjAQAAMAAJ&dq=%22In+the+U.S.+the+word+seems+to+have+been+first+used+with+reference+to+those+who+made+fortunes+by+army+contracts+at+the+time+of+the+Civil+War%2C%22&pg=PA722 |title=A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles: Founded Mainly on the Materials Collected by the Philological Society |last1=Murray |first1=James Augustus Henry |last2=Bradley |first2=Henry |last3=Craigie |first3=Sir William Alexander |last4=Onions |first4=Charles Talbut |date=1914}}

= 20th century =

The last member of the Brooks family to head the company was Winthrop Holly Brooks, who ran the company from 1935 until its sale in 1946, when the company was acquired by Julius Garfinckel & Co. Although Winthrop Brooks remained with the company as a figurehead after the acquisition, John C. Wood became the director of Brooks Brothers. Just prior to that, Wood had been the carrier of the papers for the Dumbarton Oaks Conference.DeLoach, Rhoda, Memoirs of Rhoda Andréa Petry DeLoach, 1992, Sarasota, Florida, an assistant to the president of Brooks Brothers from 1945 through 1947 Under the leadership of Wood, Brooks Brothers became even more traditional. Wood notably stated "They call us conservative, but we think that our styles are simply lacking the bizarre. We deal in what a man should wear, not what some women think he should wear."{{cite news|last=David|first=Lester|title=There's Only One Brooks Brothers|work=Coronet Magazine|date=September 1950|url=http://www.ivy-style.com/theres-only-one-brooks-brothers-coronet-magazine-1950.html}} In 1915 the company opened what would become its flagship store and headquarters at 346 Madison Avenue in New York.{{cite web |last1=Palmieri |first1=Jean E. |title=All Change at Brooks Brothers: Flagship in Flux, New Designer Near |url=https://wwd.com/business-news/retail/all-change-at-brooks-brothers-flagship-in-flux-new-designer-near-1234591829/ |website=Women's Wear Daily |publisher=Fairchild Publishing, LLC |access-date=8 June 2024 |date=18 September 2020}}

File:Brooks Brothers 1969 logo.png

During much of the 20th Century, a subsidiary of Brooks Brothers, the Brooks Costume Company, provided costumes to the Ringling Bros - Barnum & Bailey Circus.{{cite web | url=https://www.ringling.org/circus-records-from-the-archives-costume-designs/ | title=Records from the Archives: Costume Designs | date=October 16, 2023 }}Opening credits of The Greatest Show On Earth, 1952

By 1971, eleven Brooks Brothers stores were in operation and located in Manhattan, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and St. Louis as an integral part of the retail conglomerate Garfinckel, Brooks Brothers, Miller & Rhoads, Inc., that held the company until 1981 when it was acquired by Allied Stores.

Ralph Lauren began his career as a salesman at the Brooks Brothers Madison Avenue store.{{Cite news|url=https://www.americaninno.com/dc/this-vs-that-real-washington-men-wear-brooks-brothers-not-ralph-lauren/

|title=This vs. That: Real Washington Men Wear Brooks Brothers, Not Ralph Lauren|newspaper=American City Business Journals. DC Inno}} Brooks Brothers later sued Polo Ralph Lauren to retain its rights to the original polo button-down collar shirt.

Brooks Brothers was acquired by the British firm Marks & Spencer in 1988. In the mid 1990s, the company's executives removed the signature Golden Fleece logo from the brand's cotton knit polo shirts, though it was later restored.{{Cite news|last=Agins|first=Teri|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/21/business/brooks-brothers-looks-to-the-future.html|title=With a Glance Backward, Brooks Brothers Looks to the Future|date=April 21, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=March 13, 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}

In 1998, Brooks Brothers launched its official website.

=21st century=

In 2001, Marks & Spencer sold Brooks Brothers to Retail Brand Alliance (RBA), now known as The Brooks Brothers Group, a company privately owned by Italian billionaire Claudio del Vecchio (son of Luxottica founder Leonardo del Vecchio).{{cite news |date=November 24, 2001 |title=Brooks Brothers is sold for $225 million |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2001/11/24/brooks-brothers-is-sold-for-225-million/ |access-date=March 28, 2015}} Along with Brooks Brothers, RBA comprised Carolee, a designer of jewelry for department stores and specialty stores.{{cite web |title=Carolee World - History |url=http://international.caroleeworld.com/history |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402161713/http://international.caroleeworld.com/history |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |access-date=March 28, 2015 |publisher=CaroleeWorld.com}} In 2007, RBA sold its high-end women's brand Adrienne Vittadini.

File:Brooks Bros 11 E44 jeh.jpg in Manhattan]]

In September 2007, Brooks Brothers's then CEO, Claudio Del Vecchio, announced the unveiling of a high-end collection of men's and women's wear named Black Fleece. Del Vecchio announced that the first star guest designer for the new collection would be New York menswear designer Thom Browne.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/22/AR2007032202044.html |title=The Man in the Browne Flannel Suit |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=March 23, 2007|access-date=January 6, 2012 |first=Robin |last=Givhan}} Black Fleece received so much critical and commercial success that Brooks Brothers opened a stand-alone Black Fleece boutique on Bleecker Street in the Winter of 2008.{{Cite news|url=http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20141019/business/141018663/|title=Fashion: The hidden story of Brooks Brothers|last=McKeon|first=Nancy|date=October 19, 2014|newspaper=Daily Herald|language=en-US|access-date=January 30, 2017}} However the line used a confusing sizing range (such as size "BB 0") and was discontinued in 2015.{{cite web |title=A guide to Brooks Brothers sub-brands and diffusion lines |url=https://samtalksstyle.com/2021/07/21/a-guide-to-brooks-brothers-sub-brands-and-diffusion-lines/ |website=samtalksstyle.com |access-date=9 June 2024 |date=21 July 2021}} Brooks Brothers next released a line of clothing catering to Asian clientele.

File:BrooksBrothersBevHills.jpg in Beverly Hills, California]]

In 2008, the company began an extensive renovation of its flagship store at 346 Madison Avenue.{{Cite web|url=https://therealdeal.com/2008/12/17/brooks-brothers-moves-to-rockefeller-center/|title=Brooks Brothers moves to Rockefeller Center|date=December 17, 2008|website=The Real Deal New York|access-date=January 30, 2017}} In January 2009, Brooks Brothers closed a smaller location at Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street in Manhattan. {{Citation needed|date=January 2017}}

In April 2010, Brooks Brothers launched a line of luxury home furnishings which includes bedding, bath towels, as well as living room décor and entertaining accessories.

As of 2015, there were 210 Brooks Brothers stores in the United States and 70 in other countries, including Australia, India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, China, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Chile, Canada, Panama, Italy, the Philippines, Poland, Mexico, UAE, Peru, Singapore, Switzerland,{{cite web|url=http://landquartfashionoutlet.ch/marken/herren/#brand-detail__wrap|title=Landquart Fashion Outlet: Marken|website=landquartfashionoutlet.ch|access-date=August 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809153243/http://landquartfashionoutlet.ch/marken/herren#brand-detail__wrap|archive-date=August 9, 2016|url-status=dead}} Indonesia, Malaysia, Greece, and Vietnam. Most of its clothing was imported, but some suits, sport coats, shirts and accessories were manufactured in the United States. Many of its mid-range "1818" line of suits were manufactured at Brooks Brothers' Southwick plant in Haverhill, Massachusetts.{{Cite news |last=CIT |title=CITVoice: Why Brooks Brothers And Other Apparel Companies Are Moving Manufacturing Back Home |newspaper=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/cit/2015/02/13/why-brooks-brothers-and-other-apparel-companies-are-moving-manufacturing-back-home/#762584ed8f45 |access-date=January 30, 2017}} All Brooks Brothers necktie silk was woven in England or Italy, and the ties were still are "cut and piled" at the Brooks Brothers' tie factory in Long Island City, New York. Brooks also had a series of books on etiquette and manners for ladies and gentlemen. The Garland Shirt Company produced the Brooks Brothers' iconic twill button-down oxford.https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article242769746.html Its higher-end label was the Golden Fleece line which features suits that are tailored in the United States.{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Ray A. |date=September 21, 2016 |title=Brooks Brothers Launches New Casual Line |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/brooks-brothers-launches-new-casual-line-1474488136 |access-date=January 30, 2017 |issn=0099-9660}}

Between 2017 and 2019, sales stagnated at around $1 billion due to business fashion turning more casual and online competition.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/05/business/brooks-brothers-factory-closings.html|title=Brooks Bros., 'Made in America' Since 1818, May Soon Need a New Calling Card|first1=Vanessa|last1=Friedman|first2=Sapna|last2=Maheshwari|newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 5, 2020}} In May 2020, it was reported that Brooks Brothers was seeking a buyer. Reports also suggest the company was exploring a bankruptcy filing.{{Cite web|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/mergers-and-antitrust/brooks-brothers-seeks-buyer-as-wall-street-works-from-home-1|title=Brooks Brothers Seeks Buyer as Wall Street Works From Home (1)|website=news.bloomberglaw.com}} In June, the company proposed closing its three American factories, "a dramatic move for a brand that has really hung their hat on 'Made in America.'" Del Vecchio, who was responsible for acquiring the factory in Massachusetts, said at the time that the U.S. factories never made any money and that the brand carried a debt of less than $300 million.

On July 8, 2020, it was reported the company was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy primarily due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Brooks Brothers planned to close 51 of its 250 locations in North America.{{cite news |last=Grossman |first=Avidan |url=https://www.esquire.com/style/mens-fashion/a33247692/brooks-brothers-bankruptcy-chapter-11/ |title=Brooks Brothers Is Declaring Bankruptcy. That Doesn't Mean It's Dead. |work=Esquire |date=July 8, 2020 |access-date=July 8, 2020 }} The closures included the flagship Madison Avenue store which never reopened. Its inventory was moved to other locations and the building was listed for sale the following year.{{cite web |last1=Bockmann |first1=Rich |title=Brooks Brothers' Madison Ave store could give way to Midtown East tower |url=https://therealdeal.com/new-york/2021/01/21/brooks-brothers-madison-ave-store-could-give-way-to-midtown-east-tower/ |website=TheRealDeal.com |publisher=Korangy Publishing Inc. |access-date=8 June 2024 |location=New York, New York |date=21 January 2021}}

In September 2020 Brooks Brothers was purchased by a joint venture between Authentic Brands Group and Simon Property Group.{{cite web |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200811005866/en/Brooks-Brothers-Seek-Approval-Sale-Authentic-Brands |title=Brooks Brothers to Seek Approval of Sale to Authentic Brands Group and SPARC Group for $325 Million |work=Business Wire |date=August 11, 2020 |access-date=November 20, 2020}} The new owners committed to continue operating at least 125 Brooks Brothers retail locations in the US, and more worldwide (down from 424 global locations before the COVID-19 pandemic).{{cite news |last=Maheshwari |first=Sapna |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/12/business/brooks-brothers-sale-authentic-brands.html |title=Bankrupt Brooks Brothers Finds a Buyer. |work=The New York Times |date=August 12, 2020 |access-date=August 12, 2020}} The transaction was completed in September 2020.{{cite web |url=https://www.licenseglobal.com/industry-news/abg-sparc-group-finalize-brooks-brothers-acquisition |title=ABG, SPARC Group Finalize Brooks Brothers Acquisition |work=licenseglobal.com |access-date=November 20, 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://footwearnews.com/2020/business/retail/brooks-brothers-acquisition-abg-simon-1203049008/ |title=Bankrupt Brooks Brothers Acquisition by ABG and Simon Is Complete |work=Footwear News |date=September 2020 |access-date=November 20, 2020}} Ken Ohashi was also appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer in September 2020.{{Cite web|last=Palmieri|first=Jean E.|date=December 1, 2020|title=EXCLUSIVE: The Brooks Brothers Playbook Includes More Sportswear, E-comm and Fun|url=https://wwd.com/business-news/retail/exclusive-the-brooks-brothers-playbook-includes-more-sportswear-e-comm-and-fun-1234664703/|access-date=February 4, 2021|website=WWD|language=en-US}}

On December 1, 2020, designer Michael Bastian was named as the brand's creative director.[https://www.businessoffashion.com/news/workplace-talent/michael-bastian-joins-brooks-brothers-as-creative-director-zac-posen-exits Michael Bastian Joins Brooks Brothers as Creative Director, Zac Posen Exits] Chantal Fernandez, Business of Fashion, December 1, 2020. In late 2023 a new affordable line was introduced, "B by Brooks Brothers", and sold through Macys.{{cite web |last1=Howland |first1=Daphne |title=Macy's quietly began selling Brooks Brothers sub-brand in August |url=https://www.retaildive.com/news/macys-brooks-brothers-value-brand/693243/ |website=RetailDive.com |publisher=Informa |access-date=26 June 2024 |date=11 September 2023}}

On 24 April 2024, Ted Baker Canada, the operator of Brooks Brothers stores in Canada, filed for creditor protection in Canada and Chapter 15 bankruptcy in the U.S. The company blamed the operation suppliers of Authentic Brands Group for failing to pay. As a result, it was announced that all Brooks Brothers stores in Canada would close. {{Cite web|title=Ted Baker's North American Arm Follows U.K. Business Into Bankruptcy|url= https://www.wsj.com/articles/ted-bakers-north-american-arm-follows-u-k-business-into-bankruptcy-3608910d|work=Wall Street Journal|date=25 April 2024|access-date=25 April 2024}}

Innovations

Brooks Brothers introduced many clothing advances to the American market throughout its history as a leader in the American menswear industry.

Brooks Brothers largely created the ready-to-wear clothing market, beginning in 1849.{{Cite web|url=http://triblive.com/lifestyles/fashion/6971609-74/brooks-company-archive|title=The hidden story of Brooks Brothers has a home in Virginia|last=Mckeon|first=Nancy|website=TribLIVE.com|language=en-US|access-date=January 30, 2017}}
In 1896, John E. Brooks, the grandson of Henry Sands Brooks, applied button-down collars to dress shirts after having seen them on English polo players.{{cite web |title=The Making of an Icon |url=https://magazine.brooksbrothers.com/original-button-down/ |website=Brooks Brothers |date=August 31, 2020 |access-date=August 9, 2022}}{{cite book |title=Great Events from History II.: 1897-1921 |date=1993 |publisher=Salem Press |location=United States |pages=24–25 |isbn=9780893568085 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K9sbAAAAIAAJ |access-date=August 9, 2022}}
English foulard ties were introduced by Francis G. Lloyd in the 1890s before he was made president of the corporation.{{cite book |title=American Heritage |date=1993 |publisher=Published for the American Association for State and Local History |page=42 |edition=Volume 44, Issues 5-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s5cpAQAAIAAJ&q=English+foulard+ties+Francis+G.+Lloyd+in+the+1890s |access-date=August 9, 2022}}
The American "sack suit", which became a staple of the Ivy League style, was introduced by Brooks Brothers in 1895.{{cite web |title=The Rise And Fall Of The Ivy League Look |url=http://www.ivy-style.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-ivy-league-look.html |website=Ivy Style |date=April 17, 2020 |access-date=August 9, 2022}}{{cite book |last1=Granger |first1=David |title=The Handbook of Style : a Man's Guide to Looking Good. |date=2009 |publisher=Hearst Books |location=United Kingdom |page=46 |isbn=9781588167460 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a-0FhS6BzkUC&dq=Ivy+League+sack+suit+1895&pg=PA46 |access-date=August 9, 2022}}
Brooks Brothers popularized pink as a color for men's dress shirts, suggesting it be worn with charcoal-gray suits.{{cite web |title=The Year Brooks Invented Pink |url=http://www.ivy-style.com/the-day-brooks-invented-pink.html |website=Ivy Style |date=April 6, 2018 |access-date=August 9, 2022}}{{cite book |last1=Blanco |first1=José |title=Clothing and Fashion: American Fashion from Head to Toe Volume 4: The Postwar Period into the 21st Century |date=2015 |publisher=ABC Clio |location=Denver, Colorado |page=21 |isbn=9781610693103 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hDkVCwAAQBAJ |access-date=August 9, 2022}}
Shetland sweater, introduced in 1904{{cite book |last1=Plimpton |first1=George |title=Gentlemen's Quarterly: GQ |date=1959 |publisher=Esquire |location=United States |page=75 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b-oRAQAAMAAJ&dq=Shetland+sheep+sweater+brooks+brothers&pg=RA1-PA75 |access-date=August 9, 2022}}
Harris Tweed, introduced to the fashion marketplace in 1909{{cite web |title=Harris Tweed: Unique Among Tweeds |url=https://magazine.brooksbrothers.com/harristweed/ |website=Brooks Brothers |date=October 25, 2019 |access-date=August 9, 2022}}
Polo coat about 1910{{cite web |title=The Polo Coat: The Aristocrat of Topcoats |url=https://magazine.brooksbrothers.com/polo-coat-aristocrat-topcoats/ |website=Brooks Brothers |access-date=August 9, 2022 |archive-date=August 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809205757/https://magazine.brooksbrothers.com/polo-coat-aristocrat-topcoats/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |title=Overcoat 1915-1925 |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/159525 |website=The Metropolitan Museum of Art |access-date=August 9, 2022}}
Madras, introduced from India via Brooks Brothers to the public in 1902{{cite web |last1=Schneider |first1=Sven |title=Brooks Brothers: Their History & A Brand Evaluation |url=https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/brooks-brothers-history/ |website=Gentleman's Gazette |date=January 5, 2020 |access-date=August 9, 2022}}
Argyles socks: in 1957, Brooks Brothers became the first American retailer to manufacture the article for men{{cite book |last1=Blanco |first1=José |title=Clothing and Fashion: American Fashion from Head to Toe Volume 4: The Postwar Period into the 21st Century |date=2015 |publisher=ABC Clio |location=Denver, Colorado |page=22 |isbn=9781610693103 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hDkVCwAAQBAJ |access-date=August 9, 2022}}
Light-weight summer suits: the first lightweight summer suits made of cotton corduroy and seersucker were introduced by Brooks during the early 1930s{{cite web |title=Keep Your Cool in Linen, Seersucker and Madras |url=https://magazine.brooksbrothers.com/summer-fabrics/ |website=Brooks Brothers |date=June 23, 2020 |access-date=August 9, 2022}}
Wash-and-wear shirts: in 1953, the store pioneered the manufacture of wash-and-wear shirts using a blend of Dacron, polyester, and cotton that was invented by Ruth R. Benerito, which they called "Brooksweave"{{cite web |title=The Shirt We Love |url=https://magazine.brooksbrothers.com/the-shirt-we-love/ |website=Brooks Brothers |access-date=August 9, 2022 |archive-date=August 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809225258/https://magazine.brooksbrothers.com/the-shirt-we-love/ |url-status=dead }}
Non-iron 100% cotton dress shirt, 1998The Atlantic Monthly, "Under the Golden Fleece," by George Plimpton, April 1993, and reprinted in American Heritage, November 1993.Cotton, Inc. [http://www.cottoninc.com/lsmarticles/?articleID=35 "A Pressing Matter - Does wrinkle-resistant cotton threaten to make ironing obsolete?"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026062116/http://www.cottoninc.com/lsmarticles/?articleID=35 |date=October 26, 2007 }}

Brooks Brothers did not make an off-the-rack black suit between 1865 and 2003.{{cite web |last1=Schneider |first1=Sven |title=Brooks Brothers: Their History & A Brand Evaluation |url=https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/brooks-brothers-history/ |website=Gentleman's Gazette |date=January 5, 2020 |access-date=August 9, 2022}} For many years, a myth circulated that the reason the company did not make black suits was out of deference to Abraham Lincoln, who wore a bespoke black Brooks frock coat, a gift from the company, when he was assassinated. It is not clear if this policy was the result or cause of the traditional American fashion rule that black suits in daytime for men are proper only for servants and when honoring the deceased.Amy Vanderbilt, Complete Guide to Etiquette (1956)

Notable customers

File:Brooks Brothers window.jpg

=Sports=

Brooks Brothers is a sponsor and the official suit designers and distributors of Italian football club Inter Milan.{{cite web|title=Brooks Brothers and Inter Milan|url=https://www.inter.it/en/news/57229/inter-and-brooks-brothers-launch-new-club-tie|website=www.inter.it|publisher=Inter|access-date=April 9, 2018|archive-date=April 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409233736/https://www.inter.it/en/news/57229/inter-and-brooks-brothers-launch-new-club-tie|url-status=dead}} From 2010 to 2019, the company was a sponsor and official apparel supplier of the Head of the Charles Regatta.{{cite web |title=Brooks Brothers to return as a Premier Sponsor of the Head Of The Charles Regatta for the 10th consecutive year |url=https://www.hocr.org/news/brooks-brothers-to-return-as-a-premier-sponsor-of-the-head-of-the-charles-regatta-for-the-10th-consecutive-year/ |website=hocr.org |publisher=O'Neill & Associates |access-date=October 13, 2021}}

=Statesmen=

==United States==

Brooks Brothers has outfitted every American president since James Madison, with the exceptions of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.{{cite news|last=Goyal|first=Sandeep| url=https://www.campaignindia.in/article/blog-the-fascinating-story-of-brooks-brothers-and-americas-presidents/462295|title=The fascinating story of Brooks Brothers and America's presidents|date=10 July 2020|work=CampaignIndia.in}}{{cite news|last1=Palmieri|first1=Jean E.|last2=Huges|first2=Aria|title=Donald Trump Goes Classic for Inauguration Day Attire|url=https://wwd.com/menswear-news/mens-fashion/donald-trump-goes-classic-for-inauguration-day-attire-10756860/|work=Women's Wear Daily|date=20 January 2017}}{{cite web | title=Brooks Brothers has had the honor of being worn by nearly every U.S. President since 1818| website=Facebook | url=https://www.facebook.com/BrooksBrothers/photos/a.127922713896959/2187081374647739/?type=3&theater}}{{cite web | title=Dressing the Presidents | publisher=Brooks Brothers | date=21 August 2014 | url=https://magazine.brooksbrothers.com/dressing-presidents/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221009133614/https://magazine.brooksbrothers.com/dressing-presidents/ | archive-date=9 October 2022 | url-status=dead}}

In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln wore a custom-made Brooks Brothers frock coat to his Second inauguration. Lincoln later wore the same frock coat on the evening of his assassination.

In the late nineteenth century, Brooks Brothers tailored uniforms for elite regiments of the New York National Guard, as well as uniforms for New York state troops and Union officers during the Civil War.{{cite web | title=Brooks Brothers manufactured uniforms for New York State troops during the Civil War|publisher=New-York Historical Society| via=Tumblr | date=15 July 2013 | url=https://nyhistory.tumblr.com/post/55473376224/brooks-brothers-manufactured-uniforms-for-new-york | access-date=22 November 2023}} Several Generals including Ulysses S. Grant, William Sherman, Joseph Hooker and Philip Sheridan purchased uniforms from Brooks Brothers. {{cite book |last=William |first=George |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A3PeYCgF9l4C |title=The Pleasures and Provocations of Our Singular Nation |date=2008 |publisher=Crown Publishing Group |isbn= 9780307449351|location=United States |page=209 |author-link=}}

In 1881, after becoming vice-president of the United States, Chester A. Arthur went on a Brooks Brothers shopping spree.The History Channel's The Presidents{{Full citation needed|date=March 2025}} Presidents Ulysses S. Grant, Woodrow Wilson, and Theodore Roosevelt all wore Brooks Brothers to their respective inaugurations as well.

In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt wore Brooks Brothers while on his way to meet Joseph Stalin and Winston Churchill at the Yalta Conference.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy was wearing a Brooks Brothers' grey suit when he was assassinated.

In 2009, President Barack Obama wore a Brooks Brothers coat, scarf, and gloves during his inauguration in 2009 (this coat was later re-worn by Obama to Trump's inauguration in 2017).{{cite news|last=Tschorn|first=Adam|title=President's Day update: Final Obama inaugural wardrobe details confirmed|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/alltherage/2009/02/presidents-day.html|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=January 9, 2013|date=February 16, 2009}}{{cite web |last=Gavin|first=Patrick| url=https://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/brooks-puts-bow-on-inauguration-086171 | title=Brooks Bros. Puts bow on inaugural | website=Politico|date=14 January 2013}} In 2013, during his second inauguration, Obama wore a suit designed by Martin Greenfield, paired with a white shirt from Brooks Brothers.

In 2017, President Donald Trump was inaugurated in a grey suit, white shirt, and dark blue overcoat. The white shirt and overcoat were believed to have been designed by Brooks Brothers. Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump have also been seen wearing items of clothing from Brooks Brothers at times.

In 2021, President Joe Biden broke tradition by not wearing any items from Brooks Brothers at his inauguration, instead opting for a Ralph Lauren navy suit and winter overcoat. However, Biden does wear Brooks Brothers shirts and suits. He is also known to frequent casualwear from the brand such as polos and sweaters.{{cite news|last=Parker|first=Ashley Joy|title=It Doesn't Get More American Than Joe Biden In Ralph Lauren|url=https://graziamagazine.com/us/articles/joe-biden-inauguration-ralph-lauren-suit/|work=Grazia Magazine|date=January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418015723/https://graziamagazine.com/us/articles/joe-biden-inauguration-ralph-lauren-suit/|archive-date=18 April 2021}}

==France==

French politician and former president Jacques Chirac (1932–2019) bought his shirts at the Madison Avenue shop.{{in lang|fr}} Bernard, Frédéric Martin (April 11, 2008). [http://www.lefigaro.fr/aumasculin/2008/11/04/03009-20081104ARTFIG00388-brooks-brothers-l-etoffe-des-presidents-.php "Brooks Brothers, l'étoffe des présidents"]. Le Figaro, 2008

Popular culture

=Music and fine arts=

Brooks Brothers is the official clothier of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.{{cite web |url=http://www.jazzatlincolncenter.org/about/news/060615-news.html |title=Jazz at Lincoln Center NewsFlash |publisher=Jazzatlincolncenter.org |date=June 13, 2006 |access-date=January 6, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615103130/http://www.jazzatlincolncenter.org/about/news/060615-news.html |archive-date=June 15, 2012 |url-status=dead }}

Andy Warhol was known to buy and wear clothes from Brooks Brothers. According to Carlton Walters: "I got to [know] Andy quite well, and he always looked bedraggled: always had his tie lopsided, as he didn't have time to tie it, and he never tied his shoe laces, and he even wore different colored socks, but he bought all of his clothes at Brooks Brothers."Smith, Patrick S. (1988). [http://www.warholstars.org/warhol1/5serendipity.html "Warhol: Conversations about the Artist"]. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, p. 340, warholstars.org.

Brooks Brothers is referenced in the opening line of the lyrics to "Harvard Blues", written by George Frazier and popularized by Count Basie and Jimmy Rushing in the 1940s. The song begins with the lyric "I wear Brooks clothes and white shoes all the time" and goes on to portray the protagonist of the song as a privileged but idle bon vivant.{{Cite web |title="I Love My Vincent Baby..." |url=https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2002/09/i-love-my-vincent-baby-html |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=Harvard Magazine|date=September 2002 }}

=Film, television, and theatre=

The "white" shirts used for Archie Bunker's costumes in All in the Family were recut tan oxford shirts from Brooks Brothers.{{cite web|url=http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/rita-riggs#|title=Rita Riggs|work=Archive of American Television|access-date=September 13, 2017}}

Brooks Brothers supplied clothes for the television show Mad Men; in October 2009, Brooks Brothers created a limited edition "Mad Men Edition" suit with the show's costume designer.Catherine Caines, [http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/executive-lifestyle/a-cut-above/story-e6frg8k6-1225853328938 "A cut above"], The Australian, April 14, 2010.

Stephen Colbert had all of his suits for The Colbert Report and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert supplied by Brooks Brothers.{{cite web |title=Stephen Colbert Talks to Women's Wear Daily |url=http://www.colbertnewshub.com/tag/brooks-brothers/ |access-date=February 19, 2013 |publisher=Colbert News Hub}}

Brooks Brothers frequently is sought out by costume designers in Hollywood, dressing stars in such films as Ben Affleck in Pearl Harbor, Gene Hackman in The Royal Tenenbaums, and Will Smith in Ali.[http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=514252007 "US clothing icon's plan well suited for Capital"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071102121112/http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=514252007 |date=November 2, 2007}}, The Scotsman, April 3, 2007. The company produced made-to-measure period costumes for Denzel Washington's The Great Debaters.{{cite web|author=Elias, Debbie Lynn|url=http://moviesharkdeblore.com/site/reviews/the-great-debaters/|title=The Great Debaters |date=August 11, 2010 |publisher=MovieSharkDeblore.com|access-date=September 12, 2015}}

George Clooney wears Brooks Brothers throughout the film Up in the Air, and scenes were shot in a Brooks Brothers airport store. The men of the film The Adjustment Bureau wear Brooks Brothers.Barbara Vancheri, [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11063/1129525-120.stm "'The Adjustment Bureau' a good romantic thriller"], Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 4, 2011. In November 2011, Brooks Brothers announced that it had designed a custom wardrobe for Kermit the Frog for the movie The Muppets. The stars of Slumdog Millionaire were all dressed by Brooks Brothers for the 81st Academy Awards.Cathy Horyn, [http://carpetbagger.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/red-carpet-fashion-machine/ "Red Carpet, Fashion Machine"], The New York Times, February 22, 2009.

Brooks Brothers made all of the men's costumes, more than 500 pieces, for the 2013 adaptation of The Great Gatsby.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/great-gatsby-brooks-brothers-outfits-leonardo-dicaprio-tobey-maguire-334893/ |title='The Great Gatsby': Brooks Brothers Outfits Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire |date=June 7, 2012 |work=Hollywood Reporter |access-date=July 15, 2022}} They also sponsored the premieres in New York City and Cannes Film Festival. This was followed by a limited edition collection designed with Catherine Martin and sold at Brooks Brothers stores around the world. {{cite web|url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/brooks-brothers-great-gatsby-collection-and-exhibition |title=Brooks Brothers Hosts Great Gatsby Costume Display |date=April 18, 2013 |publisher=Vogue |access-date =July 15, 2022}} {{cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/fashion/brooks-brothers-launches-gatsby-line-article-1.1318496 |title=Brooks Brothers launches 'Great Gatsby'-themed collection |work=New York Daily News |date=April 16, 2013 |access-date=July 15, 2022}}

Chuck Bass and Nate Archibald on the Gossip Girl TV series frequently wear clothes from Brooks Brothers.{{cite web|url=http://luxpresso.com/interviews-couture/decoding-the-brookes-brothers-dna/13398/1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620064712/http://luxpresso.com/interviews-couture/decoding-the-brookes-brothers-dna/13398/1 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=June 20, 2012 |title=Decoding the Brooks Brothers DNA |publisher=Luxpresso |access-date=February 19, 2013}}

Alec Baldwin's titular character in the 1994 film The Shadow was complimented on his Brooks Brothers tie by his adversary Shiwan Khan. At their next meeting, Khan is dressed in Brooks Brothers clothing.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111143/characters/nm0518821 |title=John Lone: Shiwan Khan |publisher=IMDb |access-date=July 15, 2022}}

In the 2020 film Tenet, when John David Washington meets Sir Michael Caine for lunch at a posh London members' club, Caine's character dismissively states: "Brooks Brothers won't cut it."{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/sep/07/hollywoods-obsession-with-suits-as-status-symbols-tenet-bond-kingsman |title=And cut! Hollywood's obsession with suits as status symbols |work=The Guardian |date=September 7, 2020 |access-date=July 15, 2022 |last1=Rose |first1=Steve}}

= Fiction =

The lead character Lestat de Lioncourt in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles often describes himself wearing suits by Brooks Brothers. {{cite web |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/153687/memnoch-the-devil-by-anne-rice/9780345389404/excerpt |title= Excerpt from Memnoch the Devil |publisher=Penguin Random House |access-date= July 16, 2022}}

Mary McCarthy's short story "The Man in the Brooks Brothers Shirt," which can be found in her collection The Company she keeps, 1942, is one of the more famous literary references to the Brooks Brothers. {{cite book |last=Martin |first=Wendy |author-link= |date=1993 |title=Modern American Women Writers |chapter=Mary McCarthy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=30UkL9DTj5UC|location= |publisher=Touchstone |page=165 |isbn=9780020820253}}

Writers John O'Hara, Somerset Maugham and J. P. Marquand incorporated Brooks Brothers into their stories as a means to draw out character traits.{{cite book |last=Will |first=George |author-link= |date=2008 |title=One Man's America: The Pleasure and Provocations of Our Singular Nation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A3PeYCgF9l4C|location= |publisher=Crown Publishing Group |page=209 |isbn=9780307449351}}

Richard Yates not only wore Brooks Brothers clothing throughout his life,{{cite book |last1=Bailey |first1=Blake |title=A tragic honesty : the life and work of Richard Yates |date=2003 |publisher=Picador |location=New York |pages=108, 121, 251 |isbn=9780312423759 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JinzHK87Wo4C }} but he often referred to the brand in his writing, including in A Good School, in which one of the characters tries to hang himself with a Brooks Brothers belt.{{cite book |last1=Yates |first1=Richard |title=A Good School |date=2014 |publisher=Picador |location=United States |isbn=9781466853676 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9U3RAwAAQBAJ}}

Writer Tom Wolfe makes repeated mentions of Brooks Brothers in his essays on style and status.{{Cite web|url=https://www.drakes.com/editorial/american-oxford-shirts/|title=Brooks Brothers {{!}} An American Oxford Shirt In London|website=Drake's}}

In Kathryn Stockett's novel The Help, Skeeter wears one of her father's Brooks Brothers shirts.{{cite book |last1=Stockett |first1=Kathryn. |title=The Help |date=2011 |publisher=Berkley Books |location=United States |page=83}}