Though Brooks Brothers is the definitive Ivy League clothier and Princeton arguably the most stylish campus back in the day (which gets Charlie Davidson’s vote? Yale — and Charlie works in Harvard Square), the company has never operated a store in Princeton — until now.
Brooks has just signed a lease in Palmer Square and will take over a space formerly occupied by Banana Republic. The store is scheduled to open later this fall. — CC
It’s about time! That’s a decent space, too. Not very big but should be large enough to carry the basics. Good location, though. Across from the Nassau Inn and close to my favorite pub, A&B.
This is great news. I wrote out a longer comment and tried to submit but WordPress gave me an error, and I don’t feel like retyping.
The general gist was, this is so much better than BR, a lot of students on campus shop at Brooks anyway so this will be great to have a B&M store around. But not if it only stocks their younger/diffusion/”university”/Black Fleece lines. Stick to basics, khakis, shirts, buttondowns, suits, ties, etc. And - very important - formal wear! So many students come to campus and have no idea where to buy their first set of formal evening wear. Some figure it out and go to NYC, but others will just rent from some terrible place on Route 1.
J. Crew is too gimmicky and the quality always bothers me, and RL is nice but too expensive for everyday wear for most students. I think Brooks will do well here, and it certainly would have saved me a lot of energy had it been around when I was a student.
I am very interested in seeing how Brooks Brothers stocks and operates this smaller retail space. It could be very interesting and cool.
The lack of formal wear and the (former) need to visit Route 1 - good point. The best investment a freshman can make is in a nice formal outfit for the next four years of houseparties. Don’t forget the white dinner jacket.
Currently at school in Ohio, I’ll be home about an hour south of Princeton on spring break next weekend and I’ll be sure to report back. I got waitlisted from Princeton out of high school… so I’m maybe 0.5% Ivy?
In my day, anybody who wore one of these ties, or an OCBD embroidered “Princeton” on the cuff would have been laughed off campus all the way back to Topeka.
http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCatSectionView.process?IWAction=Load&Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=1179§ion_size=§ion_color=&sortby=newArrivals
I can’t imagine formal wear being a college requirement in our “relaxed” society. A white dinner jacket? Let’s be realistic. The BB store will close if it has to rely to any degree on formal wear. Being dressed up today is anything that isn’t tattered. I’m sure that standard applies even at the most elite schools.
Forget the formal stuff. Save the money, with the economy being what it is, a nice nest egg beats a tux laying in a closet. Cheers!
IMO, not much difference these days between BB and Banana Republic.
@Richard Meyer
The difference is that Banana Republic doesn’t pretend to be what it isn’t.
@ Honest Gabe: How true.
@Gabe
Banana Republic pretends that it isn’t just The Gap with suits.
Finally! We’ve been waiting forever to get one. As a current student, I can say that there are quite a few occasions for black tie, etc. and BB is probably as good of a place as any to find a bow tie and cummerbund. Also, in reference to what they sell at the U-store, nobody wears it. It would be incredibly embarrassing to be seen wearing a “Princeton” monogrammed dress shirt.
Wriggles, I think the former and current Princeton students agree that formal outfits come in handy while serving out their undergraduate years at the school. And as far as a white dinner jacket goes, it is certainly appropriate in the warmer months. Heck of a lot more interesting than a black jacket, anyway.
@Austin
OK, I stand corrected. (I’m happy to be wrong.)
Thank goodness.