Some years ago, Brooks Brothers Before Bankruptcy — henceforth referred to as BBBB or B4 — sent out an email blast with a cool outfit to try the next time you dress up.
Check out the guy on the right. Ignore the tight dark trousers and non-kosher jacket and note the very heyday feel: white bucks, dark trousers (like gabardine), light-colored sportcoat, blue buttondown and madras tie.
All that remains is the question of socks.
I wore that outfit yesterday but with very light tan shoes. My pants, while Brooks Brothers Milano fit, were not as tight as the model’s. It was a big hit with my wife so I will wear it pretty frequently this spring and summer. When she likes what I wear, she more easily overlooks my many purchases! Glad to see it is IS approved.
For some reason, light shoes with dark pants looks much better than the dark shoes with white pants.
Yeah, I dig it, but those look just like raw denim to me. Which, as far as I’m concerned, is American as apple pie, but referencing Armstrong and Miller, “you know you, yeah?”
Funny how the women and the kids look way better than the guys. Must be the cleaner line. Still the pendulum swings back however glacially. The madras jacket combo’s the only outfit I’d wear…but not with that yellow tie. The outfit of the model with the bucks reminds me of old Brooksgate ads since the line was targeted at the young and less developed. Of course, I never thought Richard Nixon quite as bad as he was thought to be.
@Henry, you’re right. With the single exception of USMC blue-white dress.
Purists? What about people-who-prefer-historical-costumes-to-contemporary-clothing-and-would-prefer-to-live-in-the-eighteenth-century-when-men-wore-skin-tide-breeches-because-it-was-“traditional”?
Or maybe not? As they seem to hate anything that accentuates a slim, athletic body so much (because they don’t have such bodies, maybe).
White bucks, dark charcoal tropicals, white BD and seersucker sports jacket is old school look.
I was amused by LOL’s comment; it evokes images of codpieces.
Personally, I prefer the look of numbers three and four, just saying!!!
Bebe, yes indeed. The USMC dress uniforms are the sharpest, best-looking military uniforms around, and the enlisted uniform, with the white belt, is better than the officer uniform without.
http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-with-ivy-style/
@Jim, Indeed. It took me a while to realize that there were actually men and children in that picture.
Even the boy’s jacket is too small.
Very fashionable bunch. Love the black dress on the front model and dark trousers and beige jacket on the side model.
Something is really wrong with the guy’s shoes but I can’t just find the exact word to say. 🙂
It’s somewhat comforting to see that my reaction to this boldly recycled post is the same as it was seven years ago: Are there really men in that picture? Where?
That photo is documentary proof that Brooks Brothers already needed intensive care before 2014.
Who cares about the men. The women are smoking hot.
“B4” as short for “Brooks Brothers Before Bankruptcy” is an excellent double entente.
Rue the loss of the old BB. I ducked into a store recently, mainly because I had a yen for a long-sleeved Breton shirt. (Really wanted a true Armor-Lux but didn’t feel like chancing a weird Euro “XL” or wait 3 months for delivery.)
While at BB, I found the almost identical twin of a madras blazer I had in college but outgrown ages ago. I was excited to finally find a replacement for that beloved blazer, and was assured by the sales rep that the “Regent” cut in 44L should fit. Not a chance. And the larger sizes were way too big. Disappointing to say the least. What. Happened. To. Brooks?? (At least they still sold the silk-knotted cufflinks…)