Brooks Brothers’ Problems Began Before the Coronavirus

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The formal-attire business isn’t what it used to be

Once the height of a certain kind of fashion. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images Like a lot of men, I used to shop at Brooks Brothers. Founded in 1818, it’s the oldest U.S. clothing brand in continuous operation, and it leans into conservatism, selling suits that look high quality without being terribly noticeable. A Brooks Brothers suit says “I’m a business person,” and when I was first working, that was something I wanted to telegraph. But I stopped shopping there about a decade ago.

Brooks Brothers is more than just suits — The Wall Street Journal notes that tailored clothes only make up 20 percent of the company’s sales. But even the company’s more casual clothes are oriented toward use at work, and in the non-tailored clothing market, Brooks Brothers faces a much wider set of competitors and does not benefit from the same strength of the brand that it does on suits.

The shift toward casual attire may also be one of those preexisting trends that the crisis accelerates. I am skeptical that there will be a large increase in full-time work-from-home arrangements, but I do find it likely that more people will work from home for more of the week, having found ways to get by doing so throughout the pandemic. Since I don’t expect men to wear suits around the house , that could mean a permanent reduction in sales for suits and even for business-casual attire.

 

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