Thursday, October 7, 2010

Brooks Brothers Black Fleece-d

To say that The Brethren should be ashamed of themselves is an understatement of epic proportion.

 
 
 
 
 
Onward. Remembering.

ADG, II

65 comments:

Belle (from Life of a...) said...

I am without words....

Scale Worm said...

Have the designers at BB collectively fallen out of a tree and badly damaged their brains and worse yet their complete sense of dignity?
As Bill the cat would say, "ACK!"

Orthodox Trad said...

Thank God for J. Press.

yoga teacher said...

OWWW!!! My head hurts!! And not even any wine tonight!

Dutch Uncle said...

Truly disgusting. Nightmarish.

In the past, one went to BB in order to escape from people who wore such outlandish garb.

ilovelimegreen said...

Martin Short must be the new face of Brooks Brothers.

Main Line Sportsman said...

That first picture looks like Pee-Wee Herman's butch brother....Skippy....Are these really from B.B ???
The next 2 shots are just unspeakably atrocious...now we are talking 8 dollar fruit bats.
No sane and self respecting man would ever wear these " get-ups"....I hope even the models had to be forced to wear this sartorial effluent at gun point...I can just imagine the scene a the photo shoot...." No...I am not coming out...I look like a World Champion jackass in this outfit."
Thanks for the warning!!

NCJack said...

I refer to this kind of stuff as "imitation clothing". The model in the first four shots looks like he doped himself up to wear them.

Nelle Somerville said...

Holy over plaid alert. Love the last shot. Nice doctoring.

Anonymous said...

I felt the same way about recent Zegna offerings. Zegna, back in the day, was the very perfect, classic Euro, exquisitely tailored, to die for fabric rigging. Now the short pants and tight argyle sweater thing started to hook in. That's ok for inspiring a forward fashion inspiration...but no man can wear this on the street. I don't condemn extreme couture. It is where every designer becomes alive and exhibits their vision. Same thing with artists of a different medium. Gallery shows are where a visual artist goes down the "runway" with his fantasies exposed and vulnerable. But I am off track. Mostly a fashion designer grasps inspiration from every or any thing around him/her and does a spin, making it her/his own. That is where you get the Weejun spins and the Flusser twists. It is exciting. Don't be so ready to condemn extreme. It settles down and seeks it's balance. The visual shock is the catalyst to dredging up out of a fashion mire, whether it be trad or forward or goth/punk. You have to flow with texture, patterns, color and mutate the style to fit your personal esthetic.
SF BayArea

Anonymous said...

What the f--- is w/ the Bros? That stuff is so embarassing there's really no word for it. If those rigs (rags) are supposed to evoke the Duke of W, well, that was always pipe tobacco in the little kind's pipe, not hash. These duds rather bring to mind Pinky Lee, or what's his name, the one who was caught wanking in a theater.

Toad said...

My bride wretches every time their catalog shows up. If it wasn't for the OCBD's they could cease to exist and no longer be missed.

Anonymous said...

hideous

Anonymous said...

I will amend my comments about Zegna. The Fall/Winter 10 is actually wonderful. And if you have never worn a Zegna overcoat, well, it is like having sex for the first time when you do.
It was the SS 10 collection that was as extreme as what ADG has offered up for us in this blog. Just "too" and non-street. But I stand by my championing of extreme design for inspiration, exploration, metastasizing, engineering of ultimately clean and updated versions of classic design.

SFBayArea

Anonymous said...

I'm still laughing from when I first saw this stuff. To say he's jumped the shark, well, it is now quite certain.

Richard M said...

Why did BB need a 'designer"? Dizzzgusting!

Easy and Elegant Life said...

And that's what happens when the buying decisions are made by two non-English speaking Italian women.

I mean really?

Anonymous said...

Bless their woolen little hearts, they're just trying to sidle up to their A&F/Topman bretheren . . .

Laguna Beach Fogey said...

Wretched stuff. Hurtful and insulting. I feel like vomiting, and I haven't even had my morning cocktails yet.

The Uppity Puppy said...

I hate to be anything less than a lady, but I'm gonna have to drop the ol' Whiskey Tango Foxtrot on this, Brooks Brothers. Keep it real, keep it trad, ADG. xoxox from the Range

Anonymous said...

Admirable execution at least -- the plaids, grids and checks line up nicely. The Professor Harold Hill Limited Edition Collection?

Pigtown*Design said...

they all look like they escaped from a public mental hospital, where all of the residents' clothes are donated by old men, and just don't fit.

JAM said...

I will say this - I would imagine you will be able to buy any number of the pieces shown in the Black Fleas collection at any number of discount shops in, oh, say maybe a week or two.

I agree with David, I am laughing my rear off wondering just what market they are attempting to woo...

But, as much as I am tickled by this bit of junk from BBrothers, I am also a bit bummed by the fall 2010 Paul Stuart offerings... As much as I would like to be 6", 150 lbs, and wear a 42 size jacket, it just ain't happening - I would also guess the predominance of their customer base is slightly less rail like in proportion... Oh well, I will go and check out Zegna's fall lineup...

SouthernProletariat said...

is there a Revenge of the Nerds movie coming out and this the costuming department? Perhaps the stills were mistakeningly swapped?

I work with engineers that have better taste. Now *that* is saying something.

Anonymous said...

What, may I ask is wrong with tradition? Why do Americans (yes I am gerneralizing but I am American so...) always need something 'new'? Why? Brooks Brothers is (was?) so classic, one of the few places one can go to anymore where one can find classic clothes and not the 'new' crap that fashion designers try to cram down our throats. I do not want my clothes too tight or too small or pants too low. Perhaps this is why people dress like slobs all the time, those 'dress-up' clothes look so extremely uncomfortable, not too mention just ridiculous and ugly, that I would rather wear sweats in public than that. Ugh. Traditional, classic clothes can be both presentable and very comfortable. I weep for the future.

Charles said...

It's very rare that I'm seized by the desire to beat someone up but it does happen.

Old School said...

Relieved to see that there are at least 26 sane people left in the universe.

ADG said...

WHEW!!!!

Man, I’ve opened up a can of worms here. I’m even getting private emails from people either further attacking the Brethren or defending this shit in some way or another. Here’s my general response to you all:

1.I am at heart, a middle-class guy and more often than not, my pedestrian, commercial mind kicks in and asks basic questions. Like…what’s the strategy here? What’s the sell-through on this line at full retail? And then what’s the sell-through at incremental discounts down to break even? And then how much of this line are we selling at a loss?

2.I GET the strategy of what couture and runway looks do to promote a line. I GET the fact that runway concoctions and couture tactics allow designers to play, to experiment, to grow and flourish. It makes sense to me. My middle-class commercial mind also gets the fact that loss leading couture and the costs of runway events should be budgeted into the marketing AND operating plans. No argument there.

3.BUT…Brooks Brothers is debasing the potential value and contribution of Black Label to their evolution…to their efforts to woo a younger, leaner, slimmer, shorter sleeved, cuffed, attenuated silhouette buyer by showcasing such absurd examples on their website.

4.This concludes my speech. I’ll be here all weekend. Try the brisket.

Anonymous said...

This attire is so garish that even the Oxford Fairies won't purchase it!

old said...

Some GI surgeons next to extricate Tom Ford's head from his anus!

My counterrevolutionary alternative apparel to this nonsense today is
- BB White OCBD Made in USA
- BB Khaki Gabardines - no break 1.75" cuffs Made in USA
- BB (by Alan Paine) Cotton Cable Knit White Tennis Sweater Made in England - my late Dad's
- BB Sterling monogrammed engined turned buckle with dark brown alligator strap Made in USA
- Ancient BB (by Sperry USA made) low vamp boatshoes with red soles.
- BB Golden Fleece Navy Loro Piana Hopsack Navy Blazer with patch pockets. Made in USA

Anonymous said...

I am done with your driveling website and those who comment on it.
You all represent the close minded, ethnocentric Old World that promotes War and keeping everyone at odds. The younger generation will show you that we can all get along and there is room for individuality and evolution, even among the Stodgy Old "Brethren". Blah blah - “the Brethren”- that holy grail of all things conservative and reactionary.
I wear Black Fleece proudly. A piece here and there blends well with more traditional things and gives a twist to an otherwise conservative look. What will you all add? A snazzy colored pocket square? Oooooo wow --How "Will" of you all. You old farts can sit in your easy chairs with you high balls and, for sure, low balls. Keep your walkers near by, you may need to change your Depends soon.

ADG said...

M.O. ....Sorry to read that you are "done" with my "driveling website." You'll be missed. So clear that it's you who wrote that comment! And I'm surprised that you of all people miss the point here. It's not about the "piece here and there" of Black Fleece that you and others wear...there is some of it that I'd wear. It's about the absurd manifestations of Black Fleece that represent their page on the Brethren website.

Let me put it to you another way sport model. Pick one of those exact ensembles. Give me your sizes and I'll buy the entire "look" for you. Under ONE condition. That you wear it as a "look" in total. No equivocation. If the idea of doing so is unappealing to you, then I rest my case.

Anonymous said...

I am laughing so hard at what Anon 1:28 PM said that I am falling out of my chair. Are you sure you are not Laguna Beach Fogey undercover? I think someone is having a "go" at you ADG. Anon's remark made my day. High balls and low balls. Hah! There is always something fun that comes out of one of your posts ADG...except, of course, when one makes us all cry.
I think I made it through this one easier than Trad Dad. Better grab some Java. You're not getting much sleep these nights.

SFBayArea

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr. M.O./1:28/brother balls - Part of what makes ADG so darn charming is that he doesn't take himself - or any of this - too seriously. Perhaps that's one of the advantages of our years - one that I know I would've benefitted from having a grasp on in my younger days. It's not too late for you, though, brother. Best - Ms. 7:33

Anonymous said...

With the exception of the (GTH?) trousers in pix 1 and 2, I'm at a loss to know which of these grotesqeries ADG would wear -- ever. My friend, are you into the martinis this afternoon because it's Friday?

Anonymous said...

Ms. 7:33
I have a firm grasp- trust me.
Nothing better than a sense of humor and a grain of salt.
In hand, well two... actually,
MO-Anon 1:28

CeceliaMc said...

That poor boy in the first picture looks as though he was forced to wear his grandmother's Bobby Brooks separates from the early 60's.

Could it be a hazing?

CeceliaMc said...

When looking at these pictures, why do I want to burst into choruses of "Oh, yes, we got trouble...right here in River City"

and

"Seventy-six trombones led the big parade"??...

Anonymous English Female said...

ADG - Hold on, you mean all this ISN'T the 'ADG for BB' line ?? Could have sworn that's what they told me on Madison Ave...

Anonymous said...

Anon 1:28: Having been in your place a few times more than I'd like to confess, let me point out what an a** you are. I too have been an a**, but thanks to patient people all over the world who take the time to show me my a**, I am going to take a moment to tell you that if you want to draw a chair up to a table of grownups who are jamming on a particular subject, do so. But be a grownup about it; don't dump and run. Instead, dump and stay. You don't need to trash this blog AND the author in order to make your point. Why not come back, make your case, argue your point, and stay in the debate. I can't imagine anyone here not valuing your viewpoint. FWIW.

Belle de Ville said...

What I want to know was who was in the brain trust that approved of these designs and did they really think that they would sell them?

Laguna Beach Fogey said...

I'm sorta with Anon @ 1:28 on this one.

It's time to try out some new ideas. Because the ideas adopted in the 1960s and imposed on the rest of us have clearly FAILED (see: current crisis).

We're still talking about clothes, right?

The New America is just as close-minded, ethnocentric and belligerent as the Old America. Nothing has changed. Only the actors.

Narrow ties, skinny lapels, and high-waisted negative-break trousers were introduced in the 1960s, and look where they got us: the Vietnam War.

In the 2000s, the popularity of Thom Browne, Trad clothing, and 'MadMen'-inspired styles has led directly to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the impending one in Iran.

Thom Browne is as 'reactionary' as you can get, by directly harkening back to the war-mongering styles of the war-mongering Korean and Vietnam era.

Anonymous said...

Flo
I have not gone anywhere. The debate is on. I have made my case to this group of reactionary Neo-Victorians. Next, you will all be debating whether black bombazine should be worn after the required one year of mourning, bemoaning the passing of the Frock Coat, and debating the sauciness of that new risque, modern dance- The Waltz.
Evolving is clearly what "The Brethren" are trying to do. "Black Fleece" is not for the weak of heart or the stylishly timid and conservative. A little bit of it can go a long way.
Unlace your corset, unpant your pantalettes, shimmy out of your shimmy and try it on- you might find the change refreshing.

ADG said...

Y'all need to just settle down. Geez...this much back and forth over "Pee Wee Herman Clothes"...Keep this up and I'm gonna write a maudlin story about my dead brother stinky.

CeceliaMc said...

"The New America is just as close-minded, ethnocentric and belligerent as the Old America. Nothing has changed. Only the actors."

Whoowee...thank goodness...

CeceliaMc said...

"bemoaning the passing of the Frock Coat"

The Frock coat's out??!!

Oh, frock!...

CeceliaMc said...

"Unlace your corset, unpant your pantalettes, shimmy out of your shimmy and try it on- you might find the change refreshing."

Okay, but that'll cost extra, you modern, you...

ADG said...

CeceliaMc...I'm glad you are back in a commenting mood because this little exchange is right down your alley.

J.P. said...

Epic Fail

CeceliaMc said...

Well, I want everyone to be assured that while I'm down that alley I'm wearing my black fleece frock coat.

(the fleece pantalettes were too itchy...)

Unknown said...

The photo with the striped pants and striped blazer makes me think that the model is coming to sell me salt water taffy and a ride on a Ferris wheel. Sorry, Anonymous, but CeceliaMc is right -- all most of these outfits need to be ready for showtime are a cane, white gloves, and straw boater.

On the other hand, worn independently with less, er, exuberant articles, they wouldn't look so bad. It's just that the plaid on plaid ensembles look as if Willie the Groundskeeper vomited on the young man.

Anonymous said...

Anon 1:28 PM --

I get it, I really, really do.

No more of those annoying decisions about whether to dress on the right or the left. It's perfect! Tailor the clothes to fit the man.

Good luck to both of you.

Laguna Beach Fogey said...

ADG ~ I think you protest too much. The overwhelming response to Black Fleece is ANTI-BLACK FLEECE.

Enough said.

The last thing this exchange needs is an injection of Old Mother Hubbard wit from one of your female chums. Spare us.

Let's move on.

Reggie Darling said...

I'd be crying tears if I weren't laughing so much. These are some of the most assinine getups I've seen. And they are prominently displayed in the windows of the flagship store on Madison Avenue. I walked by the other day and thought, WTF? This is crazeee! And then I about busted a gut. RD

ADG said...

Ok....it's early Saturday morning here in Maxminiland...and I'm gonna do another post on something just so we can move on. While this has been fun, we gotta let the Pee-Wee-Ed-Grimley thang go. And this is coming from a guy who wears girls shoes. And from time to time, panties. Levity I say...for my next post. Or perhaps something about famine and illness. Laguna....indeed we are moving on. And for the record, I don't have female chums...I have female targets!

Onward, from Cotillion last night to soccer today and dance class tomorrow...for me...not LFG.

CeceliaMc said...

Well, I for one needed to be reminded that it's necessary and important to buck colonialism, nationalism, and the patriarchy, by dressing like a plaid-addled lunatic.

Laguna Beach Fogey said...

Dance class?! This, I'd love to see. Bust a move, ol' chum.

hiram said...

...much ado about nothing! My only observation is was there was no attention given to fit. Hello Peewee.

ADG said...

LagunaFogey...do you ever freakin' sleep?

Anon 1:28 said...

Come the Revolution, the 21st Century Sans-Culottes will be dressed in Black Fleece contrivances. So Beware. They may have to spend every last penny on their get-ups but you will know them by their pitchforks and angry looks! If Marie were alive today there is no doubt she would have said "Let them Eat Cupcakes" instead of Brioche.
This Neo-Victorian, sartorially reactionary crowd will be proud to know, as they climb the steps to the guillotine in their khakis with a 1" break and their snazzy, snazzy-doodle silk pocket squares, that "The Brethren" will be safe; For it is "The Brethren" that helped initiate change and could see the future of fashion.
You have all been warned.
Vive La Revolution and run-on sentences.

CeceliaMc said...

"For it is "The Brethren" that helped initiate change and could see the future of fashion.
You have all been warned.
Vive La Revolution and run-on sentences."

Who knew that the Supreme Court was so cutting-edge!

Young Fogey said...

ADG tells us there are some clothes so gawd-awful even he won't wear them? I'm floored!

And as for you anti-Americans who think that tight clothes lead to war--go soak yer stinkin' heads!

Summer is a Verb said...

After I did my cursory reading, i.e. looking at the pics, I decided I would have to end the friendship. Immediately. But, alas, I did go back and read the text and all's well in AVS/ADG world...XXOO

Anonymous said...

Curious, at what price to the mothership comes "new design laboratory" hip:

http://www.blackfleece.com/#/about

littlebadwolf said...

PHEH!