This is the third part of an extended profile of Brooks Brothers, the iconic and influential American clothing company. Click here to read Part 2. Brooks, as it is affectionately known,created what we today view as a distinctively American sense of style – classically designed but comfortable in execution; English in heritage yet breezy and…
Continued from Part I… After the death of Henry Sands Brooks in 1833, control of the still small but now established company was passed to his eldest son, Henry, Jr. In 1850, Henry’s three sons inherited the family business and renamed it “Brooks Brothers.” As the company grew, so did the buildings which housed it. …
Around the world that name defines classic American style. And with nearly 200 years of Ivy League, East Coast establishment history under its belt, Brooks Brothers can claim title to a rare crown: of being an authentic American legend.
In Part One of this column, we took a look at the philosophy and strategy behind the brand that is Vineyard Vines. Now, let’s look at the business side of that ubiquitous pink whale. A very important thing to note about Vineyard Vines is that they are opening brink-and-mortar stores while almost any other brand…
Jay Kos is one of the reasons I started OTC. I first read about him in GQ, it was a one page profile titled “Would you buy a homburg form this guy?” or something to that effect. Back in 1996, with no formal retail background or fashion/design training, Jay opened the eponymous ‘Jay Kos’ store…
If you follow the rapidly maturing fast-custom segment of the menswear market you now that these days virtually anything can be made ‘custom.’ From jeans to oxfords, khakis to suits to dinner jackets. And by the way, it’s all online. The leading brand in this virtual tailoring universe is Indochino, founded by two Canadian university…
John Varvatos may not one of those brands that comes to mind when you think of OTC. However, we have been big fans of his for some time; the ability to combine classic rock and fashion in a non-kitschy way is a feat in and of itself. In fact, if it hadn’t been for the…
Vineyard Vines is everywhere. A classic American success story, the company, most associated with whimsical yest office compatible ties, was most recently feted in the long-anticipated follow up to The Original Preppy Handbook – TRUE PREP. In fact, TRUE PREP and TOPH author Lisa Birnbach worked together to promote the new book. In September, Vineyard…
I spoke with Kiel James Patrick, the founder and chief designer of his eponymous brand of preppy accessories, on a sunny late summer’s day. As it turns out, we were both doing yard work, talking on our headsets and looking forward to a cold beer – I liked him right away. My wife of course…
