Brooks Brothers is the oldest surviving men's clothier in the United States, founded in 1818. The privately owned company is owned by Retail Brand Alliance, a spinoff of Luxottica, and is headquartered on Madison Avenue in New York City. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A private company is a company that is independently owned. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... 1818 (MDCCCXVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... A tailor is a person whose occupation is to sew clothes custom-fit to individuals, and to repair clothes. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A holding company is a company that owns part, all, or a majority of other companies outstanding stock. ... A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos and other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML... Luxottica Group S.p. ... Madison Avenue is a north-south avenue in the borough of Manhattan in New York City which carries northbound one-way traffic. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

History

On April 7, 1818, at the age of 45, Henry Sands Brooks opened H. & D.H. Brooks & Co. on the Northeast corner of Catherine and Cherry Streets in New York City, where the South Street Seaport now stands. He proclaimed that his guiding principle was, "To make and deal only in merchandise of the finest quality, to sell it at a fair profit and to deal with people who seek and appreciate such merchandise."[1]^[1] Interestingly, the company's very first transaction was a loan to one of Brooks's friends. April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... 1818 (MDCCCXVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... A view of the South Street Seaport in New York with the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges. ...

In 1850, Brooks's sons;Edward, Elisha, Daniel, and John, inherited the family business, and renamed the company "Brooks Brothers". In its early history, Brooks Brothers was most widely known for introducing America to the ready-to-wear suit. In the late 19th century, Brooks Brothers tailored many distinctive uniforms for elite regiments of the New York National Guard. The Golden Fleece symbol was adopted as the company's trademark in 1850. A sheep suspended in a ribbon had long been a symbol of British woolen merchants. Dating from the 15th century, it had been the emblem of the Knights of the Golden Fleece, founded by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. In ancient Greek mythology, a magical flying ram, or Golden Fleece, was sought by Jason and the Argonauts.^{[citation needed]} For the game, see: 1850 (board game) 1850 (MDCCCL) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Suits from the 1937 Chicago Woolen Mills catalog A suit, with varieties such as a business suit, three-piece suit, lounge suit or two-piece suit , comprises a collection of matching clothing consisting of: a coat (commonly known as a jacket) a waistcoat (optional) (USA vest) — without this it is... Seal of the National Guard Bureau Seal of the Army National Guard Seal of the Air National Guard Seal of the National Guard Missile Defense The United States National Guard is a component of the United States Army (the Army National Guard) and the United States Air Force (the Air... Jason returns with the golden Fleece on an Apulian red-figure calyx krater, ca. ... The founder, Philip the Good , with at least six other Members wearing collars, 1447-8 Philip III, Duke of Burgundy, with the collar of the Order The Order of the Golden Fleece (Spanish: Orden del Toisón de Oro) is an order of chivalry founded in 1430 by Duke Philip... Philip III, Duke of Burgundy (Philip the Good or Philippe le Bon) (1396–1467) was Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death. ... Coat of arms of the second Duchy of Burgundy and later of the French province of Burgundy Burgundy (French: ; German: ) is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Celts (Gauls), Romans (Gallo-Romans), and various Germanic peoples, most importantly the Burgundians and the Franks; the former gave their...

The last member of the Brooks family to head the company was Winthrop Holly Brooks, who ran the company from 1935 until its sale in 1946, when the company was acquired by Julius Garfinckel and Company. After the acquisition, Brooks Brothers's director was John C. Wood, who was known for having supposedly made Brooks Brothers an even more traditional men's clothier. By 1969, the ten Brooks Brothers stores in operation were located in New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... Nickname: Location in Massachusetts, USA Coordinates: , Country United States State Massachusetts County Suffolk County Settled 1630 Incorporated (city) 1822 Government  - Mayor Thomas M. Menino (D) Area  - City  89. ... Nickname: Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates: , Country United States of America State California City-County San Francisco Founded 1776 Government  - Mayor Gavin Newsom Area  - City  47 sq mi (122 km²)  - Land  46. ... Nickname: Motto: Benigno Numine (With the Benevolent Deity) Location in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Coordinates: , Country United States Commonwealth Pennsylvania County Allegheny Founded November 25, 1758 Incorporated April 22, 1794 (borough)   March 18, 1816 (city) Government  - Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (D) Area  - City 151. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , State California County Los Angeles County Settled 1781 Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government  - Type Mayor-Council  - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa  - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo  - Governing body City Council Area  - City  498. ... Hotlanta redirects here. ... Nickname: Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: , Country United States Federal District District of Columbia Government  - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D)  - D.C. Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2...

Though today many people consider Brooks Brothers a very traditional clothier, it is also known for having introduced many clothing novelties to the market. In 1830, the store was the first to sell seersucker suits in the U.S. In 1896, John E. Brooks, Henry Sands Brooks's grandson, invented the button-down dress shirt after seeing the non-flapping collars on English polo players. Between 1865 and 1998, Brooks Brothers did not make an off-the-rack black suit, because Abraham Lincoln wore a bespoke black Brooks frock coat when he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth (and as a result, the traditional American rule is that black suits only are proper for servants and the dead^[2]). President Theodore Roosevelt was fond of Brooks Brothers clothes: he even ordered his dress uniform for the Spanish-American War at Brooks. Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 (MDCCCXXX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Seersucker is a thin all-cotton fabric, commonly striped, which is used to make clothing for summer wear. ... Year 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar). ... Business shirt A shirt is a piece of clothing for the trunk of the body. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see Abraham Lincoln (disambiguation). ... A tailor attending to a customer in Hong Kong. ... Formal black frock coat with silk faced lapels, light grey waistcoat, striped trousers, button boots, gloves, cravat in ascot knot and tie pin; April 1904. ... John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838 – April 26, 1865) was an American actor from Maryland, who fatally shot President of the United States Abraham Lincoln at Fords Theatre in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865. ... President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. ... Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. ... Combatants United States Republic of Cuba Philippine Republic Spain Commanders Nelson A. Miles William R. Shafter George Dewey Máximo Gómez Emilio Aguinaldo Patricio Montojo Pascual Cervera Arsenio Linares General Ramón Blanco Casualties 3,289 U.S. dead (432 from combat); considerably higher although undetermined Cuban and Filipino...

Ralph Lauren, when his name was still Ralph Lifschitz, started out as a salesman at Brooks's Madison Avenue store. He was granted the right to use the Polo trademark from Brooks Brothers, which retained its rights to the iconic "original polo button-down collar" shirt still produced today. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Madison Avenue is a north-south avenue in the borough of Manhattan in New York City which carries northbound one-way traffic. ... Polo Ralph Lauren (NYSE: RL) is American fashion designer Ralph Laurens luxury lifestyle company. ...

Brooks Brothers was acquired by the British firm Marks and Spencer plc in 1988. In 2001, Marks & Spencer sold Brooks Brothers to Retail Brand Alliance ("RBA"), a company privately owned by Italian billionaire Claudio del Vecchio (son of Luxottica founder Leonardo del Vecchio). Besides Brooks Brothers, RBA consists of two established brands: Carolee (a designer of jewelry for department stores and speciality stores), and Adrienne Vittadini (a designer of women's clothing and accessories). Marks and Spencer plc (known also as M&S and sometimes colloquially as Marks and Sparks) is the largest retailer in the United Kingdom by sales. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... A billionaire is a person who has a net worth of at least one billion units of currency, such as United States Dollars (USD), Pounds or Euros. ... Luxottica Group S.p. ... Leonardo Del Vecchio (1935-) is the founder and chairman of Luxottica, a $3 billion (sales) designer and manufacturer of high-quality eyeglass frames. ... This article needs to be wikified. ...

Notable Customers

Brooks Brothers has dressed generations of families, prominent and less famous, as well as political leaders, Hollywood legends, sports greats and military heroes.

Andy Warhol was known to buy and wear clothes from Brooks Brothers. According to Carlton Walters: "I got to [know] Andy quite well, and he always looked bedraggled: always had his tie lopsided, as he didn't have time to tie it, and he never tied his shoe laces, and he even wore different colored socks, but he bought all of his clothes at Brooks Brothers..." [2]^[3] Andy Warhol (August 6, 1928 — February 22, 1987) was an American artist who became a central figure in the movement known as pop art. ...

Brooks Brothers is the official clothier of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra^[4] Jazz at Lincoln Center is a constituent company of the Lincoln Center performing arts organization, whose performing arts complex, Frederick P. Rose Hall, is located at 60th Street and Broadway in New York City, slightly south of the main Lincoln Center campus and directly adjacent to Columbus Circle. ...

Brooks Brothers is frequently sought out by costume designers in Hollywood, dressing stars in such films as Ben Affleck in Pearl Harbor (movie)^{[citation needed]}, Gene Hackman in The Royal Tenenbaums^{[citation needed]}, and Will Smith in Ali^{[citation needed]}. Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is a Golden Globe Award-nominated American film actor, director, and Academy Award-winning and Golden Globe Award-winning screenwriter. ... Pearl Harbor DVD Cover Pearl Harbor is the title of a war film released in the summer of 2001 by Touchstone Pictures. ... Gene Hackman (born Eugene Allen Hackman[1] on January 30, 1930) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actor. ... The Royal Tenenbaums is the 2001 dramatic comedy about three genius siblings who experience great success in youth, and even greater disappointment and failure after their eccentric father leaves them in their adolescent years. ... “W. S.” redirects here. ... ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib (Arabic: )‎ Approximately: March 17, 599 - February 28, 661[1] was an early Islamic leader, the fourth and last Sunni caliph, and the first Shia Imam. ...

At his second inauguration, United States President Abraham Lincoln wore a coat specially crafted for him by Brooks Brothers.^{[citation needed]} Hand stitched into the coat's lining was a design featuring an eagle and the inscription, "One Country, One Destiny."^{[citation needed]}United States President Ulysses S. Grant began his association with Brooks Brothers during the Civil War, when he ordered tailored uniforms for the Union officers in the American Civil War.^{[citation needed]} For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... For other uses, see Abraham Lincoln (disambiguation). ... For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... Ulysses S. Grant[2] (born Hiram Ulysses Grant, April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was an American general and the eighteenth President of the United States (1869–1877). ... In this map:  Union states prohibiting slavery  Union territories  Border states on the Union side which allowed slavery  Kansas, which entered and fought with the Union as a free state after the Bleeding Kansas crisis  The Confederacy  Confederate claimed and sometimes held territories During the American Civil War, the Union... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total...

Many more presidents, including Herbert Hoover, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton were known to wear Brooks Brothers clothing lines. Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964), the thirty-first President of the United States (1929–1933), was a world-famous mining engineer and humanitarian administrator. ... Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. ... Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), often referred to as FDR, was the 32nd (1933–1945) President of the United States. ... John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also referred to as John F. Kennedy, Kennedy, John Kennedy, Jack Kennedy, or JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of the United States. ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. ... George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ...

Stephen Colbert, of the Colbert Report and formerly of the Daily Show and Strangers With Candy, has all of his suits for the Colbert Report supplied by Brooks Brothers. This article is about Stephen Colbert, the actor. ... Stephen Colbert, star of The Colbert Report The Colbert Report (, or possibly Colbert Réport) is a television program announced by Comedy Central that will star Stephen Colbert, currently best-known as a correspondent for The Daily Show. ... Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart on the set of The Daily Show The Daily Show (currently The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, also known as TDS to fans and staffers) is a half-hour satirical fake news program produced by and run on the Comedy Central cable television network in... Strangers with Candy is a television series produced by Comedy Central. ... Stephen Colbert, star of The Colbert Report The Colbert Report (, or possibly Colbert Réport) is a television program announced by Comedy Central that will star Stephen Colbert, currently best-known as a correspondent for The Daily Show. ...

James Thurber refers to Brooks Brothers shirts in some of his short stories. James Grover Thurber (December 8, 1894–November 2, 1961) was a U.S. humorist and cartoonist. ...

Today

Currently, there are 170 Brooks Brothers stores in the United States and 70 scattered throughout Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, France and Italy. In 1998, Brooks Brothers launched its official website. Today, Brooks Brothers relies much on materials and tailoring from developing countries, whereas before the 1990s virtually all of its clothing had been made in the United States, Western Europe, and Canada. Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... It has been suggested that Underdevelopment be merged into this article or section. ... The borders of Western Europe were largely defined by the Cold War. ...

The symbol of the Golden Fleece is Brooks Brothers's trademark. It consists of a sheep suspended in a ribbon, which was the symbol of Flemish wool merchants in the 15th century and later traditionally had been a symbol of British wool merchants. In ancient Greek mythology, a magical ram's skin, or Golden Fleece, was sought by Jason and the Argonauts. Jason returns with the golden Fleece on an Apulian red-figure calyx krater, ca. ... “(TM)” redirects here. ... Jason and the Argonauts may refer to: the Greek myth of Jason and the Argonauts Jason and the Argonauts (film), a 1963 film with animation by Ray Harryhausen Jason and the Argonauts (TV movie), a TV movie made in 2000 This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated...

Notes and references

1. ^ Connie Glaser: Tradition, flexibility key to retailer's longevity: bizwomen.com, 2007
2. ^ Vanderbilt, Complete Guide to Etiquette (1956)
3. ^ Patrick S. Smith, Warhol: Conversations about the Artist Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1988 p. 340.
4. ^ www.jazzatlincolncenter.org/about/news/060615-news.html

Amy Vanderbilt (July 22, 1908 - December 27, 1974) was a U.S. authority on etiquette. ...

External links

• Brooks Brothers Official Web Site