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Would you wear it? The bright contrast arm stripe sweater

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Brooks Brothers Lambswool V-Neck – $56.00 ($79.50)

*Or, even cheaper if you picked up the $40 for $80 Park & Bond voucher a few weeks back.

Brooks Brothers has somewhat recently gotten killed on their Facebook page by longtime customers complaining about the youthful turn the brand seems to have taken.  No matter that these guys were arguing that Brooks Brothers was looking too young… while they themselves were using Facebook.

Brooks Brothers is trying not to not age themselves out of the market and this sweater is proof.  On sale through Park & Bond, and through Nordstrom the blue one says the fit is “Considered a Trim fit; fitted through the chest, armholes and sides.”  That’s good.  But the orange claims to be a regular fit (see below.)  That’s confusing.

Lambswool and from Brooks Brothers.  Seems like it could be a great way to maximize one of those $40 for $80 vouchers that a few of us picked up from Gilt City back in late October.  Aside from the fit questions, between the bright colors at the cuffs, hem, and collar, are the arm stripes a little over the top?

Leave your take below, and whether or not you think it’s worth a look at full price, $56, $40, or not at all.

Comments

  1. I like the grey one more than the blue personally. The stripes give the sweater a little twist that is not common on a lot of clothing so I would wear either.

  3. I want to think the arm stripes are silly and that I’d never wear it, but I really like the look especially the orange stripes.

  4. No, except to a party as a part of a 30’s era Ivy league sports costume. What was the original purpose of the arm stripe anyway?

  6. I really like the return to trad Ivy looks. I’d wear one. I’d wear one with a bow tie, which these just seem to scream out for. 

  7. Heh I agree, but that’s not saying much… I think you’d wear a bow tie with almost anything!

  11. I would like the sweaters but for the color combinations. I’d like to see them in more school colors. If I were a student or alum of UNC I would buy that blue/lt blue one in a heartbeat.

  13. I think the other trim without the arm stripes are enough contrast on an otherwise good looking (and I mean the blue one) sweater.  The arm stripes smack too much of someone in mourning.

  18. The armband screams “I’m a joiner, I need to belong” which seems contradictory to the development of a personal style.

  22. Joe- I see your fit descriptions from the sites, but do you have any experience with BB sweaters and if they fit slim?

  23. No.  Seems to be trying to hard – like something you’d find at Express, but with better colors.

  24. I’d wear them. Might even consider wearing the navy one to work, to put some pep into an otherwise conservative look, with a grey suit and white shirt. That would be stepping out… I work at a bank. One of the last hold-outs for the required suit-and-tie wardrobe.

  28. I think the arm stripes were for collegians who earned more than one “award” on top of their letter, kind of like the military practice of putting little stars on the ribbon of a medal when you receive it more than once. Ivy Leaguers please correct me if I’m a bit off.

  32. it’s not as fitted on me as I’d like (wearing medium), but I’m on the smaller end of medium so that’s kind of normal. Otherwise I like the fit, nothing really wrong. 

  34. I hate to play devil’s advocate here, but Facebook is not a “young” thing. My parents use it more often than I do. These days, I stay off of it more often than not. Although I find that continually pruning my friends list improves my social networking experience.