STORE WARS: Macy’s vs. Brooks Brothers
Starting March 19th and running through April 8th, Dappered.com is hosting a bracket based tournament with the purpose of eventually crowning the all around Affordable Men’s Style Retail Champ for 2013. For a full introduction see this post. The bracket on the right will be updated as the tournament progresses. Click on it for the full size. Make a case for your preferred competitor in the comments section, but don’t forget to vote at the bottom of each match up. On with today’s showdown:
Strengths: Not to sound like an awful reality show, but Macy’s is where many a man’s personal “journey” to a better sense of style once began. Their One Day Sales are once a month (or thereabouts) events that are worth giving a look. In house brands like Bar III, INC, and Alfani Red might miss the mark sometimes, but often produce well fitting off the rack options at a very reasonable price… if you wait for one of those big sales.
Weaknesses: Feels like they might be starting to become the GAP of department stores. Sure they’re consistent, but things haven’t changed much over the last few years and they’re starting to feel… forgettable? Website browsing feels cluttered. Perpetual sales can cause some confusion (when is a 20% sale actually 15% off? And can you stack another coupon on that to… you know the drill). Shoe department is usually pretty weak. Free shipping doesn’t kick in until $99.
Strengths: The granddaddy of em’ all, yet has made significant strides in the last few years to appeal to a younger demographic. Iconic Made in the USA half canvassed suits. Many swear by their slim or extra slim dress shirts. Wide variety of great looking accessories (like their wallets and cufflinks). In house shoes like their drivers and chukkas. Works with heritage companies like Allen Edmonds, Filson, Red Wing, etc… to stock their stores and websites with great looking American merchandise.
Weaknesses: Expensive. Especially when it comes to suiting, but if you hang around for the rare once or twice a year sale, you could land something on the high end for a more palatable price. While they have tried to get younger these past few years, some of their looks can still feel a little too classic. They could use more middle ground between Established Guy in his late 40s, and hyper-prep peacock wearing all bright colors. Sizing on basics like sweaters can run extremely generous. Shipping on small stuff can be a killer.
Your votes determine who goes on to the next round. Cast your ballot below. Voting closes at midnight ET.
UPDATE: And Team 1818 whomps Macy’s. Heritage movin’ on to the next round.
Store Wars: Macy's vs. Brooks Brothers
- Macy's (39%, 706 Votes)
- Brooks Brothers (61%, 1,119 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,825
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This one’s tough. I shop at both. BB shirts earn them my vote.
BB for me- their Milano/Fitz suits & ESF shirts earn them my vote. Yes their suits are expensive but the quality is great and i’ve found their customer service to be excellent.
I agree that BB can be prohibitively expensive, but I’ve never understood the draw of Macy’s. It’s basically Dillard’s but aimed at a younger crowd with edgier clothes of lower quality, at least at my nearby Macy’s. Very few 100% wool suits, sport coats, or trousers, and the brands they do carry (Kenneth Cole, Alfani, Calvin Klein) may or may not fit well but are crap quality.
BB for this one. I’d rather shop at JCP for cheap, decent quality stuff.
I can’t afford Brooks Brothers, but In my experience Macy’s just plain sucks. They feel more like Sears with an inflated opinion of themselves than the Gap to me. In the housewares department I can never find the prices for anything. In the clothing department, sizes are hit or miss, looking generally picked over like a store that is going out of business, and not an upscale department store. they literally had 3 pair of Levis Shrink to Fit 501s last time I was there, and they were all different colors and size, so good luck finding a pair in your size.
Finally, and worst of all, the time I asked for help finding a dress shirt to fit, the guy measured me while I explained to him that the problem I have is that every shirt that fits in the neck is a tent everywhere else, then he grabbed 2 shirts for me to try on. One of which didn’t fit in the neck, and the other of which was a tent, then made like he was ready to ring me up for the tent. I thanked him and went and looked for a slim fit shirt on my own. Even at JC Penny, the sales clerk at least suggested an “athletic fit” even though he didn’t have an. THat would have been a step in the right direction, though what I’ve found I really need is a slim fit but a size up from my usual size, since I am a Large, not particularly slim, but I have an 18″ neck, so if I wear an XL in slim fit I MIGHT be able to close the neck on a shirt that more or less looks like it fits. Anyway I figured that out on my own. The sales clerk at Macy’s would have happily sold me a shirt that made me look like Mr. Sta-Puft.
bb… no if, ands, or buts. this is the starting point… you can wiggle and add other brands but BB is the base. i wear 75% bb, 10% allen edmonds, and 15% deals i find scouring the land.
formerly kyle
I’ve come to realize that Macy’s is like Nordstrom’s little brother that wears way too many graphic tees and crappy jeans but occasionally rocks something fresh.
This is more or less my experience, too: Macy’s is basically only useful to me for being one of the few stores to carry slim tapered Levi’s (I prefer slim tapered to the slim straight 514s), but their size selection is so hit-and-miss that I usually just order from Levi’s directly.
Can’t afford BB most of the time, but their clothes fit better and their selection is so, so much better.
This is like watching two mentally challenged wombats fight… oh and by the way, the winner takes on a Great White Shark strapped to the back of an a pissed off, stampeding Elephant.
Brooks Brothers with discounts. No contest here. They have the best non-iron shirts I’ve ever worn and their Supima is so luxurious. Also, 39 presidents have worn BB, from Lincoln to Teddy to JFK to Clinton. Talk about keeping with the times.
def. agree- the only shirts that fit me OTR are BR & BB- for a period of time I had a few express shirts but the quality is awful and after a few washes they are basically only good under sweaters. BB shirt quality in my mind is even better than BR.
Isn’t “mentally challenged wombat” redundant?
I’d love to vote BB, but I can’t afford anything they sell. Macy’s wins this round.
Macy’s is part of the problem, not the solution.
eBay.
Picked Macy’s based solely on price and that you can pick up Levi’s 514 for $40 during their Friends and Family Sales. Eventually plan to shop at Brooks Brothers, but for now it’s Macys.
I don’t feel strongly about either of these stores.
Brooks clothing just has such high quality and comes from such heritage it’s hard not to vote for it. On top of that the dyes they use on polos is incredible, I lived in the Carribean for 2 years and had to sun dry all my clothes. None of the shirts faded or washed out, just incredible quality clothing. Shop at the outlets during sales or eBay for best prices.
Brooks Brothers has the absolute best non-iron dress shirts in my opinion (with Banana coming in second, and not necessarily a close second). Yeah they’re expensive, but sometimes, just sometimes, you get what you pay for. Once you find your size, in a slim or extra-slim fit, because the classic fits will be poofy, keep an eye on the clearance section and you won’t be disappointed.
I have Brooks Brothers shirts in my closet that are literally 10 years old and 100 plus wears and they still look great when I pull them out of the drier. When you compare that to the ten wears you’ll get out of an Express 1MX before the collar starts to tatter, or you get “iron-burn” the price per wear doesn’t look so bad. Only gripe is limited style options, and their more unique styles are easy to recognize when you and your office mate show up to a meeting wearing the same one. Stick to the basics (white, light blue, simple stripes) in a slim fit, and you’re making a wise wardrobe investment.
I have to agree with what I’ve seen a few people post regarding BB being too expensive and Macy’s being crap. As I’m being more style conscious and progressing in my career I don’t think it’s a stretch to say your retail preferences change as well. Starting off with lower end department stores JCP/Kohl’s/Macys, moving up to more expensive mall brands Express/BR/J.Crew and online only like Bonobos/Frank & Oak and then to “luxury” retailers and boutiques like BB. I’m still in the BR/J.Crew area, haha.
Or you could go to JCP anytime and pick up a pair of Levi’s 514 for $40.00.
http://www.jcpenney.com/dotcom/jsp/browse/product.jsp?ppId=1c75904&catId=Levis%20Denim%20Bar
Shirts that are not bespoke should not cost more than 50 bucks (if we are discussing “affordable” style). I was under the impression that dappered.com was about “affordable” style. BB does not fall into that category. Macy’s might be “ghetto” but at least the everyman can actually afford to shop there.
Macy’s is an awful, awful place.. And Brooks Brothers is Brooks Brothers. Easy.
It’s $88 for an extra slim fit shirt. Thats $38 more than your $50 limit for a shirt that will probably be much higher quality and last a lot longer than a $50 shirt. Probably over twice as long. So affordable doesn’t always have to mean cheap.
There’s also the distinct possibility that you will not find your size at all. ::he said speaking from experience:: I’ve tried the ESF ones myself and they just have too much bulk still (admittedly I tried them at a Brooks Brothers 346 store which is their outlet, but I can’t imagine why the fit would be any different from the mainline). The TM Lewin Fully Fitted shirts I own are much slimmer and to be honest, I didn’t notice a disparity in quality (though I obviously only tried the BB on briefly vs the TML which I’ve been wearing for a while). Anyway, given the amount of people that seem to be perpetually looking for the slimmest fit dress shirts, I imagine a number of folks will be in the same boat as me.
Definitely agree with this sentiment. A very good investment for the “dress shirt every day” crowd.
There is no point to Macy’s. The only thing they do well is the parade. Ron Johnson would have been a good fit for them.
Wasn’t aware of the TM Lewin shirts, I’ll definitely give those a shot though so I appreciate the plug! Looks like they have more options style wise as well. As for BB, I’ve had luck with the extra slim, but in a neck size larger than I’d ordinarily wear because the chest was a bit snug.
I agree that the BB sizes may not work for all. I know my buddy, who is tall and slim still has to have his taken in (same for Banana), but they seem to work well for my slightly stocker 5’10” 175ish frame.
Still blows my mind that the majority of shirts available in the ordinary cut are WAY too loose in the waist for most ordinary frames. Nothing more frustrating than seeing a shirt or jacket you like on a mannequin, then walking behind it to find the waist pinned in!
If you have to go up a collar size just to fit into a BB ESF, you’ll need to look towards the TML Slim Fit, not Fully Fitted as it would surely constrict. The Charles Tyrwhitt ESF are somewhere inbetween the BB ESF and the TML Fully Fitted btw.
Appreciate the advice. I always run into the too tight in the chest too loose in the waist issue.
http://theatercostumes.webs.com/photos/Ancient-Rome/toga.jpg
Another reason to vote for Macy’s is its public restroom.
I’d also like to note that the quality of BB 10 years ago was higher than it is now. I speak not from personal experience, but the sentiment I’ve seen expressed on many different style forums by the vets. Go look for a thread on BB quality if you don’t believe me.
Actually, the sentiment I’ve heard is that BB between ten and twenty years ago, the time when it was owned by Marks & Spencer, was the worst state it was in. Lots of cheaper items intended to draw in a broader crowd. It was then purchased by a private firm owned by a guy who specifically wanted to buy Brooks Brothers in order to restore its reputation as a store for high end menswear.
For my part, I’m with you on their ESF shirts. Still a bit too much fabric. But they are definitely well made.
I always considered Macy’s to be a step up from JCP. Not the case anymore?
For my individual purposes I lumped them together, but I’m sure many would agree with you that Macy’s is a step above JCP and I don’t balk at the thought too much, especially if you consider the non-clothing aspects (home goods, furniture, grooming products, etc.). IMO, the men’s clothing, for what you get, is overpriced. It’s not any better than JCP/Kohl’s, but more expensive. I’d even argue that with the recent overhaul the men’s clothing at JCP is better than Macys.
I think it’s more of favorite for women. For example my girlfriend and my mom both LOVE Macys and could give two you know whats about JCP. Macys’ makeup, fragrance, watch/jewelry, handbags and women’s shoes section is also MUCH better than JCP. That doesn’t endear me to Macys though, haha.
once you try Brooks Brothers you never go back to those other stores.. not only is the quality great and the style classic, they have knowledgeable staff who can (if you don’t know how) put together an outfit for whatever purpose you need.. they also do little things like direct you to a local dry cleaner that you an trust with your new $2000 suit..