STORE WARS: J. Crew 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: The leader. Out of all of the competitors, J. Crew has most likely had the most influence on how a guy’s clothes should fit (and therefore look) in the 21st century. And they’ve done a hell of a job. Esquire recently summed it up this way: “Everyone Wears J. Crew“. The construction of their suits and blazers is phenomenal, and if you catch a sale, a fused-suit budget can snag a piece of the canvassed & quality-chest-piece high life. Their “in good company” curation and collaborations with brands like Red Wing, Danner, Billykirk, and Barbour. Their slim fit section trims up their already well fitting stuff for those who are on the real slim side. Many of their own in-house shoes are made in Italy with stitched soles. Their outerwear, like the Mayfair Topcoat and University Coat.
Weaknesses: Prices. They’re up there, and a lot of their goods are just flat out of reach until they hit the sale section. Sometimes it feels like they take themselves a little too seriously (see how soaring and over the top the language can get in many of their item descriptions). The price of their Quartz watches. Dress shirts can get expensive. The heck is Wallace & Barnes anyway?
How They Got Here: Despite vocal support for the opposition, they dominated Thrift Stores in round 1.
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.
How They Got Here: Fought off a feisty Macy’s in round 1.
Your votes determine who goes on to the next round. Cast your ballot below. Voting closes at midnight ET.
Store Wars: J. Crew vs. Brooks Brothers
- J. Crew (75%, 1,437 Votes)
- Brooks Brothers (26%, 493 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,928
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Ah, good matchup. I’m gonna give it to Brooks Brothers for two completely non-empirical reasons: I own more Brooks Bros clothing items than J. Crew, and it still irks me that J. Crew sizes their shirts in S-M-L instead of neck and sleeve measurements. It’s a small thing and completely non-scientific, but makes J. Crew come across to me as less than serious. JMHO, though.
I have no doubt that J. Crew will take this round, though.
J. Crew may offer great fitting clothes for the more anemic among us, but they offer next to nothing for the more robust. If I were waifish I suspect I would enjoy J. Crew much more; my wife wears them almost daily. Also, I find that their quality has suffered somewhat, but BB also come to think of it. On the other hand, I find with Brooks Brothers that I can always find clothes that fit me well and are constructed well. I see these companies not as competitors but as serving two different markets. If my chest were smaller than my waist and my waist was smaller than my wife’s I suspect that I would shop at J.Crew more.
Or people who wear J.Crew are just in shape. No need to insult us.
Most men that workout regularly and with some degree of intensity and that hit the weights and not just pump their heart are in shape. These men have chests that are larger than their waists. J. Crew does not fit this mesomorphic body style at all. Never has unfortunately. No company’s clothes fit the obese well.
I wasn’t saying you or people who wear BB were fatties. I was saying that people who shop at J.Crew are not necessarily (like you said) “anemic”, “waifish” or feminine in that their “chest were smaller” their their waist. It’s a very normal body type compared to a bodybuilders.
BB for me- their Fitz & Milano suits are high quality and their ESF shirts fit me perfect. Yes their prices are high but the white ESF non iron shirt and golden fleece suit im wearing today will look just as nice in 5 years.
Brooks Brothers’ shirts are by far my favorite, but when I think of the brand that best represents how I want to look, I think of J. Crew.
I got you something: http://imgur.com/lGg4p
J.Crew all the way this round. I feel both companies do share a similar price to quality ratio; meaning an oxford shirt will cost your more at BB however the quality will also be better. J.Crew is ultimately just a little more accessible and their clothes fit my body type better.
You know, I find neck-and-sleeve to be just as imprecise as S/M/L sizing, oddly enough. I’ve got a pretty big neck for my size — 17″ neck, 42″ chest — but I’m not thin. So, finding shirts that have the right neck size *and* fit properly through the torso is basically impossible with neck-and-sleeve. J. Crew, at least, I know I can order a large and have it fit everywhere but the neck (where it will inevitably be much too tight).
So, J. Crew wins this one as far as sizing is concerned for me. But they also have much better pricing.
Odd. I’m not remotely anemic (6′ even, 210), but J. Crew fits me just fine.
But J. Crew’s quality is definitely spotty.
J Crew did offer neck and sleeve shirts for a short time last year. I think they found out that costs a lot more and it’s a lot easier to sell a shirt and have the end user tailor it. With that, Brooks Brothers offers far more options to get your perfect size without tailoring. With 4 fits of shirts and the widest array of neck and sleeve options out there, I appreciate the effort they put into getting guys into shirts without the need for tailoring. Unfotunately, as JDW posts, it’s still not 100% perfect for most of us.
The biggest problem I have with JCrew is their price, but then I look at Brooks Brothers pricing and the money JCrew charges is just a little bit better. For me, Brooks Brothers is good for some of the more conservative parts of my wardrobe while JCrew does a great job in filling the need for more “modernity”
I also have this problem. I don’t find numbered shirt sizing to be any more bulletproof than S/M/L. I have a 15″ neck, which roughly corresponds to size medium, but all my other dimensions correspond to small or even extra small. So a 15 x 32 shirt is invariably too big for me in the shoulders, sleeves, chest, and waist. I basically end up buying a 14.5 x 32 shirt and just dealing with the tight neck. Plus there is still a huge degree of variation in how any given 14.5 x 32 will fit.
As far as I can tell, numbered sizing is really only helpful to those who wear basically standard sizes already, but need a longer or shorter sleeve than usual.
This is a tough one… But i’m voting Brooks Brothers… Simply because of their non-iron, slim cut dress shirts, with half sizes!! Best dress shirts I’ve ever owned, hands down. I find J Crew to be over priced and sizing kinda weird… I voted for J Crew Factory though…
I don’t know about that- I’m no one’s definition of skinny (6’0” , 200 pounds, but carrying a significant amount of it in my gut), but my 2 J Crew shirts are my best fits.
I work out, my chest is larger than my waist, and J.Crew clothes fit me just fine, thanks. J.Crew sizing may not work for you but please don’t project your dissatisfaction with that fact onto other people with childish insults.
In my experience, J.Crew sizing is actually rather conservative (i.e. not especially slim and form-fitting), especially when you consider just how much of what they sell is not “slim fit,” “urban slim fit” or part of the Ludlow line.
I pick J.Crew. I’ve never bought anything from BB. Too prohibitively expensive. I’ve been thinking about trying their extra slim shirts or a Milano suit at some point in the future (ideally during a giant sale).
I already know who is going to win this one, but my vote will still go to BB. They are the definition of timeless style. Considering some of their items are made in the US, that makes them affordable (compared to what they could charge.) They therefore meet Dappered’s slogan.
Keep in mind that Brooks Brothers will tailor some of the items for you, for free. I don’t think J Crew offers that.
Sounds like you’re new here Eric. I’m going to have to ask you ease up a bit. The last thing I’d ever do is start comparing bench press / squat numbers (and I’m sure you have me beat), but I’m far, far from waifish and J. Crew’s Ludlow blazers fit me terrific. A little tight in the arms… WELCOME TO THE GUN SHOW LADIES!!!… but other than that, fantastic.
So yeah, let’s not get all insulty. Plenty of us inbetween waif and massive fit extremely well into J. Crew’s stuff. Welcome aboard. Thanks for understanding.
I don’t own too much stuff by J Crew, but everything I do own is a staple in my wardrobe. Have tried a few BB items but most are not to my taste.
Love this! I am absolutely addicted to the Crew. I love that store, seriously. I cannot get enough of their washed favorite shirts, especially. I zeroed in on my size a little while back, and I’ve been stockpiling since. It feels especially rewarding to nab these shirts when they go on sale with 30 percent off the sale price.
I have some Ludlow things–a suit, a blazer, and some shirts. The suit is the only suit I’ve ever tried that fit almost perfectly right off the rack!
Other goodies: They do a nice shawl collar cardigan now and then. The polos are usually nicely constructed and trim fitting. And I love thier fatigue jacket and some of their other outerwear.
I’m sorry–did I forget to tell you how much I love J. Crew?
I completely agree with everything you guys are saying. I’ve found the same thing. But it still screams “teeny bopper mall brand”. Completely IMO of course, but still an odd catching point for me personally.
You are freaking dead wrong about J Crew sizing. Unless you’re super jacked, J Crew should fit athletic bodies fine – if anything, I want it even slimmer. I can easily press my own body weight and their sizing has never been an issue. I’ll give it up to BB for overall quality, though.
I’m in roughly the same boat (bigger than average guy, but HUGE neck). I think as far as sport shirts, J. Crew is maybe the best out there in terms of not just punting with their XL and making it balloon-shaped. For dress shirts (anything I’ll have to button the top button on), though, I just go Ratio. No fussing with a tailor, and I know the fit will be dead-on-balls accurate.
This is a tough one for me. I buy J. Crew (and Banana Republic) for my casual look, and Brooks Brothers for my professional look, so I’m torn.
But Brooks Brothers definitely has the legacy and quality going for them, so I voted Brooks. Even though I know J. Crew will trounce them.
I disagree that BB is made for fat people per se. BB’s overall sack suit aesthetic, however, is targeted to men who are older, more conservative, and less style- and body-conscious than most Dappered readers.
I understand that you guys don’t like Eric’s comments. It is perfectly fine to respond to his comments and point out what is inappropriate but you lose pretty much all sympathy when you decide to talk about who is out of shape or fatties or whether BB targets the fat or, at even, “targeted to men who are older, more conservative, and less style- and body-conscious than most Dappered readers.” Last I checked, BB got over a thousand votes from Dappered readers last round and has hundreds above. You don’t know most readers. You don’t represent them and I’ll be damned if I’ll let you judge any of them.
Eric should keep his various musings about male body shape ideals to himself. So should you.
I didn’t realize it was particularly controversial to observe that Brooks Brothers’ primary customer base is generally older and less interested in “style” per se than the average reader here at Dappered. That’s hardly the same thing as saying that there are no Dappered readers who like or shop at Brooks Brothers, or no older/more conservative Dappered readers, or no younger/less conventional Brooks Brothers customers.
Brooks Brothers is the foremost retailer of the classic American sack suit. It’s what they’re known for. BB’s more modern silhouettes (i.e. extra slim fit shirts and Milano suits) seem to comprise a relatively small proportion of their overall business. Their less form-fitting, more generously cut apparel is their bread and butter, and it is largely aimed at an older generation of professionals and businessmen with a different style aesthetic than the one most commonly advocated here at Dappered.
As I said above: I’m not sure what is controversial or offensive about that observation.
They do if you have their credit card.
I’m with you. Ratio is expensive, but I’ll be damned if my Ratio OCBD (the only Ratio shirt I own, alas) isn’t the best-fitting shirt I’ve ever bought. I guess I could buy BB or someone else and have them tailored, but it would end up costing just as much, and with more fuss.
Ratio would be my vote for biggest snub!
Maybe it’s just me, but I always seem to be in a no-man’s land when it comes to J.Crew fit. Small shirts pull at my chest, mediums are billowy and the sleeves are too long. A 30″ waisted slim fit pant does great at the waist but can’t get it over my CALVES, 32″ is just loose.
I want to love J.Crew. I love their style. But I’ve probably blown more money there on stuff that just doesn’t quite work than anywhere else.
I’m a librarian, so my salary isn’t near six figures (nor am I “poor”), so I would say J.Crew. I only go to BB for certain items.
Or just fit that slim body type. People confuse slim for “in shape.” Au contraire.
I concede your point. I have a bunch of friends who like their clothes but can’t deal with the fit. I definitely don’t LOVE their fit (to my mind Uniqlo has the best off the rack fit for slim athletic urbanites) cause for some reason I can fit just as well in their medium shirts as their smalls? I tend to go with a very high cuff roll with their shirts so there’s a lot more leeway in their fits with me.