- Brooks Brothers: What to Buy & What to Avoid – Brand Value Review
- Ranking Mens RTW Suits (54 BEST and WORST Menswear Brands!)
- The Rise and Fall of Brooks Brothers | WSJ
- Shopping For Luxury Brands on a Budget
- Best Mens OTR Navy Blazers Under $500 Reviewed
- Top 5 Things I Regret Buying THE MOST | Worst Purchases & Luxury Regrets
- How a Suit Should Fit (2022 Guide)
Brooks Brothers: What to Buy & What to Avoid – Brand Value Review
Welcome back to the Gentlemans Gazette! In todays video, well discuss what to,buy and what to avoid from one of Americas most storied menswear,institutions, Brooks Brothers. Brooks Brothers is now more than 200 years old,and it has played a defining role in shaping the course of American style and,menswear. In many ways, they serve to democratize style, making clothing more,accessible, affordable, and wearable for the masses. Theyre known for their,quality conservative looks and for manufacturing in the United States for,most of their history. Theyve outfitted 40 of the 45 American presidents and,pretty much every star during the Golden Age of Hollywood wore Brooks Brothers,clothing. Despite this illustrious history, though,,they have had to change with the times both for the better and for the worse. As,clothing has gotten more and more casual day to day for most people, the classic,staples that Brooks Brothers is known for have gotten less and less popular,over time. Also, the quality of much of their product has declined slightly over,the years as some production has moved overseas. This, of course, isnt an,uncommon story in mens ready-to-wear fashion but first, lets examine the long,and illustrious history of the Brooks Brothers brand then look at their,current lineups to determine what you should and shouldnt buy today. Brooks,Brothers is probably the oldest and most famous American clothing company thats,still in existence. It was founded in 1818 by Henry Brooks and his sons,inherited the company hence the name Brooks Brothers. In 1849, they were the,first company to introduce ready-to-wear clothing and the next year in 1850, their,famous Golden Fleece logo was adopted. One of Brooks Brothers most famous,customers around this time in the mid 19th century was Abraham Lincoln. In fact,,he was assassinated wearing a Brooks Brothers suit and while Lincoln himself,was a loyal Brooks brother customer, the Union Army which he,presided over did not fair so well when it came to their Brooks Brothers,clothing. The company secured the contracts to outfit the Union Army by,somewhat questionable means. Also, when quality wool became scarce, they pressed,together decaying rags and other scraps of fabric into something resembling more,quality garments and then outfitted them into the Union Army. Unfortunately, these,uniforms didnt stay together very well and they literally fell apart the first,time they were used in battle when it rained. The Union Army eventually spent,forty five thousand dollars equivalent to about eleven million in todays money,to replace these poor uniforms. Brooks Brothers didnt lower their prices for,these shoddy materials and in fact, the word “shoddy” was coined at this time to,describe the poor and somewhat fake product that the Union Army had been,given. Heres an interesting fact, from 1865 to 2003, Brooks Brothers did not,produce a ready-to-wear black suit. There are multiple theories as to why this is.,The first of these is that they didnt produce a black suit out of respect for,Abraham Lincoln who, as we said, was killed while wearing a black Brooks,Brothers suit. Granted, however, his was bespoke because of his tall and thin,frame. The more likely explanation though is that Brooks Brothers, through this,time, typically catered to a more well-heeled clientele and black suits,were not often worn by these upper classes, usually only by servants and the,deceased. Whatever the case may be, they have indeed offered a ready to wear,black suiting option since 2003, however, we dont necessarily think one should,wear a black suit all the time and for more on that subject, you can find our,video, here. In 1870, the company was the first to introduce seersucker suits but,they wouldnt really see popularity for another 30 years or so. Also, around the,turn of the 20th century, they introduced what would become one of their more,popular and successful models, the sack suit. This style would become,synonymous with Brooks Brothers, as well as American suiting, more generally. The,more generous cut of these sack suits allowed them to fit a wider array of,body types off the rack and thus they were very financially successful for the,company. By the way, you can learn more about American suiting and how it,differs from British and Italian styles in this video, here. Also, around the turn,of the 20th century, John E Brooks invented the OCBD or Oxford cloth,button-down shirt. He had observed shirts with button-down collars during a polo,game and the OCBD would go on to become particularly popular among,athletes like tennis players in the 1920s and 30s. In addition to its casual,styling, this was largely because of the breathable weave of the fabric used to,make the shirts. Later on, mid-century style icons like JFK and Gianni Agnelli,would go on to make the OCBD an iconic menswear staple. In 1902, they introduced,the Madras fabric to the United States. If youd like to learn more about this,unique fabric style, weve got a video on that subject here. Also, they introduced,the repp tie to the United States altering the direction of the regimental,stripe so that it could be worn by civilians instead of just military,personnel, as had traditionally been done in the United Kingdom. In 1908, they would,import foulard ties or block silk printed ties from the United Kingdom to the US. F,Scott Fitzgeralds 1920 publication, “This side of paradise”, made many references to,Brooks Brothers and it would, in turn, influence the style of many college men,across the United States. Later, Brooks Brothers would introduce,clothing lines based around Fitzgeralds work, The Great Gatsby,when it was adapted for film. In 1946, the Brooks family sold the company to Julius,Garfinckel & Company which would actually make the overall style of most of the,companys garments even more traditional than they had been before. In 1953,,working with DuPont, Brooks Brothers released Brooksweave,,a fabric that blended cotton and Dacron for a no wrinkle finish. We,mentioned John F Kennedy before and he also famously favored the number two,style Brooks Brothers two-button suit which showcased his youthful style. The,company would change hands again several times over the ensuing decades, its,currently owned by the Brooks Brothers group which is, in turn, privately owned,by the Italian billionaire, Claudio Del Vecchio, the son of the founder of,Luxottica eyewear. Today, Brooks Brothers does still maintain some manufacturing,in the United States, however, its important to note that not many fabrics,are actually produced and woven here in the US. So when things are manufactured,in the United States, what theyre today mostly referring to is assembly of these,fabrics. Products currently made in the US include their Golden Fleece line of suits,,many of their 1818 line of suits, but not all, ties which are cut and piled,in Long Island, and many shirts but again, not all, which are made primarily in,North Carolina. We should also note that Brooks Brothers clothes are an important,staple of many historical film production companies and TV presenters.,In addition to The Great Gatsby which we mentioned earlier, Brooks Brothers were,also commonly seen on the television show Mad Men and late-night host Stephen,Colbert is outfitted exclusively in Brooks Brothers suits. So as you can tell,from this long and rich but not completely faultless historical overview,,Brooks Brothers has been a staple of the American menswear scene for many many,decades. They deserve respect for influencing the style of menswear in,every era since their founding, as well as democratizing the suit. Theyve been,able to strike a good balance between innovating but also fiercely protecting,the classic rules of mens style. Like Ralph Lauren on which weve already,produced a video in this series, you can find it here. Brooks Brothers is a,full-service clothing house so they offer a wide variety of products, lets,go over what they curr
Ranking Mens RTW Suits (54 BEST and WORST Menswear Brands!)
Welcome back to the Gentlemans Gazette. ,In todays video, well do a little something different.,Im actually going to rank suit brands from A to B, C, D, all the way to F. Im only going to focus,on ready-to-wear suit brands and, of course, theres a certain level of subjectivity.,But, we put all of our opinions, experiences into this. So, I hope you get value out of it.,♪ Gentlemans Gazette Theme Song ♪,I know some of the brands well mention will also offer made-to-measure stuff, or sometimes even a,higher-level like bespoke, but were not going to focus on that. Well just look at off-the-rack,,ready-to-wear suits that you can buy right off the shelf. I list the suits in no particular order,and the best category is A, which is basically “Why am I not wearing this right now?” Then,theres B, which is basically “Now, were in business!” C – “I guess Im ready to wear this.,D – “Slightly above sweatpants.” And F – “Suited for the trash.” Im gonna limit myself to about,30 to 40 seconds for each brand or, better yet, Chris, our cameraman, is going to do it. Right,,Chris? Now, keep in mind, no matter how well a suit is rated – it could be the very best suit,in the world, an A – its not going to be good for you if it doesnt fit. To learn how a suit,should fit, check out this video here. Last but not least, before we get started, keep in mind,,these are my and our teams opinions and, as such, theyre somewhat subjective. Even though,,Id argue we put a lot of thought into it, we have a broad range of experience, weve worn lots,of these brands extensively, and have an informed opinion. Lets start with H&M. H&M is the epitome,of throwaway fashion in my mind. Everything they offer in terms of suiting – yes, including their,premium line – is a solid F. Suited for the trash. Why? Well, theyre cheap. Its not high quality.,Yes, you can open the cuff buttonholes, but thats no longer a hallmark of a quality suit.,Now, what about Zara suits? Theyre similar to H&M. Maybe a little more fashion-forward,,catwalk focus, maybe a little more expensive. But, ultimately, in my book, still an F. Suited,for the trash. If you get a suit, get something you can wear that is not at that quality level,with that kind of a styling, that goes out of fashion super quick. Suit Supply. Well,,actually, we did an in-depth video “Is It Worth It? Suit Supply” and you can see all of our,nuanced opinions in there. In a nutshell, I think its well suited to someone who is slim, who likes,a modern European-style suit. Because of that, their sizing all runs quite large. For example,,I needed a 46 or 56 in their jacket size, which normally Im a 44.,I also couldnt find pants that would fit me, neither off-the-rack nor made-to-measure. So,,thats something to keep in mind. But, if youre slim and you like the silhouette,,I think its a good entry level point for your first suit. So, Id rate it maybe a C-. Maybe,,for me personally, even worse because I couldnt get a suit. But, thats just me. Next up,,weve got Spier & Mackay brand from Canada. Overall, theyre probably similar to Suit Supply.,I think theyre a good value pick. They use decent fabrics.,Its about a half-canvas construction. I think you can also upgrade to stuff. They have a higher line,with full canvas construction. Its ultimately not the best suit youll ever buy, but pretty,good value. Id value it as a C. Bonobos is a relatively inexpensive suit brand. I really,dont like the fit of jackets. To learn more about that, check out our video on best blazers,under $500 here. With suits, its no different. So, Id say stay clear – F.,Next up, Isaia. Their suits are pricey. I think retail, you know,,around three and a half thousand all the way up to five thousand dollars plus. They are often,in a range of, lets say, a Kiton or Cesare Attolini ,and Ill talk more about those brands later.,Theyve been really popular in the US. Theyre known for the little coral clip thats usually,in their lapel buttonhole. I think workmanship,,overall, is quite high. Its not as high as an Attolini or Kiton.,The fabrics are okay. What I like about them is their fit. For me, personally, its quite nice.,I think I have a nice range of movement. There is a bit of padding, full-canvas. Even though,the sleeves are trimmer in the silhouette, the range of movement and the comfort is quite good.,I wouldnt buy it new. Sometimes you can find it on ,eBay for, you know, two, three hundred bucks a jacket,,maybe $500 a suit. In that range, I think its a really fair price. So, overall, Id give it a,grade B – now were in business! Another big name, Brunello Cucinelli. Now, this is a brand that is,associated with cashmere. I think they have this humanistic capitalism, very kind of socially,responsible company. They have good values. Now, their actual suits are not something I like in,terms of styling. Theyre more fashion-forward. Yes, their fabrics are nice. Oftentimes, they have,like earth tones, rather subdued. But, theyre definitely more fashion-y. The jacket is shorter,,not many handwork details, and the prices are astronomical. You pay like $9,000 for,a tuxedo. You know, suits for six, seven, eight thousand dollars. Totally off the charts. If you,like the style and you can get it, you know, at 10% of the cost, still a high price. Otherwise,,Id rate it, overall in my book, just a C because I dont like them. Tom Ford has been enjoying a,lot of publicity lately. Its the official suit of James Bond. Now, I like Tom Ford and his designs.,I think the silhouettes are very nice. He has wider lapels, cool shawl collar tuxedos,for example, and his suits are decent. I think theyre made by ,Zegna Couture at a higher level. Theyre quite pricey.,Again, would I pay retail price for them? No, I wouldnt. But, if you can get them at a discount,,you may want to look into that. They also have more colors sometimes. Tom Ford has great fabrics,,has full canvas. So, overall, I would grade them a B. Now, lets talk about Brooks Brothers suits.,Obviously, they have slightly different lines. Its a brand with lots of history. In recent,times, theyve had issues with bankruptcy and I dont know who actually owns it right now.,The last time we checked their garments, they had, you know,,decent level of suits. Id say more like a Suit Supply level with a more traditional American,aesthetic. They have lots of different sizes. So, its in that price range. Id say its a C.,Not more and not less. Next up, lets talk about the suits of Charles Tyrwhitt.,This is a brand that is more at the lower-end spectrum of the price and really popular for,their shirts. Theyve been expanding into shoes and suits and other kinds of stuff.,Overall, they run quite large. For example, Jack was trying on a size 36,and it fit more like a 40. So, if you like a roomier style,,definitely something for you. If youre on a slimmer side, probably not.,In terms of quality and workmanship, its more in the Hawes & Curtis range. So, Id say D+.,Next up, Gagliardi. Its a branch from Malta and ,I have quite a few sport coats from them. I like the,linen stuff. Its kind of cool. Its summery, Mediterranean. ,With their suits I always have issues with their pants.,They wear quite slim and, with my drop ratio from my waistline to my hips, it never really worked.,Jack on our team has a bunch of items from them. ,Their suits, lately, have become a lot more modern,,trendy, and fashion-y. Really slim lapels. Really slim cuts. ,So, in my book, thats a deterioration. So, Id rate them,maybe a D+. For some of their sport coats with wider lapels and interesting fabrics,,I think they provide a good value and Id rate them a little higher, maybe C-. Next up, lets,talk about Brioni, which is the Roman tailoring house that used to make 70,000 garments a year.,Their Roman style is very nice. I like their old things, I would say pre-2011.,They have really nice fabrics, good amount of handwork comparabl
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The Rise and Fall of Brooks Brothers | WSJ
– [Narrator] If there was one outfit,that defined mens style in the 20th century,,it would be the suit and tie.,And if there was one outfitter who helped pioneer that look,,it would be Brooks Brothers.,But, workplace fashion has changed a lot,since the suits heyday,and analysts say Brooks Brothers wasnt able,to keep up with modern men who often wanted styles,that were cheaper and more functional.,The tipping point came when the suit maker was forced,to shut her stores during ongoing coronavirus lockdowns.,And in July, it filed for bankruptcy.,- Brooks Brothers is filing for bankruptcy protection.,- [Reporter] Its planning to close,about 50 of its 200 stores.,- And that is the sort of decline in the suit.,People are not wearing pinstripes to work in the same way.,- [Narrator] Heres how the retailer went,from the top of mens wear to filing for bankruptcy.,The Brooks Brothers brand identity,is built around its American roots.,- Brooks Brothers is the oldest American clothier.,They along the way have had a really outsized impact,on American mens fashion in particular, kind of defining,what mens style is in America,and also having a lot of different cultural touch points.,- [Narrator] That impact started in 1818,when Henry Sands Brooks opened,a mens clothing store in New York City.,He enlisted the help of his sons,and the store was renamed Brooks Brothers.,The retailer built its high class reputation early.,Abraham Lincoln wore a Brooks Brothers overcoat,,seen here during his second inauguration,and the company claims to have dressed,40 out of 45 presidents.,Heading into the 20th century,,the company had a pioneering moment in 1896,when it introduced the button down collared shirt,which would become a staple of professional work attire.,- Brooks Brothers did a really good job,of basically being an innovator,and creating styles that were something,that men were gonna wanna wear and put into their wardrobe,and especially put into their wardrobe day in, day out.,- [Narrator] By the middle of the 20th century,,the suit became standard uniform for working professionals.,From Madison Avenue ad executives,to middle-America salesmen.,As it grew, the retailer opened U.S. factories,and began selling clothes to both men and women.,- The big look for Brooks was this kind of natural shoulder.,It was a very easy wearing suit.,Our touchstone when we talk about this period,is always the man in the gray flannel suit,,what you would see in that movie of a man,on the train commuting into work,and everyones wearing a dark gray or dark blue suit,and they really helped kind of hammer home,that that was how men should be dressing,and what men should be wearing.,- [Narrator] One of the retailers designs,,the non-iron shirt, was a massive success,,but showed signs mens fashion,was becoming more utilitarian.,The business began to shift in 1988,when the company was sold,to British retailer Marks and Spencer.,- Marks and Spencer try some things out.,They try to update the stores.,They try to update the shopping experience.,They start to change up where things are produced.,At this point, Brooks customer base,is pretty set in stone.,They know what the brand offers.,They rely on the brand for certain items,and they are, for lack of better term,,a risk averse consumer.,But, the 1980s are a time where fashion,is changing significantly for men.,For the Brooks Brothers guy,,that was a hard thing to stomach.,- [Narrator] Throughout the 90s, the retailers struggled,as trends towards casual dressing emerged,that even reached the top of the corporate world.,And in 2001, the company was sold again,to another foreign owner.,This time to Italian businessman, Claudio Del Vecchio.,- He has big plans and a lot of analysts and a lot of people,that watch the clothing space have faith in it.,And they think that maybe he can turn it around.,He hires the American mens wear designer, Tom Brown,,to start Brooks Brothers Black Fleece,which is this higher end more niche line.,He also hires Zac Posen,whos an American womens wear designer,to become the head of design,for Brooks Brothers womens side.,- [Zac] Whats amazing about Brooks brothers,is that I dont think theres anywhere else in the market,where you can find such high quality make and fabrication.,- But, all the while Brooks Brothers,is having difficulty adapting and adjusting,and getting a new consumer in through the door.,- [Narrator] With the rise of Silicon Valley,,mens fashion was skewing more casual,as tech CEOs ditch the suit and tie,for vests, hoodies, and flannels.,From 2016 to 2018, the market for suits was shrinking,while other apparel categories like sportswear were growing.,- So, what we see is this real push toward casualization,and toward not necessarily simplicity,,but toward functionality a little bit more,and away from the suit,and toward maybe the simple plaid shirt,thats a little bit more affordable.,And so, they lose this real interest from customers,and they really lose a place in the market,of being where men go to for their clothing.,- [Narrator] In 2019, Brooks Brothers captured,less than 1% of sales for menswear,behind sportswear brands,like Nike, Under Armor, and Adidas.,In 2019, with about $1 billion in revenue,and 244 stores in the U.S.,,the retailer began to look for a buyer,,but coronavirus lockdowns in 2020 forced the retailer,to permanently close around 51 stores.,And the shift to working from home temporarily dried up,the demand for professional attire.,- Guys are just at the point where,they just wanna be comfortable,and when youre working from home,,you have the ability to do that.,We hear all the time now,that men have their quote unquote Zoom shirt,that they will put on just before they got on,the video call and then take off right after,and just be sitting in a T at their desk.,- [Narrator] Brooks Brothers shifted production,at its factories towards mass making,and sought government funding through the CARES act.,But, on July 8th, 2020,,the company filed for bankruptcy.,In August, a venture backed by apparel licensing firm,,Authentic Brands, and mall owners, Simon Property Group,,agreed to buy Brooks Brothers for $325 million,,potentially putting the company back,under American ownership for the first time,in over 30 years.,- I have heard from a lot of people,that if they focus on quality, they might make it through.,That means that their clothes,are gonna be way more expensive than they have been.,And yes, that will appease a certain customer,,but that customer base willing to pay that is much smaller.,- [Narrator] It remains to be seen how large the demand,for suits will be after coronavirus,and whether a new owner can help Brooks Brothers win back,its core customers or adapt to a more casual workplace.
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Shopping For Luxury Brands on a Budget
what is up you guys so today is Saturday,and Im doing some last-minute Fathers,Day shopping I forgot to buy some stuff,so I thought itd be a perfect,opportunity to bring you guys along and,just talk about some tips on shopping,and saving and just shopping smart so,thats what were going to be doing,today so if you like it sit back relax,and lets get on with today look how,perfect my hair loads see that way until,the end of today theyll be super frizzy,so annoyed,so one of the best tips for shopping,especially sales is to shop outlet mall,so thats exactly what Im going always,say that if you have an outlet mall,clothes usually go there to buy your,stuff first because youre going to save,huge amounts as opposed to going to a,regular mall or the full store so outlet,malls are the best place to go so the,ones are going to have a lot of good,stores like saks with Avenue Nordstroms,Gap j.crew like all really good stores,and you find unbelievable deals so,thats what were going to be going,today,so like I said the best way to do it is,to hit outlet mall so obviously you guys,know what sacks with a Avenue is its a,pretty high-end luxury retail shop so a,lot of various brands but this is,actually an outlet mall of that so just,to show you some of the sales that Im,talking about look at that,okay,shuh originally is 230 this is $120 this,is the Saks Fifth Avenue brand these,shoes are actually really well made I,have a pair of my own and $200 but the,good thing is that if you were to buy,this at Saks Fifth Avenue youre looking,at about $500 for this pair of shoes and,you can get for $200 when you go to an,outlet mall so Im just gonna pick,something out quickly for my dad and,were gonna go over some other things as,I go along,me,me,mmm,in,mmm,the only little setback with these,stores is that you really have to search,so when you come here you need to come,here with time and willing to start,going through all these aisles and start,searching because youll never find,exactly what youre looking for so you,really have to be very open-minded and,just start searching sometimes youll,find something that you think you didnt,need and you end up buying anyways,because you just love it and sometimes,honestly thats a great way to shop,while having a plan set in place saves,you money if you already have all the,essentials and youre menswear basics,its always great to expand a little bit,and just you know go with a budget of,mine alright I have 50 or $100 to spend,let me go in here see if I could find,something thats going to further evolve,my wardrobe and make it better so thats,a great tip to give you guys and now I,really have to get into fathers in,shopping because Ive been giving you,guys more tips that actually look into,something for my dad so be right back,so a question I always seem to get asked,is where do I get all my shirts this is,probably my prime spot,I love Saks Fifth Avenue shirts they fit,very well and on sale events you can get,them 3 4 90,essentially $30 a shirt and youre,getting really well built and quality,made shirts that fit amazingly so,usually for Fathers Day sales or but,more as these cells I take advantage of,it and Im end up buying myself like,three shirts to add to my wardrobe,collection but this is usually where I,get it from,oh this yeah,okay so here are three soup tips when,buying suits off the rack theres,basically three areas you want to focus,on the length the shoulders and the,sleeve length everything else can pretty,much be tailored and be cheap so,so I mean you can tell this jacket is,obviously not my custom custom jacket so,thats why you need to be very careful,with off the rack and when I kind of,like these retail type of shops because,as multiple brands and you can try,different brands and see which one fits,your body best since everyone has,different size guys however this jacket,overall from the shoulders to the length,to my sleeve length fits fine,the biggest problem is my stomach so if,Im at this point and I cant find any,other jacket I really need this one I,would take it and just tailor it however,if there are multiple brands Id rather,just keep looking until I find one that,fits a little bit better that way I can,minimize my cost of tailoring so this is,a prime example what I was talking about,this jacket is a Hickey Freeman its a,little bit more slim but still not quite,perfect,okay so this is probably the best,example of what Im trying to portray up,trying to find some of the fits as best,as possible to avoid tailoring and on,top of that this is actually,and many little saying a cloth jacket,for only three hundred dollars its,actually a very great deal and something,that I would most likely end up picking,up when you just go right into the store,and you find exactly what you want or,you didnt know you wanted but when you,see it you know you need it so these are,probably having my fathers they give,for my dad youve been wanting some,suede low tops I think I found the,perfect pair here in Johnson and Marie,wheres this sale section this $60 in,the sale,you know Ive never actually tried,Brooks Brothers shirts like I always,come in I do some like window shopping,you dont buy anything and then and then,I leave I really need to buy one just to,see how it fits in like holds up and OC,I lost while right now,okay so just for you guys I picked up,some shirts from Brooks Brothers,according to the sales associate the,Regent Fit is their most slim fit so,were going to see exactly how well that,fits Im gonna do like a mini review at,the end once I get to the office so stay,tuned for that,me,okay time to see exactly how these,Brooks brother Regent shirt fits this is,the non iron shirt collection its also,an Oxford since Oxfords I like to use,them theyre very versatile the region,fit I picked up a medium see how good,they fit like I said Ive never actually,owned any Brooks Brothers anything like,Ive always go into their stores I kind,of like that Americana preppy boy look,but Ive never actually bought anything,for myself because I dont know just,never happened so today I decided to,pick this one up and just show you guys,how they fit,Im not even going to remove the tags,because if its too big I was going to,return I dont think its even worth,tailoring because at the end even with,the sale the shirt was around fifty,fifty five dollars so non sale I think,they go for like 80 90 dollars so if I,would have to tailor it for some reason,shirts are pretty expensive to taper,from the midsection I really like this,logo by the way the contrast logo so,yeah for some for some reason,my tailor charges me a lot for tailoring,shirts almost 40 dollars to taper like,the midsection and everything so it,wouldnt be worth and the shirt would,end up being like a hundred dollar shirt,and I can and I can pretty much just buy,a custom shirt for that price so let me,just put the shirt on real quick and,well see how it fits,it feels nice,it just feels high quality that makes,sense,I dont know I dont know how I feel,about this right now,what you guys think should I keep it,look at this,I think Im gonna be returning this here,let me tuck it maybe once its tucked in,maybe I can wear it with chinos but like,I said I really dont feel like having,to tailor this shirt because I wouldnt,think itd be worth it so by the way,maybe any of you have tried Brooks,Brothers you know of a better fit I,asked the sales associate they said that,the region fit is there slimmer slimmest,fits,I dont man once its inside its not,that bad just kind of why you know,youre supposed to tuck in dress shirt,it woke up more clean for what do you,think I mean this is a little bit wider,than my usual shirts my usual shirts is,their custom theyre a little bit closer,to my body,and fit a lot better but what do you,think should I keep it,its a really nice oxford very nice,quality but I dont know if the fit is,really there so its basically it for,this weeks video guys I hope you,enjoyed this vlog and some of
Welcome back to the Gentlemans Gazette.,In todays video, we look for the best off-the-rack navy blazer under $500 retail value.,Without a doubt, a navy blazer or navy jacket otherwise should,hang in every well-dressed gentlemans closet.,Its seasonless, versatile, and pairs with almost every other color in your wardrobe.,Wear a navy blazer to an interview, dress up for weddings or dress down with jeans.,The trick then can be finding a quality blazer especially if your budget is $500 or less.,So what we did is went out and ordered 18 different jackets from nine different retailers,to compare their offerings and see which one was best and we actually paid for all these,jackets with our own money.,So this video comes to you 100% and unsponsored.,Its just our opinion and the brand and the Blazers, right?,Exactly.,So in trying to find the most versatile navy blazer, we looked at the following criteria:,Well, first of all, it had to be under $500.,In addition to that, we settled on something that would be the,most versatile, therefore, we went for single-breasted two buttons and in a true navy color but it,was actually not so easy because not all brands offered at particular style.,We ended buying jackets from H&M, Bonobos, Suit Supply, Uniqlo, Banana Republic, Orvis,,Brooks Brothers, TopMan, and Zara.,For sure, you can find other brands too that offer this type of jacket but this is what,we found when we went online.,For example, we did try to find offerings from other retailers like Gap, which didnt,have anything that met our criteria, and also Ralph Lauren and Hugo Boss had blazers that,met our criteria but not under that $500 price point.,We got one jacket each; size 44 regular for me and my size is a 38 regular.,Alright, lets go through each brand one by one and discuss my jackets and Prestons.,Well be ranking them on a few different criteria including fit off-the-rack, quality of the,construction, the fabric itself, and the styling of the jacket, Well rate each jacket from,zero which is bad to five, which is outstanding.,First up, we got the H&M slim fit wool blazer which costs $199; which is twice as much as,any other H&M blazer simply because its better.,The wool, ironically, though its only 98% of wool,and 2% Elastane, not a hundred percent.,This was a machine-made blazer as opposed to being handmade and it was also made in,Romania.,If you wanted this wool blazer, you had to get it in a slim fit with notched lapels — There,werent other styling options.,And of course, for $189 you cant expect any kind of handwork.,Its definitely a jacket, its on the shorter side which was in line with modern tastes.,I didnt have much the shoulder padding and the interlining wasnt very stiff which is,actually comfortable.,The sleeves on this jacket were actually pretty slim and for you, thats not exactly ideal,right?,No, and I dont think its for anyone but most current slim fit jackets have slim upper,sleeves but they often restrict your range of movement.,The H&Mwas kind of the middle of the pack; it wasnt too restrictive but also not super,comfortable.,The H&M slim fit wool blazer has very slim lapels in line with modern trends.,It has crisper wool which is not too soft, but what bothered me was the wrinkling around,the midsection in the sleeves and the body, they wouldnt go away.,In addition to that, I think there was a little bit of collar gap on that jacket for you but,nothing we would call terrible.,I think the collar gap is just something I often have to deal with off-the-rack jackets,because just of my physique.,They also had a quite short servant my wife even said it looks like an extension of my,butt crack but at least it wasnt gapping.,So overall I guess the issue there though is that the jacket had the effect of looking,shorter in the back than it did in the front, right?,Yeah and I think that is really commonly something I find in all off-the-rack jackets.,Id have to go bespoke because not even made-to-measure can prevent that and I think it may have to,do also with the fact that my back is round and so it automatically gets longer in the,front but I think you had the same problem and most everyone I know does.,I think so, yes.,So as was the case with a lot of these jackets, I think it would probably have,to be steamed once you got it out of the box for it to look better at the same time with,a wool that was this crisp we would have thought that it would have draped better.,Frankly, the buttonholes were surprisingly nice and on the sleeves, you had kissing buttons.,So pros and cons here: there was slight piping on the lining but at the same time there were,other things like loose threads, for example, around the vent of the jacket.,So workmanship wasnt top-notch, terms of the range of movement I would say, again,,the middle of the pack could have been better.,Could have been worse overall.,Id rate this jacket at the two and a half out of five stars considering its price point,of about $200.,Now Preston, on the other hand, got the skinny fit blazer for just around 80 bucks.,Correct.,This one was a hundred percent synthetic but there were trade-offs here and we decided,that we might try to go for a better fit over a better fabric.,When in doubt, even a nicer fabric wont help you if the jacket doesnt fit you and press,is quite thin so he needs to pay attention to it otherwise, it looks like a potato sack.,Right.,So the jacket was on the shorter side in line with more modern styles even so though there,was extra material around the sides and in the back so it didnt fit me super well.,It was textured a bit like a folk remedy material which was kind of interesting but he would,tell that it was not wool.,One thing I noticed right away but it kept quite a bit on Preston even though he was,just standing.,Of course, they could have been worse when he started moving.,So with this faux grenadine kind of look to it some of the weaves were a little bit raised,but actually what this ended up doing was just making it look cheap because it had kind,of a shiny finish.,Yeah, it also has jetted pockets and peak lapels which was quite nice.,I think it was just different but it worked for that style of jacket.,As you might expect from all synthetic this jacket was made in China.,It also had a straight breast pocket and as far as wrinkling there was a fair amount in,the sleeves and quite a bit across the back of the jacket.,It had four sleeve buttons with like faint fold buttonholes but nothing special there.,As far as the rating is concerned, I would just give this jacket 1 out of 5 stars because,of the cheap material and feel and also because the fit wasnt very good.,Next up, lets look at Bonobos.,They have two navy blazers with three fit slim athletic and standard.,They also had a short, regular, and long option.,Their stuff came with a notched lapel, side vents, and patch pockets which I think is,quite nice because its a slightly casual element.,One interesting thing to note about Bonobos is that on their website, wool blazers cost,roughly the same as blazers made from things like nylon or spandex.,So of course, we got an unstructured wool blazer with fabric from Vital Barberis Canonico,for $400.,This jacket was made in Vietnam and right off the bat, we noticed that the quarters,were more closed than we were expecting.,Fortunately, the shoulders had no padding, they are quite soft, which is what I would,expect with an unconstructed jacket.,So fit-wise, we noticed there was a little bit of excess fabric in the waist that could,probably be taken in.,I like though that it was slightly longer than H&M and it also had wider lapels which,Im a big fan of.,Now what bothered me were the sleeves which were just too slim and it really constricted,a range of movement more so than the H&M blazer and when I moved at a bigger collar gap but,it was more uncomfortable which is sad because I really liked the fabric.,I liked the unlined nature of the jacket but that was kinda no go for me
Top 5 Things I Regret Buying THE MOST | Worst Purchases & Luxury Regrets
– You know how it goes, right?,At the time, it seemed like a great idea,,and then after, youre like, “What was I thinking?”,Weve all made purchases like that and Im no different,so today Im actually gonna share five of the things,that I have regretted buying the most.,(upbeat music),Im Brian Sacawa and youre watching He Spoke Style,where we give you the information and inspiration,you need to dress well,,have more confidence and unlock your potential.,So you know Im a big fragrance lover,,and you also know that I like nice fragrances,,and one of my favorite things about fragrance,is that theres always something new to discover.,You know, I always have the ones that I go back to,,but its the thrill of the hunt for something new,,and unique, and special that really excites me.,And one of the fragrances that started creeping,into my mind and piquing my interest,was one from a house that I was familiar with,,having seen it and smelled it,in some higher-end department stores over the years,,but one that I never actually went ahead,to purchase for myself.,So the particular fragrance that captured my attention,was Baccarat Rouge 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian.,Never smelled it, never seen it in the store,,but as I was going down one of my fragrance rabbit holes,,it was one that started to sound really interesting.,For one, Baccarat, I mean, beautiful crystal,,lovely hotel in New York,,great bar where Robin and I have enjoyed a few cocktails,that were a little too expensive.,So it had that allure to it already.,Of course, having no idea what it smelled like,,I read every review I could find in all the usual places,,watched whatever video I could find,basically to try and convince myself,that this was a good choice.,I wasnt completely sold on it based on what I was hearing,and what I was reading,,just kind of didnt sound like something that was me.,People said it was kind of orangy, on the sweeter side,,but the thing that intrigued me the most,and ultimately swayed me to make the purchase,,this was a complete blind buy,,was the fact that people were saying,that it was transparent.,So I dont think Id ever experienced,a transparent fragrance before.,So yes, I spent too much money.,Should have gone with my gut, not a fragrance for me.,I dont like how it smells on me.,But not a total loss though,,because Robin actually likes it,and I like how it smells on her.,Next is the story of a mistake I made a very early on,when I started to get more serious,about putting time and effort into how I dressed.,Its a mistake that I believe is unavoidable,for anyone who gets into this kind of thing.,The full video for that is right up there.,I wanted to be different.,I wanted to show people that I was in the know.,And one of the brands that at the time for me,really stood for that was the Black Fleece line,by Brooks Brothers.,Black Fleece was designed by Thom Browne,known for the, quote/unquote, shrunken suit,,and like a lot of his tailored stuff,it was classic, but definitely had his modern take,on what mens tailoring should be.,The shirts were phenomenal off-the-rack shirts.,The pants were shorter.,The legs width was wider than you would expect,for pants that short.,And the jackets were a little short as well.,But Im not talking about the jackets here.,I actually kind of really liked the Black Fleece jackets.,I had of course, that crazy navy octagon pattern one,,wouldnt necessarily wear it now,,but I wouldnt say that I regretted buying it.,And I also had a big tartan plaid one,that I got a lot of use out of.,The thing I regret buying, however,,were the matching pants to the tartan plaid jacket.,I never wore them.,The plaid was just too big, too bold.,I thought I could pull them off in like a holiday situation,or something, but I tried them on,and just could not bring myself to wear them,out of the house.,Still have them, size BB1.,If you want them, hit me up in the comments.,Okay, so although I am very fortunate to have,a regular photographer that I work with,,I do like photography myself,,and I do need to take pictures sometimes,when Rob or Robin is not available.,So basically, its important for me to have my own camera.,Before I buy anything,,I do lots of research and, of course,,Rob is a great resource for things like that.,Well, I was in the market for a camera around 2013, 2014.,I wanted something that wasnt too expensive,,like around no more than $1,000,,but that could still take really good photos.,Ideally, I was looking for something,that I didnt have to buy a lens for.,So pretty much what I wanted,was a really nice point-and-shoot.,Rob and I had gone on our very first trip together,as part of He Spoke Style.,We spent this really whirlwind weekend in Venice, Italy,as guests of Persol.,His usual camera, the camera that we shoot,all the photos on, is Canon 1DX Mark II,,way more camera than I needed or cared to deal with.,But on that trip, he did take an extra camera with him,to shoot a little video and just play around with,,and it was the Fujifilm X100S.,Small, powerful, good-looking camera that he really liked.,So that is actually the camera that I ended up buying.,I absolutely hated that camera.,You know, maybe it takes a certain kind of photographer,to use that camera, but I could never get it to do,what I wanted.,I cant count the number of times,that I was so disappointed in the photos that Id taken.,There were instances where I needed to get a good shot,and it just failed me.,And I tried to get better with it,,but it just did not work for me.,So it ended up being more of a prop than anything else,,which was terrible.,Next, this is not style related in any way, shape or form,,for the record.,You may know that I used to race a bike,,and bicycle racers are very particular,about their equipment.,At the elite level, small things like your shifters,,your brake calipers, your tires,,can all make a really minute but huge difference,when youre stacked up against people,who are all, you know,,basically at the same ability level.,Wheels are one of those things that are extremely important.,And since it isnt style related,,I will try to keep it shorter,,but there is a very scary story involved here.,So I was looking at getting a pair of Zipp 404s,,but you know, theyre really expensive.,And there was this guy kind of in the cycling community,around here who started selling his own wheels,so I decided to support him instead.,As soon as I got these wheels,,I felt like I had made a huge mistake.,They were light, which is good,,but they felt really cheap to the point of like,not inspiring any confidence on the bike at all.,So that next weekend there was a road race,,and my job in that race was to attack early on,,getting a breakaway, make the field chase me,so my teammate could sit in and then launch a counterattack,once they caught me.,I did exactly that,,but this was one of the most frightening breakaways,that I had ever done.,It was a very hilly course,,there were a lot of fast downhills.,And these wheels were freaking me out.,They were supposedly trued, but they were wobbly,,and I literally thought they were going to fall off the bike,or break in half.,So imagine what that feels like,when you are going down a hill on a bike,at 45, 50 miles an hour with only a thin layer of spandex,between you and the pavement.,I got rid of those things real fast,,bit the bullet and got some Zipp 404s.,The moral of the story is that,its worth paying more for quality.,So how cool are people like Angel Ramos, Jake Mueser,,Matt Hranek, Steve of The Snob Report et cetera.,I love seeing photos of these guys on Instagram.,Their style is just so natural, and relaxed, and easygoing.,Its very inspiring to me and I really like their approach.,And one of the things I saw all of these guys wearing,quite a lot over the last year, year and a half or so,,was a particular pair of sunglasses.,Sunglasses are tough for me.,I have kind of a narrow face,so there are a lot of sunglasses,that just dont work for me.
How a Suit Should Fit (2022 Guide)
in the world of mens style,fit is subjective its subject to trends,some years slim or even skinny fit is,all the rage and sometimes like right,now looser fits are in style but when it,comes to mens suits there are certain,things that are objectively wrong pants,that are three or four inches too long,look bad on anybody an oversized jacket,thats too wide in the shoulders is,gonna make you look like a kid playing,dress up and while it can be tricky to,find a suit that fits really well its,not rocket science after you watch this,video youll know how to nail all the,different aspects of a suit specifically,11 different areas that will make you,look and feel like a million bucks okay,before we talk about how a suit should,fit we gotta answer the question what is,a suit a suit is simply when your jacket,and your pants are the same color and,theyre made from the same fabric so,thats were talking about today but,keep in mind that the proper fit for a,suit jacket or suit pants is the same,for like a sport coat blazers or odd,trousers so you can use what you learn,in this video for your suits but also,your business casual get ups you might,be asking does suit fit really matter it,does because the thing is an ill-fitting,suit is actually one of the least,flattering things a guy can wear it,doesnt matter how expensive it was or,what color it is or what kind of fabric,its made from its not gonna do you any,favors if it doesnt fit its gonna make,you look careless and sloppy i see this,all the time at weddings especially with,like rental tuxedos and suits they just,look so bad but a properly fitted suit,looks good on anybody regardless of your,age or your height or your weight or,anything else its one of the most,powerful garments that a guy can wear if,you want to be taken seriously or if you,want to show respect for a formal event,or if you just want to look incredibly,handsome so for me given the choice,between a three thousand dollar luxury,suit thats from some designer that,doesnt fit well versus a three hundred,dollar suit thats made from polyester,but fits perfectly ill take that 300,suit every time so lets talk about suit,fit and remember im showing you how i,like suits to fit certain little details,like the length of your pants and the,cut of your jacket might depend on your,own personal preferences but this guide,is going to work for 99 of men lets,start at the top of the suit with the,collar there shouldnt be any gap,between your jacket collar and your,shirt collar your jacket collar should,sit right up against your shirt collar,even when youre sitting down if there,is a gap this means that your jacket,collar might be a little bit too big and,this can be fixed by an experienced,tailor it might also be caused by some,other more complicated problem so if,youre buying a suit off the rack make,sure that the collar fits properly and,that theres no gap moving down to the,shoulders make sure that there arent,any divots on top of or on the sides of,your shoulders below the shoulder seam,the shoulders of your suit should have,an even slope all the way down to where,they connect to your sleeve if they,dont it could mean that the shoulders,are too wide now some people have one,shoulder thats significantly lower than,the other and if thats the case you,might want to consider going custom but,regardless the shoulder of your jacket,should end where your actual shoulder,ends so that seam should sit right on,top of your shoulder bone you shouldnt,see any divots or puddling at the top of,the arm to test shoulder fit you can use,the wall bump test where you just kind,of lean against the wall and if you feel,the shoulder pads of your jacket hit the,wall before your actual shoulder and arm,its too wide on the other hand if your,arm hits the wall first it might mean,that the shoulders are too narrow on,your jacket and this is going to result,in divots right below that seam plus if,the shoulders are too narrow its not,going to be comfortable youre going to,kind of feel it when you flex its,crucial to make sure that the shoulders,fit well when you buy a suit jacket or a,sport coat because this cannot be fixed,at the tailor similarly on the back of,your jacket if you see any horizontal,stripes or you feel any pulling when you,kind of do this with your arms it means,that the top of the back is probably too,tight theres not enough material there,and that cant be fixed at the tailor,either okay moving down lets talk about,the armhole you want the armhole to be,as high as possible without feeling,tight or restrictive counter-intuitively,a higher and smaller armhole actually,allows for easier movement if you button,your jacket and you lift your arms up,and the jacket immediately starts,raising up with your arms the armhole is,probably too big and too low,unfortunately many off-the-rack suits,especially here in the u.s have very,large and low armholes because theyre,meant to fit as many men as possible,again this cant really be fixed at the,tailor if you do have problems with,armholes off the rack try going custom,but dont go overboard you know if you,feel the kind of seam and the fabric up,in your armpit and it feels a little,restrictive its probably a little too,small okay lets move on to the sleeves,you shouldnt see any big diagonal,wrinkles on the sleeve if you see this,kind of twisting on the sleeve it means,that the pitch is off basically this,means that the construction of the,jacket doesnt really line up with your,posture you know everybodys different,some people when they put their arms,down by their sides their arms hang,forward a little bit some people their,arms hang straight down some people turn,inward some people turn outwards and if,the jackets sleeves dont match that,angle or that pitch of your actual arms,youre gonna have that twisting and,youre gonna see those wrinkles now,sleeve pitch can be corrected by a very,skilled tailor but its gonna be,expensive so if youre buying a jacket,try to make sure that you dont see too,many wrinkles on the sleeve you also,dont want your sleeves to be too baggy,now they can be too tight but this,usually isnt the case unless you have,like a bodybuilders build if you can,see the outline of your bicep the sleeve,is too tight most guys are wearing,jackets with sleeves that are too baggy,and you can get this fixed at the tailor,its pretty easy to get a sleeve taken,in in terms of length your jacket,sleeves should be short enough that they,show a little bit of shirt cough how,much cuff you show is sort of up to you,but anything from just a little sliver,to about a quarter inch will work for,most guys its pretty easy to get your,sleeves shortened at the tailor but keep,in mind if they have functioning,buttonholes youll be limited as to how,much you can shorten them without having,to remove the buttons okay lets look at,the torso now when i button a suit,jacket i like to feel just a little bit,of compression a little light squeeze,around my midsection you dont want a,pronounced x-shaped wrinkle right on the,front of your torso that means that your,suit jacket is probably too tight but,some subtle pulling a subtle x shape is,really not that big of a deal another,sign that your jacket might be too tight,is if the lapels are popping out,creating a space between each lapel and,your chest now on the other hand many,guys are wearing suit jackets that are,just too roomy so if you see a lot of,loose fabric or vertical wrinkles on the,front of your chest or torso or you feel,like your jacket is just kind of hanging,there in space away from your body its,probably too big the fix is easy you,simply have the waist taken in okay,lets talk about jacket length the,traditional rule is that a suit jacket,should be long enough to cover your butt,but it shouldnt be much longer than,that one easy way to test the length of,your suit jacket is to do the cup test,so you let your hands hang down by your,side and you see if you can cup your,fingers around the bot