22
Sep

Back to (prep) Style

by Guest Contributor · 0 comments

What’s new at Brooks Brothers? Nothing. And that’s exactly the point.

While this bon mot isn’t strictly true, it captures the ethos of Brooks Brothers style. Call it preppie, Ivy league, or trad, this style is about tradition. Any Brooks store today, carries the same button down shirts and khakis JFK wore on weekends at Hyannis Port and the same blue blazers and striped ties that generations of prep-schoolers wore before they moved onto Brooks Brothers suits and striped ties.

Is there anything new at Brooks? Well, there have been a few innovations of late: slimmer cut dress shirts, polos with the Brooks Golden Fleece logo (unheard of until just a few years ago), and even polo shirts with button down collars. These are what pass for cutting edge at Brooks.

Of course, having opened shop here just over a year ago, Brooks is new to most Calgarians.  The store is spread over three floors in the former Holt Renfrew space in the CORE. There are men’s, women’s and children’s sections, and there’s the Black Fleece boutique offering pricey versions of Brooks styles that are at once more modern and more retro.

Why shop at Brooks? See if any of these reasons suit you:

You don’t want to make a statement: Or a mistake. Since Brooks style is never of the moment it never goes out of style.

You do want to make a statement:  In between the white shirts and grey suits at you’ll find shocking madras sports coats and pants and lurid pink chinos with ducks embroidered on them. These are avatars of the prep subgenre: “Go To Hell Style.”

You hate to iron: Brooks no-iron shirts are miraculous. The creases on a shirt straight from the dryer are sharp enough to slice cheese.

You are looking for a style that is the exact, 100%, polar opposite of the Ed Hardy/Douchebag style: It is at Brooks. And good for you, btw.

You like pool: Yes, they have a pool table on the third floor.

Brooks Brothers is at 751 3rd Street, SW.

Guest post contributed by Dave McKean.

Related Posts




Leave a Comment

Previous post:

Next post: