Brooksease is the cheapest line of suit that is offered by Brooks Brothers. They sell the suits as separates (you buy pants seperately from the jacket). If my memory serves me correctly they usually retail in Brooks stores for around $600.

I am not familiar with Christian Brooks but I am sure other members of the forum can provide an answer there.

 

Brooksease is a line of suits made by Brooks Brothers. Made in part for travel. Here's the summary from BB:

"This season. Any season. The classics still apply. The BrooksEase® suit. Now in 100's pure stretch wool-masterfully tailored and wrinkle-resistant. The perfect travel companion for getting back to business. Select jackets and trousers separately, by size, for a perfect fit. Dry clean. Made in USA. Jackets. Fully lined. Two-button. Darted and slightly shaped through chest for a classic fit. Welt chest pockets and inset flap pockets. Pleated or plain-front trousers. " https://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCa...roductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=249&Parent_Id=216&Product_Id=524772

Never heard of Christian Brooks, especially in relation to Brooks Brothers.

 

Brooksease is Brooks Brothers' entry level line of suit seperates; supposedly wrinkle and stain resistant. I think they retail for about $600 for a suit, $400 during sales. The jackets are fused.

I tried one on a few months ago. It was vastly inferior to the 1818 and golden fleece lines in both construction and fabric content. Personally, I think the only suits worth buying at Brooks are the Golden Fleeces and then only on sale. But that's just my 2 cents and I know others on the forum have suggested that a Brooksease suit is good in its price range. I also think they offer a sack jacket in the Brookease line.

Of course, if you get it on ebay inexpensively enough, it might not be a bad deal at all .... just don't expect great quality.

 

quote:Originally posted by jcbmath

Brooksease is Brooks Brothers' entry level line of suit seperates; supposedly wrinkle and stain resistant. I think they retail for about $600 for a suit, $400 during sales. The jackets are fused.

I tried one on a few months ago. It was vastly inferior to the 1818 and golden fleece lines in both construction and fabric content. Personally, I think the only suits worth buying at Brooks are the Golden Fleeces and then only on sale. But that's just my 2 cents and I know others on the forum have suggested that a Brooksease suit is good in its price range. I also think they offer a sack jacket in the Brookease line.

Of course, if you get it on ebay inexpensively enough, it might not be a bad deal at all .... just don't expect great quality.

Are you certain that the Brooksease line no longer has a canvas in the lapel? Just asking because it used to have one.

Also, I enjoy a good deal as much as anyone, but why would you say that the 1818 and GF lines are not worth buying at retail? GF is better than Hickey Freeman, especially for the money. Would you pay the retail price for HF?

 

smr:

You might be right about the Brooksease jacket. I only took a quick look at it and I think there are forum members who know definitely, so I'll defer to their authority. If I screwed this one up, I apologize.

I might be a little behind on Brooks' pricing, especially since I usually only shop at sale time. My understanding is that Brooksease are about $600 retail/ $400 sale, 1818 are about $800 retail / $500 sale, and GFS are about $1200 retail / $800 sale.
Am I approximately correct?

I have two Brooks GFs, both purchased at sale price for around $7xx. At that price I think they are great. For $1200 I think you have a few other options. I think Canali can be had for about $1400 retail and at that price they are a better deal than GF. Again this is my $.02 ...

I don't own any HFs and I haven't checked one out recently. My general impression is that they were somewhere between 1818 and GF in quality and I think they start at about $1100 ... not a particulary good deal.

As for the 1818 line, I think I'm being a bit of a snob. They're probably fine suits. I just prefer the GF and at the sale prices, the extra $300 dollars is defintely worth it.

 

For what it's worth, you can buy a Brooksease tuxedo.

Don
Kansas City

 

quote:Originally posted by eromlignod

For what it's worth, you can buy a Brooksease tuxedo.

Don
Kansas City

And it's a shawl collar . BB does not make a peak DJ. Of course, stay away from notch on DJ .

I think that Hickey Freeman is too expensive at retail.

 

quote:Originally posted by jcbmath

smr:

You might be right about the Brooksease jacket. I only took a quick look at it and I think there are forum members who know definitely, so I'll defer to their authority. If I screwed this one up, I apologize.

I might be a little behind on Brooks' pricing, especially since I usually only shop at sale time. My understanding is that Brooksease are about $600 retail/ $400 sale, 1818 are about $800 retail / $500 sale, and GFS are about $1200 retail / $800 sale.
Am I approximately correct?

I have two Brooks GFs, both purchased at sale price for around $7xx. At that price I think they are great. For $1200 I think you have a few other options. I think Canali can be had for about $1400 retail and at that price they are a better deal than GF. Again this is my $.02 ...

I don't own any HFs and I haven't checked one out recently. My general impression is that they were somewhere between 1818 and GF in quality and I think they start at about $1100 ... not a particulary good deal.

As for the 1818 line, I think I'm being a bit of a snob. They're probably fine suits. I just prefer the GF and at the sale prices, the extra $300 dollars is defintely worth it.

On the make of the Brookease suit, I was just asking because I've seen some other members post that they are fully fused, and on my last several visits to BB, I've forgotten to check. They used to be 1/2 canvas with canvas in the lapel, but this could have changed. I did not mean to suggest that you were necessarily mistaken, and apologize if you thought that I was doing so.

As to GF, if you compare the tailoring details (or handwork: button holes, arm holes, interior shoulder and collar seam, and for the canvas in the lapel), I'd take a GF over Canali (or Corneliani), but Canali does make a very nice suit/sportcoat for the money. Canali also does offer a good value for a suit with a full canvas front, especially for an imported brand. I think that GF has gone up for most of their suits. I saw a few recently marked at approx. $1500, and more recent models may even cost a bit more. I know that many people who buy Canali love the cut, and want to find something less costly than Borelli and similar suits for that look.

 

The Brooksease I bought for ~30 bucks on ebay was well worth it.

However Brooks sells a suit at thier factory stores that is a lower quality. I would also say the old Brooksgate is a lower line than Brooksease.

---------------------


Beware of showroom sales-fever reasoning: i.e., "for $20 . . ." Once you're home, how little you paid is forgotten; how good you look in it is all that matters.

 

quote:Originally posted by crazyquik

The Brooksease I bought for ~30 bucks on ebay was well worth it.

However Brooks sells a suit at thier factory stores that is a lower quality. I would also say the old Brooksgate is a lower line than Brooksease.

I looked at the outlet suits today and was shocked (in a bad way) by the fabric quality and stiffness of the fusing.

 

smr,


You're absolutely right about Canali vs GF. The GF has nicer construction, hands down. However, the cut of the Canali suits me a little better. I'm not sure what the best sale price you can get on Canali, but I think the last one I bought was $900 a few years ago (I probably didn't shop as much as I should). That certaintly makes GF a better deal.

I'm sorry to here that the GFs are edging up to $1500, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised ... afterall I just looked on Hickey's webpage and their solid navys and charcoals are now $1200 (the 1818 at $800 is a better deal as is the GF at $1400).

 

Also, not all HF's are full canvas, anymore, and even when you get the fully canvassed ones, they don't all have the level of hand stitching that they had in the recent past.

 

Seems like everyone has a pretty good handle on what's out there. Just a couple notes...

BrooksGate is a line that is no longer produced for Brooks Brothers. It used to be the entry-level suit (and, believe it or not, popularized by Richard Nixon!). It is my understanding that the Outlet store suits are fused but the BrooksEase (entry suit $598) is not, it is just a really basic wool and NOTHING like an 1818 or GF suit.

The Golden Fleece line of suits has been completely redone. The prices will now START at $1300 or so and go up to $1900 for off-the-rack suits and will only be sold in larger markets (maybe 20 stores?). They are a very different cut (more fitted through the body and more constructed shoulder) and fabric (sourced from English mills where the older ones were Italian). The overall finish and hand of the wool is much more matte and substantial as opposed to the very fine Italian wool that had a slight sheen - whether that's better or worse depends on your taste.

 

Another reason to check out Brooks ... I need to take a look at the new GF material.

(Personally, I like the Loro Piana materials Brooks used to use in the GFs ... but it does have a slight sheen).

 

Tarheel - looks like you find most of the goods that you sell on ebay at the Garland Clearance Center. Is that also where you were able to find out about the direction of the Golden Fleece line? Also, have you seen any of the new GF suits, and is it safe to assume that Martin Greenfield will still be making the USA-made GF suits? Finally, are you saying that the Brookease line is still made with 1/2 canvas jackets?

I very much envy your access to that clearance center, if that's where you get your items! There used to be one in NJ, and I visited almost every week.

 

the Brooksease are made in the US by Southwick.

I have several. They are good value for the money.

Semper Ubi Sub Ubi

 

Yeah, smr, I am Very familiar with Garland. Actually, I worked for Brooks Brothers for years until fairly recently and still keep close tabs on what's going on - I've found that I can use my BB knowledge to do better on my own at this point and it gives me time to concentrate on grad school, too.

The new GF suits have been in stores for a few months now but unless you've talked to a salesperson, I don't think they are announcing anything until ALL the Italian GF suits have sold (won't be long now). The new ones are nice but I def encouraged a lot of people to grab the old ones for $698-25% (reg. $1098). It's funny - to the untrained eye, the Italian (old) GF look a lot nicer. It's mostly the substantial feel of the new ones and the great cut that is nice.

As far as Martin - he is involved with the GF Made-To-Measure Collection and that hasn't changed - still a really great product and all hand-tailored.

With the BrooksEase suiting, the last update that I got was from a BB suiting specialist in NY. He specifically cited the inferior nature of a fused breast-piece and said that the BrooksEase had canvas (I want to say that the GF are perhaps horsehair/something similar that conforms to the body more over time than canvas).

 

I have a Brooksease that has held up pretty well for about seven years.

I like the cut. A full-on, undarted, 3-button sack style doesn't work for me. Brooksease has a bit of shape, and I favor the 2-button stance. I'd prefer side vents, but what it has is OK.

An unpretentious, comfortable suit that does indeed travel well. This and a Haspel poplin are the only suits I own.

 

quote:Originally posted by tarheel

Yeah, smr, I am Very familiar with Garland. Actually, I worked for Brooks Brothers for years until fairly recently and still keep close tabs on what's going on - I've found that I can use my BB knowledge to do better on my own at this point and it gives me time to concentrate on grad school, too.

The new GF suits have been in stores for a few months now but unless you've talked to a salesperson, I don't think they are announcing anything until ALL the Italian GF suits have sold (won't be long now). The new ones are nice but I def encouraged a lot of people to grab the old ones for $698-25% (reg. $1098). It's funny - to the untrained eye, the Italian (old) GF look a lot nicer. It's mostly the substantial feel of the new ones and the great cut that is nice.

As far as Martin - he is involved with the GF Made-To-Measure Collection and that hasn't changed - still a really great product and all hand-tailored.

With the BrooksEase suiting, the last update that I got was from the head of suiting for the company when he was down from New York a few months ago. He specifically cited the inferior nature of a fused breast-piece and said that the BrooksEase had canvas (I want to say that the GF are perhaps horsehair/something similar that conforms to the body more over time than canvas).

Interesting post, Tarheel. Glad you're posting here.

In the past, Martin Greenfield's company also made the USA-made Golden Fleece RTW suits as well as the MTM. Are you saying that his company will no longer be making the RTW? Finally, are just the breast pieces on a Brooksease canvas? Mine also have canvas in the lapel but they are a few years old now.

 

I'm not familiar with the extent of Martin Greenfield's involvement with RTW BB suiting.

Nor, unfortunately, do I know about canvas in the lapels of the BrooksEase. I'm confident that there hasn't been any major change in the fabrication of the BrooksEase suiting in the past few years, though, so they're probably the same as yours.

If you need definitive answers to these questions, I can make a phone call and cross the 't's and dot the 'i's for you!

 

tarheel (or anyone who knows) - are these suits (linked to by The_Foxx in another thread) from the BrooksEase line or a more inferior one? They seem remarkably cheap for a NWT BB suit, even by eBay standards.

I was thinking about picking one up as a "travel" suit, but even for travel suits I want a certain level of quality and don't have the familiarity with BB to tell from the photos. Thanks!

 

Although I'm sure that Tarheel will answer, looks like Brooksease. Anyone who shops at the BB clearance center gets amazing deals (generally around $60), which is why they can offer such low prices. Another example: Some sellers who shop at that store offer the Peal shoes for $99.

 

Right on, smr.

Although the suits are new, they have an 'old stock' label that hasn't been used for quite a few years and the seller is from Ohio so I think that he probably has a different source. Also, one of the suits is listed as a 'medium long' size - you'll have to find someone who goes back farther than I do with BB to tell you the last time that size was used.

Usually, if it doesn't say anything special, it's probably basic (BrooksEase). Not to say that there's a problem with a BrooksEase suit that's a few years old - probably very little difference from what's in the retail store now - just be careful.

 

Tarheel- did not notice the Ohio location. So I'm guessing that one of the other BB outlets (in Ohio) liquidated them for approx. $30 - $60. The Elizabeth, NJ, BB Factory Store has done the same thing with older model Brooksease and Silver Label (now discontinued, but very nice) suits, and the suits were in perfect shape (as low as $30). Never had my size, though, the few times they've done this.

 

Thank you both for taking time to educate me.

I think as a semi-disposable travel suit, I might take a punt on these if I can nab one at or near the starting price. More than that, I'll give them a miss.

Thanks again.[8D]