Misters Brooks and Strauss

You've probably heard by now, but the fine gentlemen at Brooks Brothers are offering 25% all merchandise for the next 5 days, via their Friends and Family discount. On-line shoppers who don't have a BB retail joint nearby can use the code 03friend at check-out.

I kind-of broke up with Brooks Brothers for a while in the mid 2000s. I really should have been more loyal, given the fact that my wife tells me the reason she ever talked to me in the first place was that she loved the scent of my Brooks Brothers cologne. (I still keep a bottle handy next to my Varvatos Vintage).

Aunty-way, a month or so ago I received the Back to Campus/Back to Town Brooks Bros. catalog. This is easily the best clothing catalog I've seen in a long time. Vivid photography, beautiful scenery, and expertly presented product. Almost every piece grabbed my attention. I've been perusing the catalog at least 2-3 times a week, still digesting it all.

I know that this has gotten a lot of eye-rolls and smirks from the denim-heads out there, but I'm really diggin' the Levi's Made-in-the-USA collection for Brooks. There is no way you can tell me that these Levi's are not noticeably different from the $36 jobbers in Sears. Ever reallllly look at pair of those jeans? Made in Egypt, or Haiti, or Lesotho, or Latvia, or wherever else Levi's thinks they can get away with. The inconsistencies in washes, fits, stitching, and back pockets should make the company brass hang their heads in shame.

I've taken a long look at the Brooks' models (what the hell is that guy doing for so long in the dressing room?), and I'm thoroughly impressed. The back pockets fall so nicely. They actually look like Levi's are supposed to look. The denim is a lot more substantial (although the dark 501s seem a bit light). The Flint wash on the 514s is the perfect blend of dark denim and slight distressing. Ditto for the 505 Dark Warn Wash, except with some subtle fraying on the back pockets and hems. The 514s fit superb. I know, I know, the 505s are a bit high-waisted, but nostalgia gets the best of me and I can't turn my back on my high school 505s that used to make me feel like a superstar.

To be fair, there are a few things that would have made these a 10: a chain-stitched hem, a selvage offering, and some Cone Denim.

All in all though, these are solid. Throw in the 25% F&F discount, and you're looking much better than you did in those Guess "premium" joints with the crazy back pocket stitching and the acid washed thighs.

The classics just seem to get better with age.