# Brooks Brothers catalogue scans 1979-1984



## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

A very helpful fellow, Yamauchi Yuki, has put up of the Brooks Brothers catalogues from 1979-1984, (along with 1993, 1995, and 2006 in Japanese, if you're interested in what Brooks Brothers Japan has been up to). 

Interesting reading material! :icon_smile_big:


----------



## fiddler (Apr 19, 2010)

Certainly interesting! 
Brooks did some crazy things back in the day. Anyone up for fun corduroys? 

(from 1979 christmas catalog).


----------



## Saltydog (Nov 3, 2007)

katon said:


> A very helpful fellow, Yamauchi Yuki, has put up of the Brooks Brothers catalogues from 1979-1984, (along with 1993, 1995, and 2006 in Japanese, if you're interested in what Brooks Brothers Japan has been up to).
> 
> Interesting reading material! :icon_smile_big:


This is great!!! It sure brings back a lot of memories and gives those who might not have been old enough at the time to get a feel for Brooks Brothers the way it was. I used to glean these catalogues and wish I could afford to shop there. Now that I can...the selection--at least of ocbds and sack jackets--is so much more limited! I wish the prices were shown in all the old catalogues by the descriptions. I'm sure they would be cheap by today's standards. I hope they moderators will keep this thread up for quite a while. It is interesting, entertaining and illuminating. Nostalgic for us older guys and instructive for the younger trads who follow. I wish I had held onto my old collection of BB and LE catalogues!


----------



## Saltydog (Nov 3, 2007)

BTW, those yellow u-stripe ocbd's are driving me crazy! What would have to happen for them to bring it back, I wonder? Other than Mercer, does anyone know if anyone makes these anymore? I'd love to have at least a couple.


----------



## Dr.Watson (Sep 25, 2008)

Close, but not quite (plus it has a pony, which you may or may not be able to tolerate- I can).

https://www.ralphlauren.com/product...nomy/POLO/1760781&kw=oxford&parentPage=search


----------



## AldenPyle (Oct 8, 2006)

They had yellow striped oxford cloth in the book for the J.Press MTM shirt program. I think the book was from a company in Baltimore (who's name escapes me at the moment) that does MTM for a lot of shops, so it might be found at other places. I remember it was from their "Trad" collection. 

Does Mercer do yellow striped ocbds?


----------



## Saltydog (Nov 3, 2007)

Does Mercer do yellow striped ocbds?[/QUOTE]

That was an assumption on my part since they have so many different patterns. Just not ready to make that jump though I understand they are wonderful shirts.


----------



## Saltydog (Nov 3, 2007)

Dr.Watson said:


> Close, but not quite (plus it has a pony, which you may or may not be able to tolerate- I can).
> 
> https://www.ralphlauren.com/product...nomy/POLO/1760781&kw=oxford&parentPage=search


No problem with the pony and it was even on sale! Unfortunately I'm looking for the more narrow university stripe. But thanks!


----------



## PedanticTurkey (Jan 26, 2008)

I like how they simulated the pulling from pinning their blousy shirts on that model in the drawing--and is he supposed to be, what, about 7' tall?


----------



## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

fiddler said:


> Certainly interesting!
> Brooks did some crazy things back in the day. Anyone up for fun corduroys?


Another unusual one from 1979, raccoon fur blend driving gloves with deerskin palms!










Strangely enough, you can still get these (U.S.-made!) from . (They've switched out the nylon for polyester, though. :icon_smile_big


----------



## Benson (Aug 28, 2009)

I think those cords are called panel cords. I know O'Connell's sells them, or used to, as the older version of their website lists them.


----------



## dmac (Jun 30, 2006)

Item J on page three of the X-Mas '79 catalog is a polyester-polyurethane(!) blend two-button sport coat.


----------



## Pugin (May 15, 2010)

Saltydog said:


> BTW, those yellow u-stripe ocbd's are driving me crazy! What would have to happen for them to bring it back, I wonder? Other than Mercer, does anyone know if anyone makes these anymore? I'd love to have at least a couple.


What size are you? I might be able to help.


----------



## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

dmac said:


> Item J on page three of the X-Mas '79 catalog is a polyester-polyurethane(!) blend two-button sport coat.


People here tend to forget how starry-eyed Brooks was about synthetics back in the day. English tradition with American innovation! Brave new world, clean and modern, all that jazz. 

Here's a polyester/acrylic suit from 1961:










As far as the "Ultrasuede" sportscoat goes... maybe it was their attempt to offer something for the anti-leather crowd?

As for the two buttons, perhaps it was one of their other suit models? During the 1960s, the No. 1 Sack Suit was joined by a slimmer two-button No. 2 suit (Anyone ever seen one of these?), and an even slimmer No. 3 suit.


----------



## Pentheos (Jun 30, 2008)

Saltydog said:


> No problem with the pony and it was even on sale! Unfortunately I'm looking for the more narrow university stripe. But thanks!


Here I sit in a must-iron yellow/white university stripe LL Bean OCBD that I got on Ebay for $3 in great shape. I have no idea of its vintage.


----------



## Saltydog (Nov 3, 2007)

Pugin said:


> What size are you? I might be able to help.


17 1/2X36...or, depending on the fit...17X36 (not an easy size...but thanks for anything you can do.)


----------



## Saltydog (Nov 3, 2007)

Pentheos said:


> Here I sit in a must-iron yellow/white university stripe LL Bean OCBD that I got on Ebay for $3 in great shape. I have no idea of its vintage.


I'll check it out...thanks!


----------



## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

katon said:


> Here's a polyester/acrylic suit from 1961:


I love the use of the term "unusual advantages." Makes you wonder what else might happen if you wrapped yourself in one of those suits. I imagine all that synthetic fabric who preserve the wearer and keep him minty fresh for several weeks. :icon_smile_big:


----------



## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

(1980)

Lots of interesting stuff with oxford cloth, too. The matching caps seem like a nice touch. :icon_smile_big:


----------



## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

(1981)

Another great idea - flannel-lined corduroys. Borrowed from L.L. Bean, or a Brooks original? Doubt there's any option for these other than waiting for a pair to surface on the secondhand market, though.


----------



## AldenPyle (Oct 8, 2006)

I'd really like to get some oxford cloth pants. 

Also, I remembered the name of the shirt maker that does Yellow Unistripe Oxford shirts. It was Individualized Shirts. It was part of their "Trad" collection.


----------



## C. Sharp (Dec 18, 2008)

On sale if you are the right size.



AldenPyle said:


> I'd really like to get some oxford cloth pants.
> 
> Also, I remembered the name of the shirt maker that does Yellow Unistripe Oxford shirts. It was Individualized Shirts. It was part of their "Trad" collection.


----------



## Thom Browne's Schooldays (Jul 29, 2007)

I recently picked up the Blazer Cardigan on page two of the 1982 Christmas catalog.

(I'd post a pick but can't figure out how to get one from the PDF).

A unique thing that may ulitmatly prove to be useless in my wardrobe.


----------



## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

Also, a few images from the Fall 1987 catalog, courtesy of :


----------



## sbdivemaster (Nov 13, 2011)

Katon,

Someone pointed out this thread to me, and I want to say THANK YOU!! Brought back so many memories of high school days...

And, I was just looking at the Fall '87 catalog you posted - while thrifting last week, I found the cotton/poplin golf jacket (pg. 18 "E"); I'll be getting it cleaned for listing here on AAAC.

If you find any more BB catalogs, please post them; I like the reminiscing...


----------



## Brooksfan (Jan 25, 2005)

These are very interesting, and more than a stroll down Memory Lane. What I noticed is that as recently as 1993, they still had a significant percentage of offerings in the "real" 3-button suit, blazer and sport coat, which were then termed "Authentic". I vaguely remember about 1995 or 1996 they went with a "Soft Natural" model that seemed to replace the "Authentic" cut. The "Classic" 2-button featured in increasing percentages over the time span of these catalogs has probably morphed into what is now the "house cut" which is known today as Madison. I confirmed with a sales person a few months ago that in the 1818 line the Madison model is the framework for the 3-button sack, which with few exceptions is now a Special Order make-up. Net net it looks like the tide went out on 3r2 almost 20 years ago at BB and I'm just happy I can still get it, albeit not OTR. 

The other thing I noticed is the variety of oxford cloth stripes and tattersalls that were offered year to year. Not just additional colors but stripe width, ranging from very thin to probably 1/4" since my university stripes are about 1/8". One of my favorite BB oxford stripes was what they called a Blazer Stripe back in the late 70s-they sold a white with blue stripe and blue with white stripe and they looked great with a blazer or with a Shetland crew. 

Don't know how AAAT can get the point home but if anyone from BB really reads this I would suggest that for far less money than they've poured down the Black Fleece hole they could lay in a variety of untreated oxfords in patterns from those days. I know Press has a shirt similar to this every year so the fabric must still be out there. About a year ago I spoke with someone in the MTM shirt operation and they said the reason they don't offer more untreated oxfords is they would have to buy in such quantity that the perceived demand doesn't justify it. 

Here's a brief "wish list" of oxford fabrics-the forementioned blazer stripes, the fine line stripe, tattersalls, graph checks, and a few additional solids-perhaps grey, stone, and even a light burgundy. Give me those and go back to offering 4" ties (born to be wide!) and I'm a happy camper. 

Looking through these catalogs makes me neither wistful nor angry-I just think BB is missing an opportunity by not seizing its heritage and running with it. This relative handful of catalogs shared with us is a sourcebook for what the traditional look (NOT PREPPY!!!) was all about, and while I stipulate to being a geezer I will still be buying more clothes before I go noisily into that good night and would prefer to buy them from Brooks if they were available.


----------



## Orgetorix (May 20, 2005)

I don't disagree with anything you've said, but I will point out one datum I've mentioned before: when I worked at Brooks 2007-09, non-irons literally outsold untreated shirts twenty to one. Maybe double that. No doubt a small part of the lag in sales of regular finish shirts is because of the narrow selection, but the ratio held true even if you just consider sales of white shirts. Non-iron is just where the consumer demand (and, therefore, the money) is these days. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## sbdivemaster (Nov 13, 2011)

Brooksfan said:


> Looking through these catalogs makes me neither wistful nor angry-I just think BB is missing an opportunity by not seizing its heritage and running with it. This relative handful of catalogs shared with us is a sourcebook for what the traditional look (NOT PREPPY!!!) was all about, and while I stipulate to being a geezer I will still be buying more clothes before I go noisily into that good night and would prefer to buy them from Brooks if they were available.


Here, here!


----------



## Fratelli (Nov 10, 2011)

Wow! Looks amazing. Thanks for the post!


----------



## BiffBiffster (Jul 2, 2012)

Anyone have these scans? The link is dead.

Thanks in advance.


----------



## Doctor Damage (Feb 18, 2005)

BiffBiffster said:


> Anyone have these scans? The link is dead.


I almost always save stuff like this when it gets posted, so I probably have the scans somewhere. Or if not these particular ones, then similar scans.

Do you have an anonymous email account? It would be a lot easier to email stuff to you than post here. Please contact me by the forum message system.


----------



## C. Sharp (Dec 18, 2008)

I noticed this two weeks ago and made some inquires. There is a good chance that they may make another appearance.


----------



## BiffBiffster (Jul 2, 2012)

Thanks, Doc D & C. Sharp. I appreciate the assistance!


----------



## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

Here is the Christmas 1979 catalog:


----------



## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

Spring/Summer 1980:


----------



## BiffBiffster (Jul 2, 2012)

Thanks, katon.


----------



## niv (Sep 15, 2012)

Why are there no prices? I'm curious what they were.


----------



## C. Sharp (Dec 18, 2008)

I imagine their was a price sheet or sheets that have been separated from the catalog. You look up the number and find the price. Lock & Co. Hatters does that with their print catalog.


----------



## Doctor Damage (Feb 18, 2005)

It's great to see those old catalogs and I think they're a good reminder that BB has always sold some weird sh*t mixed in with the good stuff.

I know for certain that I have a bunch of scans which haven't been posted above, but it will take me a bit to find them.


----------



## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

Fall/Winter 1981:


----------



## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

I can only wonder what happened to this company that had great taste even amidst the crazy styles of the '70s and '80s. Almost none of this dates particularly badly. About all I notice is a slight boot cut to the trousers, but you have to look for it.

Supposedly, Brooks Brothers checks on this forum from time to time. One can only hope del Vecchio looks through this thread and takes notes. There's a lot here that I would buy, excepting the "fun" stuff which I never liked.


----------



## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

Jovan said:


> I can only wonder what happened to this company that had great taste even amidst the crazy styles of the '70s and '80s.


Once a company loses its way (eg, Woolrich, Pendleton, Arrow, Sero, Hathaway, Duckhead, Bostonian, Timberland, Sebago, etc.) or begins to lose its way (eg, J&M, Brooks Brothers, LL Bean, Lands End, J Press, etc.), are there examples of them coming to their senses and bringing the company back to what made them great? Or is the outcome inevitable?


----------



## GamecockGrad (May 8, 2012)

These scans are from before or the year (1984) I was born and I may be too trad for my age, however I wish these were the Brooks Brothers catalogues of the future and not the past. The recent catalogues have been a disgrace for the Brooks brethren and hopefully someone saves the tradition as I have worn the same Brooks Brothers tie in kids, kids bow, adult, and adult bow tie through the years (actually 3 versions of the repp.) I will never forget being on the bus in the 4th grade and a Senior (School was K-12) saying I'd be wearing the same clothes in 20 years. There are days where I wear the same exact outfit at 28 to the office that I did for dress up events as an 8 year old.


----------



## Doctor Damage (Feb 18, 2005)

^ and ^^

C'mon guys, the world moves forward and nothing stays the same (and nothing lasts forever). Get over it. Or better yet, put on a tuxedo, load your grandad's service revolver, have a scotch, then go into the back yard and shoot yourselves in the head. At least then we won't have to read more posts about how golden the golden days were (hint: they weren't).


----------



## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Nobody is saying EVERYTHING was better in the "good old days"... just the style. :icon_smile_big:


----------



## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

Christmas 1982:


----------



## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

Spring 1982:


----------



## BiffBiffster (Jul 2, 2012)

Thanks again, katon.


----------



## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

Spring 1983:


----------



## AncientMadder (Apr 21, 2011)

Thank you once again, Katon.


----------



## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

In 1979 I think every 30+ year old man thought he was Roger Moore!!


----------



## Anon 18th Cent. (Oct 27, 2008)

This is the Brooks I was raised on. Wish it were still here, but everything changes. Some good stuff currently, but no need for the J Crew jealousy.


----------



## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Visited J. Crew yesterday and I can't understand why del Vecchio wants to make BB into something it's not. For that matter, I don't see why the current owners of J. Crew are making it into what they are. I liked a few things, such as the USA-made ties (albeit a tad too narrow for my taste), belts, and exclusive Sperrys, but the rest of the clothing? Not bad to... mediocre. It's all over the place. None of those Ludlow suits every 20-something guy online seems to like, just a guide promising free returns if their order doesn't fit. The menswear section was basically limited to last quarter of the store, which is curious because I swear they used to be mostly geared toward men or unisex. There were some nice looking madras and linen shirts. J. Crew was more of an outdoor clothing place similar to L.L.Bean prior to around 2005 or so. What happened?


----------



## jsbrugg (Nov 16, 2011)

My recollection of J. Crew from my university days (early 90s) was that they were were for preppy college kids who had a lot more money than did. My gf regularly ordered from their catalog and they did have a good selection of women's clothes at the time, but I don't really remember them having an outdoor wear focus.


----------



## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

Figured this was a good place for these -- a few scans from the Summer 1981 catalog, from Heavy Tweed Jacket's old (and much-missed) blog:




















































































































































































































Also, maybe a little out of range, but the Fall 1988 catalog courtesy of the :


----------



## straw sandals (Apr 14, 2010)

Thanks for posting. For some reason, I'm really tickled by the track suit and pink turtleneck!

Also, you know that HTJ is still posting on tumblr, right?

https://heavytweedjacket.tumblr.com


----------



## Himself (Mar 2, 2011)

katon said:


> Another great idea - flannel-lined corduroys.


Especially this week!



> Doubt there's any option for these other than waiting for a pair to surface on the secondhand market, though.


Hope springs eternal.

Anyway, katon, thanks, that was fun to look at. We actually wore a lot of that stuff in my senior year of high school (class of '82).


----------



## Jman9599 (Dec 23, 2013)

Jovan said:


> Visited J. Crew yesterday and I can't understand why del Vecchio wants to make BB into something it's not. For that matter, I don't see why the current owners of J. Crew are making it into what they are. I liked a few things, such as the USA-made ties (albeit a tad too narrow for my taste), belts, and exclusive Sperrys, but the rest of the clothing? Not bad to... mediocre. It's all over the place. None of those Ludlow suits every 20-something guy online seems to like, just a guide promising free returns if their order doesn't fit. The menswear section was basically limited to last quarter of the store, which is curious because I swear they used to be mostly geared toward men or unisex. There were some nice looking madras and linen shirts. J. Crew was more of an outdoor clothing place similar to L.L.Bean prior to around 2005 or so. What happened?


Jcew started a a women's clothes store. I have a family member who is pretty high up in the management chain who can get me good deals. I just can't wear it as it's pretty tight and the sleeves are way too short. I also don't think it last as long as my Brooks, Bean or even lands end.


----------



## Duvel (Mar 16, 2014)

This is a great thread. It could be used as a tutorial on how to dress.


----------



## Spex (Nov 25, 2012)

I love the fact that they hired someone to draw illustrations as opposed to simply taking photographs. Awesome.

And just throw some suspenders on this guy, give him a mug and he'll be asking you to have those TPS reports on his desk by the end of the day.


----------



## Duvel (Mar 16, 2014)

That used to be fairly common, although less so by the time of these catalogs. I find it much more pleasing myself than model photos.



Spex said:


> I love the fact that *they hired someone to draw illustrations *as opposed to simply taking photographs. Awesome.
> 
> And just throw some suspenders on this guy, give him a mug and he'll be asking you to have those TPS reports on his desk by the end of the day.


----------



## mjo_1 (Oct 2, 2007)

^haha, "Ahhh, I'm also gonna need you to come in on Sunday too...."

But seriously, these scans are some great stuff. If only modern Brooks would offer just half of the dress shirt models above in a must-iron finish. I haven't tried Mercer just yet, but I'm getting closer all the time.


----------



## Anon 18th Cent. (Oct 27, 2008)

Seeing this thread again reminds me I have to dig out my yellow candy stripe ocbd's. I have 'em somewhere. My all-time favorites.


----------



## Pentheos (Jun 30, 2008)

I would like to have a PDF of the whole thing (or the catalog itself) as a reference tool of sorts.


----------



## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Jman9599 said:


> Jcew started a a women's clothes store. I have a family member who is pretty high up in the management chain who can get me good deals. I just can't wear it as it's pretty tight and the sleeves are way too short. I also don't think it last as long as my Brooks, Bean or even lands end.


Erm... I made that comment like two years ago.


----------



## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

Some pretty Trad Girlfriends there on the last few pages!!


----------



## carpu65 (Apr 15, 2009)

But in 80s these sack from Brooks Brothers were fused?


----------



## ROI (Aug 1, 2004)

Brooks is not perfect. Truly great items have always been stacked side-by-side with mediocre and sometimes truly lamentable ones. An alien could never walk into 346, scoop up a wheelbarrow of random items and be guaranteed an impeccable wardrobe. If he stumbled into the orbit of a good salesman, however our alien could usually have been guided to a nearly impeccable wardrobe. That, I suppose, is the essence of our continuing attention to what Brooks is doing. Despite frequent disappointments, we maintain the hope that Brooks can regain its focus and occasionally recapture the brilliance of its past. I am reconciled that Brooks is too big a company to be pure. In a perfectly traditional store, for instance, you would not find navy or brown flannel trousers. Having them is a concession to the market. There simply are not enough purists, even in Manhattan or Boston, to sustain a clothier that offers only three shades of grey flannel. That kind of single-minded merchandising is the province of specialty shops that reflect the taste of the sole owner. The waywardness of Brooks isn't nearly as sad as the disappearance specialists who devote themselves to a single, narrow idea of taste. It used to be that, every so often, you'd happen upon a shop where you liked just about everything you saw. That is not, and never has been, the experience of shopping at Brooks. If you loved Lock's soft, unlined trilby, chances are you couldn't countenance the rebranded Dobbs center dent next to it that was as stiff as a cigar box. In the shoe department, you may have made straight for the Peal captoes in British tan, bypassing the black, double-soled shell cordovan patrolman oxfords. In sportcoats, you overlooked the sky blue and sea green poly-wool hopsack blazers in favor of the natural tussah silk. The point is, as long as Brooks had the Lock hats, the Peal shoes, the silk sportcoats and whatever other items you identify as quintessentially Brooks-y, Brooks was fine. There has always been goofy suburbanoid stuff like seersucker cabana sets and zip-front dog-walking sweaters. I remember years when there was not a tweed sportcoat on the rack, only sheepish lambswools in catatonic patterns. Somebody bought that stuff, at least for a while. The most it is reasonable to ask of Brooks, particularly now, is that the really good stuff is at least represented, that it remains available for the shrinking minority that still loves it.


----------

