I fly into Boyd's twice a year for outfitting with my three sons. We have no place like it in Beirut.
The boys alone spend $14,000 each for clothes and accessories. In Beirut we deal in gold and diamonds and precious stones. We spend a great deal on the right appearance. Which means Boyd's; there's none better.
22
I suspect the article greatly overstates the condition of retail in the country, just as it overpraises the hideous renovation, which removed all the elegant, classic features of the lobby and its grand staircase, and made it look just like the Joan Shepp boutique across the street. Perhaps they wanted to confuse and redirect her customers to their store. Their reputation is for high service, but also for exorbitantly high prices for the same goods you can get elsewhere for much less. They gave up the classy interior for a nouveau-riche tastelessness that does not go down well.
19
Loved shopping at Boyd’s. Great salespeople and quality clothing. Plus they treated you like you were not imposing on them.
18
My husband's clothing was from a small men's store in the neighborhood. Wood floors, cabinets and paneling. I always shopped there for gifts. Gentlemen assisted you and then our sons were there doing the same. Sadly the store is long gone. They had a credit system, sent you a bill, you paid what you could and no interest charges!
16
Castle Clothes on the border of Bensonhurst and Borough Park in Brooklyn was the place to go for all the sharp dressed guys, back in the day. Free alterations!
10
In 1984, I arrived in at Penn from Los Angeles. As it turned colder I suddenly had to think about things I didn't own, like gloves, a scarf...and a suit for interviewing. I first went to Brooks Brothers and the guy made fun of me for being "too skinny to fit" but then said he would go find something. I walked out. I stumbled upon Boyds by accident an they treated this teenaged middle class kid like a king...and found stuff I could afford. I have never forgotten their kindness and hope over the years I have returned their kindness with my business.
80
I love stories like this. Successful business people who don't just throw their hands up but go the extra mile. Service is what they are really selling. That there is a garment involved seems almost secondary.
This sounds like the kind of place I could find out the answer to the age old riddle - why the heck aren't women's pants, skirts, and blazers sold unhemmed? The whole ready to wear angle - I'm done with it. If I'm going to spend serious money on a suit, I want it tailored by professionals. The fact they have to let down the hem of the skirt and blast it repeatedly with the hottest steam iron known to mankind is just sort of ridiculous. I want the same sort of service men get. I want a blazer that will fit me and all my parts. Is that too much to ask?
45
I think Paul Stuart in NY is the last great men’s store.
10
Decades ago Boyds ran a wonderful radio ad campaign, one of which featured Boston Celtic great and sartorial superstar Tommy Heinsohn. This was the era of the fierce rivalry between the Celtics and Sixers in the era of Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. The ad (paraphrasing from memory):
(Heinsohn speaking throughout) "When I first came to Philadelphia I would walk down the streets and people yelled, 'Hey, Heinsohn, you bum!"
"But I love coming here because I discovered Boyds where I can purchase the best suits.
So now, whenever I walk down the street people yell 'Hey, Heinsohn you bum, where'd you get that suit!?"
27
My idea of high fashion is whatever is comfortable and at hand when I wake up in the morning, usually a pair of big box store jeans and a tee shirt with the sleeves ripped off.
That much said, the Supreme store that opened a few months ago down the block here in Brooklyn requires burly security guards in front of the store, security guards on the street corners at either end of the block and sometimes around the corner, periodically NYC cops on the street corners nearby, and an NYC patrol car parked in front of the store. There are people here who won't walk down that side of the street any more.
All things considered, give me Boyds.
8
I loved this story about Boyd's of Philadelphia and it brought tears to my eyes, too More memories. I bought my 1 and only St. John knit suit at the "buy 1 item, get 2nd for a penny." winter sale at Mitchell's in Westport -- maybe 15 years ago. I still wear it and get compliments every time. But the prices there-- even on sale-- are out of reach now.
10
I don’t ever want to lose Boyd’s to the digital economy. I’ve used Boyd’s for all my business dress needs for years and have always appreciated the impeccable tailoring that comes with a purchase. My dad, a 1930’s graduate of Fordham, raised me on the axiom: “Look Sharp, Feel Sharp, Be Sharp”. That’s exactly what you get from a Boyd’s suit. I never felt better.
37
"intended to modernize and lighten the interior, with its heavy Greek columns and dark-wood cabinetry."
I would hope that doesn't mean paint the wood, but I bet it does.
8
It will be a sad day when stores like Boyds are no longer around.
“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.”
― Mark Twain
42
While I was glad to hear that somewhere men are paying attention to well-tailored clothing I want to point out that women also can benefit from the help of a good tailor. I have often seen women wearing clothes that are awfully tight and unflattering when it would be relatively easy to make some adjustments and creating a much more expensive appearance.
While it is not always strategic to look expensively dressed, it does make you feel better when you are wearing something tailored to you. And I have found that it is not more expensive to take some cloth into a good tailor and have him make you something. Just look at the cost of a nice outfit in the store. It is quite common for a jacket to be over $300. Even if you take something ready made into a tailor it is rare for the cost to be over $100.
I used to sew but I have found that a professional tailor is worth the expense. However, you need a real tailor not a person who works at the dry cleaner. I have had them ruin some pants by taking them in too much, whereas my terrific tailor can make things bigger with hidden tricks. A real tailor measures from the ground up, whereas a mediocre tailor just takes in an inch all around the hem. A real tailor can make an armhole fit, while some "tailors" try to talk you out of then
I have heard that the frequently cited elegance of French women is due to their use of tailors as much as their use of accessories or particular trendy colors, etc and I can believe it.
23
Real retailers!! Brick and mortar retailing isn’t dying. The shop owners just need to give real service and they will thrive. Boyd’s sounds like a wonderful experience.
22
Wonderful story. Willock Brothers in Rochester NY was similar. Mr O’Donaghue expertly recommended just the right garment for any situation. Some classic Hickey Freeman suits , lovely shirts and ties. Not sure if it’s still going
6
Many a cashmere Brioni suit came from them, as well as lots of other high end stuff. They were like family when we were buying a lot from them.
Great place to shop and buy.
10
Boyds is worth the premium price. They just get customer service.
18
It is a wonderful store. John sold my son a suit for a medical school interview, he was accepted. When my husband needed out of season clothes for a quick business trip to Israel, they supplied him with a full wardrobe that day. These folks know what makes the city run and help you run with it.
25
I recall a preppy men's store in Dallas back in the fifties with clothes more expensive than I could afford. Occasionally one of my friends would sell me one of his old ties for a buck or two which my mother would retrieve the label from before sewing it into one of mine. All in the hope that this would improve my chances with girls. It's hard to believe how dumb I was back then.
11
Obsolete clothing..Who wears suits? Not me
4
Ms. Kaufman looks great in that coat.
3
It is a sad state of sartorial affairs in this country. Dressing like Dennis the Menace instead of wearing adult clothes. We have Zuckerburg and Cuban et al to thank for this.
50
And the reason a federal luxury tax of 10% is a bad idea is???
Hghly profitable -- HAD to lay off six employees in 2008 (and couldn't hire them back.) Had to?!!! Concepts of necessity are so interesting.. Not everyone had to take a 20% pay cut in 2008....
This is laudable NO but interesting because one can see the absolute "immorality" in the general thought process -- which one might have supposed went out with the beheading of Marie Antoinette-- but of course it didn't... and getting the right thing done is not only difficult to do but difficult to define. PS I did not like the selection of handbags at Bergdorfs when I was there at X-mas -- and I thought the windows were lacking as well.. Too much pizazz in the handbags and not enough in the windows.. Oh well.
2
Great store and one of the last of a dying breed. This is where I bought my wedding tuxedo!
21
I've been delighted by J. Press, O'Connell's in Buffalo, Eljo's in Charlottesville, the Andover Shop in Cambridge, Peter Blair in Richmond, and Ben Silver in Charleston. Brooks Brothers still has some staples I love but service has gone downhill.
I'll have to add Boyds to the rotation!
13
There is nothing like a quality Men's Store to walk you through fine shoes, suites, shirts and ties. The service to try on what fits, looks good and goes well with you - the individual! Sadly it's less and less about being an inconvenience to shop but more about the lack of Class so many Americans have! And if you think I'm wrong - look at the Pig in the White House!
18
Quality and service matters. H&M sitting on $4.3B of unsold product.
18
I shop there. I ate lunch there when the restaurant was installed. The service is wonderful. Its a pleasure.
23
While I've had good shopping experiences at Saks, Bergdorf, and Nordstorm, and better ones at Brooks Bros. and Paul Stuart, Rothmans on Union Sq, in my view, is best.
Perhaps that's because, like Boyds, they offer beautiful clothing and first-rate tailoring. More likely, it's because of the extraordinary taste and service owners Ken and Jim Giddon, grandsons of 1926 founder Harry Rothman, provide. Relaunched in 1986 on a decaying Union Square near their grandfather's original store, the brothers helped lead the revitalization of the area, significantly upgrading both their neighborhood and the wardrobes of of their NYC neighbors!
10
Terrific story, run by one classic institution about another. I've read a few articles recently about the renovations and other changes at Boyd's, but only the New York Times can bring me to tears over a clothing store in Philadelphia.
42
Kostichek's Fine Quality Menswear, Downtown Lansing, Michigan. Founded 1865 (153 years), and still owned by the Kostichek family. An institution in this medium midwest city and an icon of my 1960s childhood. Thank God, still going.
12
Sounds like a great store!
But hardly the last great one.
I nominate Harry Rosen in Canada.
8
Lawyers and business people are dressing down but so too are working people. When I was growing up the plumber or repairman would come to the house and he would have on work clothes but they were clean and neat. I particularly remember working people who wore demin bib overalls but they would look so neat and clean. Now repairmen show up dressed any kind of way -- stretch pants, pull overs. Someone was telling me that now the typical Walmart shopper wears pajamas and fipflops.
It says something about a society when everyone dresses casual and in many cases slovenly. When I worked the men wore dark suits and ties. I think it shows pride in oneself and pride in our work when we dress nice. One of the other commenters said that being well dressed "said something about that man's character." I think that is correct.
31
Great story.
I remember in the early 60's my dad took me to Brooks Brothers, on 44th and introduced me to his salesman, who became my salesman until Brooks Brothers went the way of most of the great gentleman's stores and sold out.
It's not brains and grit, IT'S SERVICE.
17
I’ve bought all my suits at Boyd’s and won’t go elsewhere. Colin Eisenberg takes impeccable care of me, remembers everything I’ve ever bought there and rarely takes more than one shot to find the perfect new item for my wardrobe. I’m convinced my Boyd’s suits have enhanced my career and I look forward to the day I’ll take my son for his first interview suit after college graduation.
35
Glad stores like Boyds are still around. I miss the affordable-market Syms department stores (where an educated consumer was their best customer). Got good service at a reasonable price.
I also miss Murray’s of Northern Blvd opposite the old Quartet Theatre in Flushing. Large selection and friendly service. Murray had to retire, though.
6
Our family owned several men's apparel stores from about 1900 to 1994. After almost 100 years we finally closed the doors. While we had an excellent suit and sport coat section my father-in-law enjoyed treating himself to something special and for my son's bar-mitzvah, he went to Boyds. He bought a very handsome, well cut navy 2 button suit with an extra pair of pants. The pants had buttons on the inside of the waist band for "braces" (men's suspenders).
I worked in the apparel industry in factories and retail until I was 53. Nothing remains of that once vibrant and exciting industry. Sadly too, we've lost the institutional knowledge of all the men and women who made that industry so wonderful.
These days I live in Polo cargo shorts and short sleeve knit shirts. My son, a lawyer, who I think should dress well wears khakis and a sport coat. He says none of the 100 plus attorneys at his firm bother. Everything is casual.
To me, a well dressed man said something about that man's character. My father, who owned several apparel factories was always well dressed.
We've lost our desire and in some cases our ability to be a well dressed man. The salesmen in department stores don't know fabric, fit or how to put together an outfit and certainly they have no idea how to fit a gentlemen. The buyers for the department stores also don't have clue about fashion, season or accessories. They buy ready made suits to sell as is off the rack.
I hope that Boyds is able to remain.
56
My family owned a smaller version of Boyd's in Central Illinois, where my immigrant ancestors set up shop in 1875 and operated until 1996. We survived because of our service, selection and smarts. Even I knew how to alter pants as a young teen.
9
Absolute inspiring story on the power of putting the customer at the center of everything you do - and continuing to innovate as their needs change. Bravo to the team at Boyds. May you continue to thrive going forward.
25
A delightful piece that warms the heart of this transplanted Philadelphian! Although Jacob Reed’s Sons was our place for father and son suit buying, I later discovered Boyd’s for their Hickey-Freeman suits. Still have a few of them today! Next time I’m in Philly I will stop in.
20
If you are in Westchester try Family Britches in Chappaqua (they also have a store in New Canaan). The same type of great service that only a family run store offers.
Barry Mishkin is knowledgeable and friendly and always remembers size and preferences!
8
Ramonita has been helping me look great for 20+ years! It's always a good day visiting Boyd's! Now my children, working professionals, shop there too. Can't wait to see the renovations!
14
I've heard the renovation is going to be spectacular ~ What a wonderful store so glad they are looking forward to "servicing" the next generation
1
R Bryant in Williamsburg, VA has superb service and wonderful clothing.
8
I stopped at R Bryant last fall and bought a wool, Greek Fisherman's cap and two beautiful wool shirts. I miss stores like that. Our own store was much like that. I miss ambience of an old-fashioned men's store. There was one very excellent men's wear store too, at State College in PA and I always stopped there for a sweater and/or nice wool sport coat.
7
Great article. I miss living in Philadelphia and shopping there. The old Wanamaker building where Lord and Taylor was...Daffy's for discount clothing...and more. Boyd's is a great institution.
13
So great to see this piece. I grew up in Philadelphia and aspired to shop at Boyd's when I became and adult. I still get a thrill every time I return. John Clementi is an expert professional and knows exactly how to find the right clothes to make you look good and feel comfortable. I hope Boyd's remains a Philadelphia fixture for many future generations.
15
Wonderful story. I can feel the carpet and the smell of newly made wool suits. Let's not forget the scent of leather polish... A quiet hush while business is being conducted. Someday.
12
The family that owns Richards/Mitchells in Connecticut and which I think bought Mario's in Seattle, runs their business like this as well. These stores will stay in business because they their services are unavailable online.
9
I live in NYC and love Bergdorf and Barneys, but I always drop by Richards when I visit Greenwich CT. They have a nice selection of Isaia, Zegna, and Cucinelli. The floor people seem very nice.
4
Boyd's sounds wonderful, but it's not the only last great clothing store. O'Connell's in Buffalo is still there on Main Street and it's always an unalloyed pleasure to wander among the stacks of trousers and try to choose the most distinctive tie from endless rows of gleaming silk. Bernie Huber and his sons John and Ethan do a splendid job of making every customer feel welcome and honored. We left Buffalo long ago, but O'Connell's is still a must-visit for my husband and sons if they're passing through the Queen City.
9
Their mail order service is excellent; they carry the finest quality clothes and some unfindable brands...
5
In the 60s and 70s I spent a lot of time at Boyd's with my husband. He was 6'5" and the store had a wide selection for tall men. We had a fabulous salesman, can't remember his name, who had exquisite taste, and he always included me in the decision-making process. These excursions were so much fun. Even after we left Philly, we continued to go to Boyd's regularly.
15
I bought 2 suits from Boyd’s in 1986 just before starting my first job near Philly. It was my intro to fine service. I lived in Italy for two years and got very used to this level of service, buying a lot of my clothes there when I was on business trips.
About 15 years ago I was in Halifax, Nova Scotia and popped into Coldwell‘s to look at a tie I saw in the window. I walked out with 3 ties and an altered suit was delivered to my hotel room the next day. It was a great experience.
(I wore the suit and one of the ties at a reception in one of the Senate office buildings and I looked so important people kept sidling up to me. As soon as they read my name tag, they sidled off again.)
Now I get that same personal touch, albeit on a smaller scale, close to home in Wilmington from Len at Wright and Simon. It has been a Delaware institution since 1935. I bought all my clothes for my 2004 wedding there (except the tux, which I had), and have been back many times since. In fact, just last fall I was there to get a suit to wear while officiating at my niece’s wedding.
While it is important to look good in new clothes, it sure is nice to feel good while you’re buying them.
30
Excellent piece, which emphasizes the importance of owners and managers who actually DO care about their customers.
I've long been partial to Brooks Brothers, because I could afford their clothes. As a chain, BB has come into its share of criticism over the years. But back in 2015, my son needed a suit -- his first real one -- and I took him to the Brooks Brothers store in Cincinnati. He was waited on as if he were Prince Harry or Andrew. The suit he received after alterations fit like the proverbial glove.
The management of that particular BB store clearly understood customer service. Like Boyd's, I'm sure it will survive as long as it focuses on that aspect of the business.
25
The BB store relocated from downtown to a mall about ten miles away several years ago. Most of the longtime staff retired. I, a woman, haven’t bought anything since the relocation except for the cotton pyjamas. The fit models have changed and, a size 10, I can’t find anything that fits. My husband still makes purchases there but bemoans the loss of the old store and staff.
5
Yes, flipturn, I was aware that some of the old-line staff had retired. But I was impressed that the new people appeared to have the same standard of customer service as their predecessors, which was encouraging, to say the lease.
1
It’s nice to see one of our brethren stores get the recognition it so deserves. But I’d like to point out that there are many of us across the country in almost every city. Some have steep histories and others are newer like ours. In 2014 our store was named one of the top 10 new Men’s Specialty stores in the country by Esquire Magazine. Although we are all quite diverse, in many ways, we all share the common ground of exemplary service, knowledge and product. Contrary to what is happening in the big box stores, our type of business is alive and well and thriving.
31
My father, David Cohen, as a teenager, began his adventure in a small Southern town, in a small store, with one side for men,
one for women, ceiling fans, and a coke machine. Very handsome, with southern manners and a quick mind, he eventually set up a wholesale department which flourished, buying from factories and selling to merchants in nearby small towns serviced by hard working Jewish families. When squeezed out by the ‘only son,’ he along with my brilliant artistic mother, opened their own stores, she in interior design, he in ladies apparel. My mother decorated his store windows, held fashion shows at the country club, and helped select fashions at markets. He set up her business. They shared seamstresses: an all women team whose husbands were farmers and who brought fresh vegetables into work for our family dinners.Tailoring was free in his store; in hers’, the women sewed the fabrics she penned to her patterns, for vanity tables, balloon shades, luscious curtains. Both were so smart and personable:
each store became a downtown landmark. My mother decorated funeral homes, churches, private homes; he sold his stylish merchandise. Challenges for my father included starting the business when competitors could wiggle around fair trade,the new mall off the by-pass with unlimited parking. Competitors closed/moved to the mall. But Daddy was a ‘downtown’ person and stayed there, allowing the nearby business and bank workers conveniency until his death, and, then the store’s.
27
Though I don't shop there as often as I used to, I can second the great service at Boyd's. Bill Bolling is a kind man and offers wonderful advice. Enjoyed talking to him about middle school as we both had children around the same age.
9
Great store. Great story.
Courteous, knowledgable and impeccable service are - thankfully - never out of style. And fortunately for Boyd's - there are still customers for whom refined style and quality are still priorities and for whom boutique will never be bespoke.
14
Great article about the only store I have ever bought a suit from. I started shopping there in 1981, following in the footsteps of my older brother and father. One of the best things about Boyds that was referred to but not explicitly mentioned is the fact that they carry big and tall sizes. At 6’5, I could find maybe one suit or sport jacket at a department store. At Boyds there is an entire floor dedicated to my size. There are usually 15 garments in my size to choose from. I have stayed loyal to my salesman Arnie Gelb as he has stayed loyal to me. In retirement I shop there far less often, but Arnie still remembers my address let alone my name.
47
In this era of creative destruction of old line stores and the constant casualization of men's business wear, it is really difficult to find full service men's stores that still handle suits and a full line of accessories. Boyds is a shrine to the men's stored fifty years ago with several floors of clothing. I remember visiting it before I had to make a court appearance in Philadelphia and being mesmerized by the high end clothing. I ended up grabbing three Nno Ricci ties. It reminded me of the old Jacob Reeds store where I had an account when i lived in Philadelphia in the early 1980s. There will probably come a day where even Boyds will disappear or be a fragment of its current size, but it is nice to be able to shop in person at a high quality store.
17
I remember a trip to Boyd's in the 80s. I asked a very put-together sales woman for help selecting a tie that would make me look like a mafioso. I pointed to a dark blue one with white polka dots.
She said "no, look on that table. Believe me, I know--I wait on them."
55
In New Orleans. We have Perlis which is set up on a similar model. Having an alternation room is the key to return customers. Any purchased item has lifetime alternations which is perfect for growing boys. I have also purchased in the Women’s department. And the full dress rental department keeps Mardi Gras humming. Fabulous service.
8
Richards of Greenwich, owned by the Mitchell family, provides fabulous personal service and is a beacon of excellence in the retail world. They also offer women a level of service that no other luxury retailer, in my experience, can match.
18
Thanks for the great memories of Boyd’s. Went with my husband for our wedding back in the day. The quintessential place to get fixed up and look like a million bucks!
18
Great story, when I was young my dad always wore suits and ties to work at Northwestern Bell. And hats whatever happened to hats? Oh the good old days.
Hope Boyds lasts forever.
32
Sigh.
Maybe I'll buy an extra lottery ticket today.
(Cyclist's quads and xtra-extra-short on top. This is why I do not wear decent clothing, not that I don't consider my jeans decent, but, you know...)
5
This article reminded me of the stories my late father would tell about shopping at Barney's New York in the days when it catered only to men and was one step above a pushcart...he was a lifelong devoted Barney's shopper. I remember (and miss!) the original store at 17th St and 7th Ave....and remember as a young girl when it made news when it began selling women's clothes. Now it's merely a high-end chain with none of the original class or true New York-ness...wonder how much longer this place will stay open in today's climate...
16
Barneys is way overpriced. I'm not sure who shops there now. It used to have affordable clothing, but now caters to extreme wealth.
It also seems to generate little store traffic, and unless Barneys owns the real estate, it may not be so long for this world.
This would be a shame, because it has been a New York institution for a long time. However, it stopped being the kind of store it used to be long ago.
7
Nordstrom saved my bacon once when a shirt I had didn't fit and I needed an immediate replacement prior to giving a speech just two hours later. They even pressed it for me. I think they'd have driven me to the convention center had I asked.
42
That sounds like Nordstroms:)
6
Wait a month for Nordstrom's New York City Men's Store.
2
"Old Boys' Clubs", indeed. I remember biennial shopping trips with my husband to a NYC store for Big and Tall Men, where the roles were reversed. Wives were shown to a comfortable chair and offered a beverage while the husbands emerged from the dressing rooms for our approvals!
17
Long live Boyd's. Sounds like it would be well worth a day trip to Philadelphia to visit and buy. Most men, today, want to dress very casually, meaning that there is more room to look good in more traditional clothing.
54
Mitchells of Westport (Connecticut) belongs there too. Family-owned and operated for more than 50 years, it provides amazing personalized customer service. Pricey, yes, but it is geared to what its customers want. It offers a wide range of designer and boutique clothes for both men and women and is fastidious about alterations (free) and customer service. I never go there without having a member of the Mitchell family greet me personally.
27
And the Mitchell family is now serving San Francisco with the purchase of the beloved Wilkes Bashford. Boyds is not the "Last great clothing store". They are rare, but there are some.
4
Mitchells is nice, and the mechandise is high end... But, sorry, it's in a strip mall - in that respect alone, Boyds it's not... Boys exudes elegance from the moment you drop of the car with the valet and you walk in the vaunted front door..
4
Wonderful! The only store that I know of that has anything like this is the Boston Brooks Brothers on Newbury St.. The chains as far as I know are not the same. My father had his suits made there and now my husband has his. It is a bit smaller nowadays and doesn't have the old wood tables, but the service for men is impeccable. Unfortunately, the women's department is rather humdrum. G. Fox in Hartford Connecticut, was the go to store for women where the designer clothes were brought out from to back for you.
Elegant, gone! Now all my stuff comes in boxes from the UPS man.
30
Good article, well written, and made me think back to all the great Manhattan clothing stores where I used to shop back in 1960's when, after returning from Paris, secured a position at French Cultural Services and would regularly buy my clothes, shoes included at the old Brooks Bros., whose prices were reasonable, unlike today, De Pinna, Abercrombie & Fitch, original one, Roger Kent. Even ROBERT HALL, considered on the cheap side and selling "fringues " which up and coming New Yorkers would not consider buying, had some pretty nice articles and inexpensive too.Recall day REX HARRISON came into Brooks Bros. and favored 1 salesman in particular and others got jealous. Also recall salesman who was so natty and particular he would have false collars made for him specially from Austin Reed in Old Blighty and then return them there in bulk to be dry cleaned. Those were the days when on a monthly salary of $352.00 I could afford Brooks Bros. shoes selling at 35-40 dollars, button down shirts at $25.00, and striped, regimental ties at more or less the same price! Today only ceo's can afford to shop there. But wonderful article about BOYD's and hope they are still around for the next 100 years!
67
Yes, I have an overcoat I bought in Brooks Bros in the 1980s. Nothing special (100% wool, black), excellent quality and still in near new condition. My cost then was $200. on sale. I priced the same or similar coat at the same store a few years back, $2000. Shell shock, jaw dropper.
7