Case Study: Brooks Brothers on the Cutting Edge

Custom Tailored Shirts

In a bold move to take on the nationwide chain of Custom Shops, Brooks Brothers devotes a full spread in the catalog to a revival of its custom shirt business. Customers are offered 44 separate colors and fabrics, from Egyptian cotton broadcloth and Pima cotton Oxford cloth ($80), all the way up to Super 140s European textured cotton ($160). You can have a choice of seven collar styles and three cuffs (in the same shirt color or contrasting white) and any of four monograms in a variety of colors for an extra $10 (although some promotions offer free monogramming). However, unlike the Custom Shop, which requires a minimum order of four shirts, Brooks Brothers will sell a single shirt. While the volume is nowhere near the ready-made shirt business, revenue is substantial and adds yet another arrow to its corporate quiver.