Henry Sands Brooks
Henry grew up in Queens, New York, with his three siblings. Henry was always entrepreneurial and started his career by selling groceries. Henry and his youngest brother, David, had already tried their hand in the clothing business but dissolved their partnership in 1817.
In 1818, Henry started H. & D. H. Brooks & Co., which was later renamed Brooks Brothers. The store opened on the Northeast corner of Cathrine and Cherry Street, the place where Henry and his siblings grew up.
The founding of Brooks Brothers and the 19th century
When Henry started H. & D. H. Brooks & Co., neither he nor his siblings knew how to create suits. But such a minor detail wouldn’t stop them, they hired people who could and started turning a profit.
Just a year after Henry opened the store, a strike among tailors broke out. This led Henry to hire women instead of men. Which was rather unusual at the time, as they typically only were trusted with easier things to sew. But at Brooks Brothers, 90% the tailors were women.
Henry produced cheaper clothes than his peers, leading to high demand and early success. Women were typically paid less than men, but at Brooks Brothers there was salary equality. Instead, Henry managed to sell his clothes cheaply thanks to using cheaper material. That’s not really what they are known for today, but it worked back then.
In 1833, Henry passed away and passed on his business to four of his sons. He had 6 sons and 3 daughters, but not all of them apparently made the cut to inherit the business. Shortly after the four sons took over the business, they renamed it H. & D.H. Brooks & Co. to Brooks Brothers. A name that rolls off the tongue just a little smoother.
And the brothers had a good run. They were the first ever to introduce ready-to-wear suits in 1849, and in 1850 they introduced the Golden Fleece symbol that’s still the logo today. And they even managed to get President Lincoln as a loyal customer. Apparently, he wore a Brooks Brothers coat on his last night in life.
They also produced military uniforms, although this wasn’t their finest hour. The uniforms were hastily put together and would fall apart when worn. They didn’t even stand a chance against the rain. The uniforms would fall apart in the rain.
The 20th century beyond
Up until 1935, Brooks Brothers stayed in the family with Winthrop Holley Brooks as the last member of the family to head up the business. It was bought by Julius Garfinckel & Co, and after the acquisition, John Wood took over the reins. He is known for his traditional views and stated, "They call us conservative, but we think that our styles are simply lacking the bizarre. We deal in what a man should wear, not what some women think he should wear."
During the 20th century, Brooks Brothers opened a lot of stores throughout the US. In 1915 they opened what later became the flagship store and headquarters on 346 Madison Avenue in New York. During the expansion, Brooks Brothers became increasingly popular among preppy folks and across the Ivy League. These days, they weren't known for cheap material. Now, they were known for good quality and traditional cuts.
Brooks Brothers even helped found Ralph Lauren's own brand. Ralph began his career as a tie salesman in the Madison store, but we’ll cover his story in another newsletter. They are also credited for making the Oxford Cloth Button Down popular among the preppy crowd, read the full story of OCBD here.