Brooks Brothers - Fashion Company Profile
Brooks Brothers is the oldest clothing retailer in continuous operation in the United States, founded in 1818 and for two centuries the dresser of presidents and the inventor or populariser of the button-down collar, the sack suit, the repp tie and madras. After a 2020 bankruptcy it was bought by the Authentic Brands Group and Simon Property Group venture, and its stores are now run by Catalyst Brands, the 2025 combination of SPARC Group and JCPenney.
Company Snapshot
- Status
- Operating - bought out of its July 2020 Chapter 11 filing by the SPARC Group venture of Authentic Brands Group and Simon Property Group; since 2025 its stores have been operated by Catalyst Brands
- Type
- Private - an Authentic Brands Group brand
- Headquarters
- New York City, New York, United States
- Founded
- 1818, in New York City, by Henry Sands Brooks
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Company Profile
The modern Brooks Brothers still trades on the original grammar of American dressing - oxford cloth, navy blazers, argyle and the polo coat. The inventions themselves, decade by decade, are detailed in the profile section below.
1845 brought the first ready-made suits in America: pioneers of the 1849 California Gold Rush, unable to wait on the whims of a tailor, flocked to Brooks Brothers to pick up ready-made clothing. In 1850 the Golden Fleece symbol was adopted as the company's trademark - a sheep suspended in a ribbon, long a symbol of British woolen merchants and, dating from the 15th century, the emblem of the Knights of the Golden Fleece. In 1858 a second New York store opened at Broadway and Grand Street, described as 'the most extensive and magnificent clothing house on either continent'. From the company's founding, Brooks Brothers distinguished itself through the excellent workmanship of both its custom and ready-made clothing - being both 'Makers and Merchants' gave it absolute control over its offerings. In 1865, at his second inauguration, President Abraham Lincoln wore a coat specially crafted by Brooks Brothers, its lining hand-stitched with an eagle and the inscription 'One Country, One Destiny'.
Brooks Brothers History
The earlier record for this company - its history, past brand line-ups, figures and photographs from the periods described - is kept on a separate page for historical reference.
Brooks Brothers History & Historical Profile →Common Questions
When was Brooks Brothers founded, and by whom?
On April 7, 1818, by Henry Sands Brooks, age 45, as H. & D.H. Brooks & Co. at Catherine and Cherry Streets in New York City, on the principle of dealing only in merchandise of the finest quality at a fair profit.
What is Brooks Brothers credited with introducing?
The first ready-to-wear suits in America (1845), the Original Polo button-down shirt (1896), the Shetland sweater (1904), the polo coat (1910), the Americanized repp tie and Indian madras (1920) and seersucker in America (1930), in the historical timeline.
What is the Golden Fleece?
The company's trademark, adopted in 1850: a sheep suspended in a ribbon, long a symbol of British woolen merchants and the emblem of the Knights of the Golden Fleece from the 15th century.
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