While the United States was building out the greatest military and peacekeeping force in history, Brooks Brothers was weaving the fabric of that proud tradition. Quite simply, wherever the U.S. military trained and traveled, Brooks Brothers went with them.
While
the United States was building out the greatest military and peacekeeping force
in history, Brooks Brothers was weaving the fabric of that proud tradition.
Quite simply, wherever the U.S. military trained and traveled, Brooks Brothers
went with them. We began creating uniforms for the U.S. military as early as
1818 for veterans of the War of 1812, but not until 1846 did Brooks Brothers
make uniforms that would be worn into battle—by soldiers fighting in the
Mexican-American War. From that point through World War II, Brooks Brothers
uniforms would be worn in combat.
In
the Brooks Brothers archives sit the Articles of Agreement from 1861, which
detailed the involvement in making uniforms for New York’s regiments during the
United States Civil War.
Signed by Governor of New York Edwin D. Morgan and the four brothers—John,
Elisha, Daniel and Edward—the contracts even contain the fabric samples of what
the uniforms would be changed to, a clear reminder of the enduring relationship
between Brooks Brothers and the military.
For
nearly 200 years, Brooks Brothers has been servicing and adapting to the needs
and wants of the customer, so it is no surprise that the company archives
contain a handwritten order from then Quartermaster of the Army Chester A.
Arthur (later to become the nation’s 21st president) for 300 overcoats for a
Union regiment. And when Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, who would also
go on to become president, left New York City in 1898 to join the U.S.
Volunteer Calvary, he ordered a custom Brooks Brothers uniform to match his
exact specifications.
Even
beyond manufacturing uniforms for the military, Brooks was sure to take care of
those coming home from the war. Most notably, in 1918, a few weeks after the
armistice that ended fighting on the Western front during the World War I,
Brooks Brothers received a telegram from officers in Plattsburg, New York, who
had recently arrived home. It read: “PLEASE ARRANGE TO OPEN STORE TOMORROW AT
EIGHT-THIRTY WHEN WE ARRIVE GRAND CENTRAL.” Brooks Brothers happily obliged.
Images from top: A Brooks Brothers advertisement for military uniforms from 1944; a page from a 1920s catalog advertising the style of those serving in the military up until that time; New York’s Brilliant Squadron A escorted U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt during his second inauguration in 1905 in these bright uniforms made by Brooks Brothers.
Brooks Brothers Vietnam:
– Ho Chi Minh: L1 – 19 & 20, Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, District 1 – ☎ (028) 3939 0477
– Hanoi: 31 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem District – ☎ (024) 3266 8206
