IT was never in doubt. Brooks Brothers would bring a distinct touch of class, style and colour to George Street. So effective at living up to their reputation, the American-owned tailors are reporting a 19 per cent surge in trading. Well, hush ma mouth!
Says the shop's Edinburgh-born manager Peter Heggie: "That possibly sounds improbable in the current climate but our books will show it's true. Developments in the financial markets could take some of the shine off our future figures.
"Trends in t
his city? Back to two-button suits – when I worked in Jenners it was three – and three-piece suits including a waistcoat are coming back. Business suits in charcoal grey and navy blue are best sellers. It's almost the uniform. People aspire to owning a good suit and once they've had one, they find it difficult to step back.
"We see too many class suits ruined when worn tie-less, the open-neck shirt look. We never, ever put a suit in the window without a tie."
While Mr Heggie was giving me the spiel the shop was echoing to smart jazz, from a CD on the counter (on the Brooks Brothers label) by the New York-based Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Everybody in the band is clothed by Brooks.
Going the full 90 • If only he'd been able. Hibs desperately need a full-back and Willie Clark, a resolute defender throughout the Famous Five era, would have eased the pain on Sunday.
Doubt if Willie would have been up to it. He was 90 on Saturday, when he invited another two of his former team-mates to lunch – comparative youngsters Ned Turnbull, 85, and Lawrie Reilly, 80, on October 28. I've aged prematurely, of course, a consequence of my allegiance to the Cabbage and Ribs.
Willie tells me he wants a tour of Hibs' trophy room. It won't take long.
Afterwords . . ... Michael Winner giving us something to chew on: "What's to become of freedom of speech if a critic, paid by a newspaper to criticise, cannot be critical? In the case of restaurant critics, some may love a place, others may hate it. That's life ... I don't think any English or Scottish restaurant has been batty enough to take a critic to court."
So get in there and tell it like it is!
The full article contains 397 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
