Jos A. Bank

Full review
Freely admitting that clothes shopping ranks only slightly above having a root canal on my list of pleasant experiences, I became a staunch web shopper when technology permitted us to be able to complete a wardrobe with a few clicks. In another decade, I would have been a catalog shipper, but on the wild web, the instant gratification created by email order confirmations and the ability to track shipping yield an entirely new experience.

I initially was a Lands End diehard customer. I found the two styles of shirts and slacks I preferred to wear to our casual office and purchased only those items. One in brown, one in black, one in blue and you get the idea. When something became worn or frayed, I zipped on to the web, clicked some more and received replacements in days.

Casual Day Gets Classy

Every day is casual day in our offices, and while I don’t mind occasionally wearing jeans, the endless stream of chinos was becoming boring and the shirts I was ordering lacked certain panache.

A coupon mailed to me by Jos. A Bank changed all that. Visiting one of their stores would have been convenient for me, but torturous. I wanted click and wear clothes that looked as though they were hand tailored.

I began browsing the site and was quickly overwhelmed by clothes jargon like herringbone and thread count. I finally selected two pairs of slacks and three shirts, all at prices that were more than I was accustomed to but made reasonable by the coupon.

The shirts arrived first, several days before the pants that had to be hemmed and presumably actually touched by human hands. I wore one of the new shirts the next day and was greeted in the hallway several times with remarks like “Nice shirt” and “Did you do something different?” There was also one wiseguy who asked if my wife was now doing my shopping, but the silver spoon lodged in his mouth at birth has tarnished with age so I ignored him.

Then the slacks arrived. They fit well, although not as well had I actually bothered visiting the store to have them tailored. But that didn’t matter because the effect of the crisp new shirts with the dressier slacks was an instant hit. No one mistook me for Brad Pitt, especially not Jennifer Anniston, but the clothes looked better, fit better and after repeated dry cleanings appear to hold up better. Having been weaned on seemingly indestructible Lands End denim shirts, the last surprised me, but it was true. This thread count thingy meant something.

Using The Site

Shoppers visiting Jos. A Bank online will quickly find themselves bombarded by sale pricing. There are enough sales that one wonders why anyone would pay full price for the regular items.

Navigation is relatively easy through the use of a menu bar that clusters clothing by type and allows shoppers to drill into more detail. I found this much easier than using the search function which appears to be best used when you have an item number. You will most likely find it easier to click through the menu options then beginning your search using high level search terms.

One of the most enjoyable features was a build-your-own shirt page that allows you to specify fabric, collar, sizes and the rest, even down to monogramming. You can also monogram stock items, which, for a departure from most sites, are presented with fast-loading and large graphics. No little thumbnail color swatches are found here. The colors are vibrant and in large graphics that allow you to get a good sense of the actual product.

Checkout is through a standard shopping cart with good functionality. My coupon was easily accepted and interface was intuitive and easy-to-use.

An order confirmation arrived in my email within minutes, followed the next day by a shipping confirmation for the shirts. The order confirmation did not have a tracking number since I opted for mail delivery, but there was that most rare of all beasts – a customer service telephone number. The order confirmation for the pants arrived the next day, and I had all items in hand in well under one week.

They arrived in separate shipments, both carefully wrapped and completely accurate. True to the company’s word, shipping was also free for the order, which I carefully constructed to reach the $175 free shipping threshold.

The Bottom Line, Clicks And All

The clothes are of great quality, and the web site is relatively easy to use. I am a little concerned about the amount of advertising email I receive. I have not tracked the email, but am comfortable in reporting at least three emails a month, each one touting bigger and better sales.

Despite the price confusion and email, I would strongly consider returning here for the durable and handsome selection.

Five Things To Remember From This Review

1. Shipping is free for orders exceeding $175.
2. You can save money and select US mail as an option.
3. The menu interface is easy to use with large graphics of the color selections.
4. Go whole-hog and build your own shirt for only slightly more.
5. Opt out of email if you are a one time shopper or you will receive enough correspondence to choke your inbox.

Joubert’s FunLink

Having recently bought my first tuxedo, I faced that daunting issue of the bow tie. Most men I see can’t properly knot a traditional tie. The bow tie is daunting. This page, from clothier AfterHours, shows you how with easy-to-follow diagrams.

http://www.afterhours.com/tie_a_bow_tie.html

© 2004 Joubert