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The White House Historical Association’s Newest Partner: Brooks Brothers

The menswear retailer has a legacy of working with presidents, so a new line of neckwear—produced in collaboration with the White House Historical Association and featuring the presidential seal—seems, well, a good fit.

Say what you will about any particular president, but everyone who has been elected to the office—so far—has worn a suit. The menswear company Brooks Brothers, the oldest continually operating retail brand in the United States, has offered its services to 40 of the 45 presidents.

Thanks to a new collaboration between the clothier and the White House Historical Association, men who don’t go to work in the Oval Office will have a chance to feel a little bit presidential. A new collection of Brooks Brothers accessories will feature the presidential seal introduced by President Harry S. Truman in 1945. The collection includes ties and bow ties (in red, blue, and navy blue) and a pocket square.

The use of an official presidential seal dates back to President Rutherford B. Hayes, who first developed a coat of arms for the office in 1877. Improvements were made over the next 70 years. (Elements of the design date back to at least the 1840s.) Since the earliest days, the design of the seal’s eagle has included a distinctive feature: In one set of talons, the eagle holds an olive branch; in the other, several arrows. Famously, the eagle’s head faces left, toward the olive branch, to symbolize peace.  Truman’s version was the first to incorporate color into the design.

Speaking to Women’s Wear Daily, a Brooks Brothers spokesperson said the White House Historical Association had reached out to the company to propose the partnership because the association “recognized our unique history as America’s oldest brand, the only one that has dressed 40 out of 45 U.S. presidents.”

More items will be added to the collection in the future. So if you’re looking for a presidential necktie, they may soon have the one for you.

Ernie Smith

By Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. MORE

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