Back in the 1980s was IZOD's peak when it had its partnership with Lacoste. The two companies broke up in the early 1990s. Since being purchased by PVH, they have been in up and down phases. The brand suffered a significant setback when they closed their standalone outlets in 2015, merging some of them with some Van Heusen outlets, as well as the discontinuation of the women's line. However, since 2016, IZOD seems to be making a comeback, and 2018 seems to be a very good year for them. This year alone IZOD revived the women's line, launched the StyleBureau.com website along with Van Heusen for direct sales, and this fall IZOD will be expanding to parts of Europe.
So, I wonder, does anyone think the IZOD brand is making a comeback? Since 2016 the IZOD brand seems to be doing well. Perhaps a more innovative lineup may be helping with sales. Also, perhaps they are becoming less dependent on traditional brick-and-mortar retailers, pushing more sales online (I bought a lot of my IZOD shirts on Amazon this year).
When I was in college, the Izod alligator was the consummate symbol that the wearer was a preppie. I avoided them like the plague. I still see Izod brand clothing in stores from time to time, without the alligator, and still shy away.
IZOD should partner with IHOB.
Didn't this guy make IZOD famous? I think he was wearing an IZOD sweater during one of the 2016 presidential debates and then the brand blew up.
(https://media2.s-nbcnews.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Video/201610/tdy_or_ken_161011.760;428;7;70;5.jpg)
Quote from: MantyMadTown on August 30, 2018, 10:52:00 PM
Didn't this guy make IZOD famous? I think he was wearing an IZOD sweater during one of the 2016 presidential debates and then the brand blew up.
(https://media2.s-nbcnews.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Video/201610/tdy_or_ken_161011.760;428;7;70;5.jpg)
Thank God the white shirt/white tie combo didn't also blow up.
These shirts were popular 30 years ago, but now I burst out laughing when I see people wearing these - especially when they have the collars turned up.
Back when I was in middle school, my mom tried getting me a shirt like this and forcing me to wear it, and I refused.
Used to wear the alligator shirts all the time as a kid. My mom always tried to get me to wear it with the collar up, but I would always resist and put it down. The couple times I was shamed/forced into keeping it up, I felt sooooo stupid.
BTW, the Izod Center (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena), though pretty much abandoned, still stands in the Meadowlands Sports Complex.
The alligator is Lacoste, not IZOD.
Mid-noughties, I remember pink Izod's and popped collars. Don't see the brand anymore.
IZOD in casual wear, like Brooks Brothers in suits, is slow and steady. It is not going to change. The popularity is going to ebb and flow with the times, but it will never be totally dated either. You can buy either brand and, if not stylish, be presentable for as long as the item lasts.
Quote from: SP Cook on August 31, 2018, 09:52:23 AM
IZOD in casual wear, like Brooks Brothers in suits, is slow and steady. It is not going to change. The popularity is going to ebb and flow with the times, but it will never be totally dated either. You can buy either brand and, if not stylish, be presentable for as long as the item lasts.
BB suits also come with lifetime tailoring/garment care. My old boss ripped a pair of BB suit pants along the seam, and he took them to the store, and they fixed the pants for free while he waited. They have a well-earned and well-deserved reputation for stodginess, but they do make quality garments. I was a big fan of their dress shirts, back when my clothing sizes were steady enough that I could spend $60 or $80 (depending on the current sale) on a dress shirt that would last for 5 or 10 years.
Quote from: abefroman329 on August 30, 2018, 10:59:30 PM
Quote from: MantyMadTown on August 30, 2018, 10:52:00 PM
Didn't this guy make IZOD famous? I think he was wearing an IZOD sweater during one of the 2016 presidential debates and then the brand blew up.
(https://media2.s-nbcnews.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Video/201610/tdy_or_ken_161011.760;428;7;70;5.jpg)
Thank God the white shirt/white tie combo didn't also blow up.
Yes, I think that was from IZOD's Fall 2016 collection. Since Spring 2017, IZOD has partnered with tennis duo the Bryan Brothers as their advertising partners.
Quote from: abefroman329 on August 31, 2018, 09:14:30 AM
The alligator is Lacoste, not IZOD.
They were one and the same back in the early 1980s. Izod Lacoste. One name, one brand.
Quote from: hbelkins on August 31, 2018, 11:17:57 AM
Quote from: abefroman329 on August 31, 2018, 09:14:30 AM
The alligator is Lacoste, not IZOD.
They were one and the same back in the early 1980s. Izod Lacoste. One name, one brand.
Gross.
When I studied abroad in England in 2000, rugby shirts with popped collars were popular amongst the uni's meatheads.
Quote from: hbelkins on August 31, 2018, 11:17:57 AM
Quote from: abefroman329 on August 31, 2018, 09:14:30 AM
The alligator is Lacoste, not IZOD.
They were one and the same back in the early 1980s. Izod Lacoste. One name, one brand.
Nowadays, IZOD is a mid-range preppy brand competing with Ralph Lauren's Chaps brand, while Lacoste is a premium preppy brand competing with Polo Ralph Lauren.
I'm partial to the golf shirt, because it is comfortable business casual and fits well with my work dress code, but I can't recall the last time I had a gator on my chest.
God, I hope not!
Never wore them much back when they were popular, instead opting for the less expensive St. John's Bay shirts.
They were the title sponsor of the IndyCar Series between 2010 and 2013, which always seemed a little strange to me since I don't think racing fans are really their market. I guess things didn't work out for Izod since they only sponsored the series for three years out of the five-year contract.
Quote from: SCtoKC on August 31, 2018, 04:55:21 PM
They were the title sponsor of the IndyCar Series between 2010 and 2013, which always seemed a little strange to me since I don't think racing fans are really their market. I guess things didn't work out for Izod since they only sponsored the series for three years out of the five-year contract.
I agree. One stigma that seems to hurt IZOD is that they are a "dad brand", being associated with middle-aged to older men. This same trait is shared with other brands such as Dockers and Nautica, and the latter has been struggling in recent years, with VF recently selling the brand to Authentic Brands Group, a company known to purchase dying brands in effort to revitalize them. At least IZOD has been holding well and since 2016 seems to be on a recovery since their setbacks in 2015. I wonder if the Advantage Polo introduced in Spring 2016 is helping with sales; the Advantage Polo is a hybrid pique/performance polo, with the traditional look of a pique polo but with the desirable properties of a performance polo such as moisture-wicking fabric, UPF-15 sun protection, and natural stretch. In fact, the Advantage Polo now outsells their original Heritage Polo. I haven't bought a Heritage Polo for quite a while now; most of my IZOD polo purchases have been Advantage Polos, with some Windward Interlock Polos and a small number of polos from the Golf line.
Has the IZOD marketing department sent you a cake yet?