Dress it up
Kirkland Signature offers affordable, classic men's shirts
By Steve Fisher
IN AN INTERVIEW in 2012, Ann and then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney touted shopping at Costco. Ann remarked how she bought his shirts there, to which Mitt added, "They're very nice shirts." At the time, much was made of the fact that the Romneys are very wealthy and why would they buy $17.99 dress shirts at Costco when they could buy more-expensive shirts elsewhere? The answer is simple: Why wouldn't they?
Costco's Kirkland Signature™ dress shirts compare, in quality, to dress shirts selling at high-end stores. Where the comparison changes dramatically is in the value. Why spend $80 to $100 for something you can get for $17.99? The truly wealthy don't spend extra just because they can. They appreciate a bargain as much as those of us with more moderate means.
Costco President and CEO Craig Jelinek, in an interview with The Motley Fool, says, "I love our Kirkland Signature dress shirts for $17.99. That's basically all I wear."
He's not alone. Walk the halls in Costco's corporate headquarters in Issaquah, Washington, and you'll see a virtual fashion parade of Kirkland Signature dress shirts. Craig acknowledges that Costco employees "have a positive bias toward Costco, but we also recognize great value. So we feel pretty comfortable that anything [in the warehouse] is going to be the best possible value that you are going to find in the marketplace. That's what we do."
The sentiment is also widespread outside the company. Noted investment adviser Jim Cramer, in a November 2013 article on the Real Money website, says, "The Kirkland Signature dress shirts are so similar to what I buy at Saks you can't tell the difference except they are one-fourth the price."
Beyond the value, what makes Kirkland Signature dress shirts so special?
Let's start with the fabric. "The Kirkland Signature dress shirts are made of the finest cotton," says Stacey Lazowski, men's apparel buyer for Costco. "We use 80s-count two-ply yarns, which ultimately means a finer and more luxurious fabric."
One of the great features of the shirts is their durable press rating, meaning a true, permanent press experience. Or, as Lazowski puts it, "You should be able to take it out of the dryer and wear it. No touch-up necessary."
Additionally, Kirkland Signature dress shirts are water and stain repellent and have soil release finishes that allow ordinary washing to get all the dirt out.
Costco's Kirkland Signature dress shirts come with a button-down or spread collar, in solids and patterns, and are available in traditional and tailored fit. (Full disclosure: When I protested my middle-aged spread wouldn't allow me to go the tailored route, Lazowski handed me one and said, "Try this." I'm wearing it as I write this, and no buttons have popped.)
While the assortments in each warehouse vary, you can find an expanded selection on Costco.com, including big and tall sizes.
Costco member Charlie Anteby writes, "I have probably bought about 24 to 30 [Kirkland Signature dress] shirts altogether. I love them. They fit and wear great, and I am getting to update and freshen my wardrobe despite the challenging economy. You are allowing real people in real life situations to live much more respectable lives than we would otherwise have been able to do."
Costco's Kirkland Signature dress shirts don't just offer great quality and value, but are doing their part to help bridge the gap between the haves and the have-not-as-much. C
The Costco Connection >
IN AN INTERVIEW in 2012, Ann and then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney touted shopping at Costco. Ann remarked how she bought his shirts there, to which Mitt added, "They're very nice shirts." At the time, much was made of the fact that the Romneys are very wealthy and why would they buy $17.99 dress shirts at Costco when they could buy more-expensive shirts elsewhere? The answer is simple: Why wouldn't they?
Costco's Kirkland Signature™ dress shirts compare, in quality, to dress shirts selling at high-end stores. Where the comparison changes dramatically is in the value. Why spend $80 to $100 for something you can get for $17.99? The truly wealthy don't spend extra just because they can. They appreciate a bargain as much as those of us with more moderate means.
Costco President and CEO Craig Jelinek, in an interview with The Motley Fool, says, "I love our Kirkland Signature dress shirts for $17.99. That's basically all I wear."
He's not alone. Walk the halls in Costco's corporate headquarters in Issaquah, Washington, and you'll see a virtual fashion parade of Kirkland Signature dress shirts. Craig acknowledges that Costco employees "have a positive bias toward Costco, but we also recognize great value. So we feel pretty comfortable that anything [in the warehouse] is going to be the best possible value that you are going to find in the marketplace. That's what we do."
The sentiment is also widespread outside the company. Noted investment adviser Jim Cramer, in a November 2013 article on the Real Money website, says, "The Kirkland Signature dress shirts are so similar to what I buy at Saks you can't tell the difference except they are one-fourth the price."
Beyond the value, what makes Kirkland Signature dress shirts so special?
Let's start with the fabric. "The Kirkland Signature dress shirts are made of the finest cotton," says Stacey Lazowski, men's apparel buyer for Costco. "We use 80s-count two-ply yarns, which ultimately means a finer and more luxurious fabric."
One of the great features of the shirts is their durable press rating, meaning a true, permanent press experience. Or, as Lazowski puts it, "You should be able to take it out of the dryer and wear it. No touch-up necessary."
Additionally, Kirkland Signature dress shirts are water and stain repellent and have soil release finishes that allow ordinary washing to get all the dirt out.
Costco's Kirkland Signature dress shirts come with a button-down or spread collar, in solids and patterns, and are available in traditional and tailored fit. (Full disclosure: When I protested my middle-aged spread wouldn't allow me to go the tailored route, Lazowski handed me one and said, "Try this." I'm wearing it as I write this, and no buttons have popped.)
While the assortments in each warehouse vary, you can find an expanded selection on Costco.com, including big and tall sizes.
Costco member Charlie Anteby writes, "I have probably bought about 24 to 30 [Kirkland Signature dress] shirts altogether. I love them. They fit and wear great, and I am getting to update and freshen my wardrobe despite the challenging economy. You are allowing real people in real life situations to live much more respectable lives than we would otherwise have been able to do."
Costco's Kirkland Signature dress shirts don't just offer great quality and value, but are doing their part to help bridge the gap between the haves and the have-not-as-much. C
The Costco Connection >
Focus on Kirkland Signature
"The Kirkland Signature dress shirts are so similar to what I buy at Saks you can't tell the difference, except they are one-fourth the price."
-Jim Cramer
"The Kirkland Signature dress shirts are so similar to what I buy at Saks you can't tell the difference, except they are one-fourth the price."
-Jim Cramer