The Costco Connection

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Kirkland Signature

Kirkland Signature offers affordable, classic men’s shirts

“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

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
Issaquah corporate headquarters 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 web-
site, says, “The Kirkland Signature dress shirts are so
similar to what I buy at Saks you can’t tell the differ-
ence except they are one-fourth the price.”
Beyond the value, what makes Kirkland Signa-
ture dress shirts so special?

Let’s start with the fabric. “The Kirkland Signa-
ture dress shirts are made of the finest cotton,” says
Kara Hawker, 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, perma-
nent press experience. Or, as Kara puts it,
“You should be able to take it out of the dryer
and wear it. No touch-up necessary.”
Costco’s Kirkland Signature dress shirts come
with a button-down or spread collar, in solids and
patterns, and are available in traditional and tai-
lored fit. (Full disclosure: When I protested my
middle-aged spread wouldn’t allow me to go the
tailored route, Kara 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 econ-
omy. You are allowing real people in real life situa-
tions 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
Dress it up