The man wearing the overcoat was gone. The black frock coat that he wore was tailored to his long frame. Inside the coat read “One Country, One Destiny” and he had it on when he passed away. In March 1865, just two weeks before his assassination, Brooks Brothers commissioned the manufacturing of the coat for the president. The insignia along the silk twill embroidery was intended to be a reminder that national unity was utmost priority.
More than 8,000 stores closed in 2017. That number surpassed 9,300 in 2019. With 6,000 stores shuttered already, 2020 has a projected a new record: 12,000 or more. These aren’t just retail casualties. America’s malls were designed to appeal to the middle class, and both are disappearing.
