One ofthe great investmentBanks of the 19thcentury, Barings, began lifeas a Londonoutpost forthe family'sWestCountrywoolbusiness, operating as bothmerchantandbanker.
The female models, with fluffy curled hair and bright red lips, looked like they were ready to get on an airline flight to mix a little business with pleasure, while the men in plaid wool blazers could have been running off to a campus club meeting.
Goldman, a dyed-in-the-wool trading firm, is grabbing such opportunities with glee, taking business from once ubiquitous but now reeling rivals, such as Citigroup and UBS. It also helps that its arch-rival, Morgan Stanley, has pulled in its horns.
The house has also expanded its made-to-measure custom business, offering a wide range of fine leather gloves and cashmere and wool socks (or "hose, " as it quaintly still calls them), silk ties, even boxer shorts.