Barbarians at the Suit Racks

With the Feb. 1 headline that Jos. A. Bank Clothiers is considering acquiring Eddie Bauer to make itself less acquirable by Men’s Wearhouse—which Jos. A. Bank attempted to acquire in October—the merger marathon of the menswear industry has officially entered bedroom farce territory. While M&A obsessives have followed every offer and counteroffer in the Men’s Wearhouse–Jos. A. Bank saga, now entering its fifth month, ordinary citizens can be forgiven for confusion about what is going on. Here are some answers.

Who are these guys again? Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank sell inexpensive suits and rent low-cost tuxedos. They’re the No. 1 and No. 2 retailers in men’s specialty apparel, with revenue of $2.5 billion and $1 billion, respectively.