How many of these Business /stores do you know

[Shirtmaven]

One of my retired seamstress still keeps busy Making children's clothing as well as bags like the one in the photo. Evan an occasional yarmulke.
When she moved to NYC from the Dominican Republic when she was in her early 20s. She had gone to school in her teens to learn the needle trade.
She worked for many years for a shirtmaker called Beck & Sobel. after they closed she worked for Geneva, Paris shirt and for me at Cego for over 20 years.
She has attached labels to this bag from companies that she made shirts for as well as other random labels she collected.
How many do you recognize?

 

[aristoi bcn]

Interesting.

 

[comrade]

I recognize 21 of these stores/brands. It was great to see Andre
Oliver, an elegant and unique store on 57th St, a block or so from
Dunhill Tailors. Was a customer of both.

 

[Shirtmaven]

Beautiful sweaters.

I recognize 21 of these stores/brands. It was great to see Andre
Oliver, an elegant and unique store on 57th St, a block or so from
Dunhill Tailors. Was a customer of both.

 

[Mark Seitelman]

Bravo, Carl, for this trip down memory lane.

Bruce Cameron Clark. The Lord of Lexington Avenue. Still holding court. BTW, this is his old label.

Knize. It used to have a New York branch. My grandmother was a bookkeeper there. For her, it was just a job. Her prior job was at a restaurant. She never talked about Knize in exalted terms. In fact, she felt that the clothes were plain and overpriced. Walter Winchell was a customer.

Sussex. It was a suitmaker in the teens that used to sell direct to the public. It used to advertise that it sold to major stores and that the suits were discounted since they were sold direct to the public out of the factory. It was similar to St. Laurie in its advertising. I had some in my early career days in the early 1980's. Gone.

H. Freeman & Sons. It was a quality suit before the owners sold. I would say that it was comparable with Hickey Freeman (no relation) in that both were basically hand made suits. I had several of both. The Freeman family sold, and the Philadelphia factory was closed. The buyers folded it into English American tailoring, and it basically exists as just a label.

Lana Lee. She used to have an attractive store on Lexington and about 64th St. She closed it. Is she still in business?

GGG. This company made a top of the line suit, and Martin Greenfield learned his craft there. He bought the factory, and it is the site of his company, Martin Greenfield Clothiers which is run by his sons, Jay and Tod. He discusses it in his autobiography, "The Measure of a Man."

Louis Roth. This was a pretty flashy suit with cloth covered buttons and the like. It was something a gambler in Las Vegas would wear. It used to be sold in a special room at Barney's Seventh Avenue (before Madison Avenue) which was reserved for "top of the line" suits, such as Oxxford and Norman Hilton. Gone.

Tripler. A real class store that sold lines like Hickey Freeman and Oxxford and Troy Shirtmakers Guild when it was quality. I believe that it was three floors, and everything that it sold was quality. I had bought some accessories there. Its old store now houses a Joseph Bank. It is like a Burger King occupying the former site of the Four Seasons.

Sulka. Another extinct brand of distinction. I have had some ties and shirts.

 

[Shirtmaven]

Bravo, Carl, for this trip down memory lane.

Bruce Cameron Clark. The Lord of Lexington Avenue. Still holding court. BTW, this is his old label.

Knize. It used to have a New York branch. My grandmother was a bookkeeper there. For her, it was just a job. Her prior job was at a restaurant. She never talked about Knize in exalted terms. In fact, she felt that the clothes were plain and overpriced. Walter Winchell was a customer.

Sussex. It was a suitmaker in the teens that used to sell direct to the public. It used to advertise that it sold to major stores and that the suits were discounted since they were sold direct to the public out of the factory. It was similar to St. Laurie in its advertising. I had some in my early career days in the early 1980's. Gone.

H. Freeman & Sons. It was a quality suit before the owners sold. I would say that it was comparable with Hickey Freeman (no relation) in that both were basically hand made suits. I had several of both. The Freeman family sold, and the Philadelphia factory was closed. The buyers folded it into English American tailoring, and it basically exists as just a label.

Lana Lee. She used to have an attractive store on Lexington and about 64th St. She closed it. Is she still in business?

GGG. This company made a top of the line suit, and Martin Greenfield learned his craft there. He bought the factory, and it is the site of his company, Martin Greenfield Clothiers which is run by his sons, Jay and Tod. He discusses it in his autobiography, "The Measure of a Man."

Louis Roth. This was a pretty flashy suit with cloth covered buttons and the like. It was something a gambler in Las Vegas would wear. It used to be sold in a special room at Barney's Seventh Avenue (before Madison Avenue) which was reserved for "top of the line" suits, such as Oxxford and Norman Hilton. Gone.

Tripler. A real class store that sold lines like Hickey Freeman and Oxxford and Troy Shirtmakers Guild when it was quality. I believe that it was three floors, and everything that it sold was quality. I had bought some accessories there. Its old store now houses a Joseph Bank. It is like a Burger King occupying the former site of the Four Seasons.

Sulka. Another extinct brand of distinction. I have had some ties and shirts.

Thanks for your insights. I do love old labels.

 

[Mark Seitelman]

One further note.

Wallachs was a New York based chain of mens stores with branches on Fifth Avenue and 45th Street, lower Broadway, Brooklyn, Newark, and around the metro area. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallachs_(clothiers)

I would say that it was middle market as compared to Tripler's, but it sold good stuff by today's standards. It was a respectable place for the clothing of middle management and some of middle mangement who graduate to upper management. Generally, the big bosses would buy at Tripler or Brooks Brothers or Chipp or Paul Stuart or J. Press which were all in two blocks. Even the middle ground suits had much hand work by today's standards. Eventually, Wallachs was purchased by Hart Shaffner & Marx, and it featured its suits as well as Hickey Freeman which was owned by Hart Shaffner. Hart Shaffner became Hartmarx which also owned Tripler's and another chain, Roots. The retail stores were sold to another company which eventually went bust.

It was the type of place where a businessman would come at least twice a year for seasonal clothing, typically the fall for the fall-winter clothing and the spring for spring-summer. The emphasis was on quality make and tailored fit rather than high style.

Wallachs's passing in 1995 marked the ominous beginnings of the casual cancer trend.

 

[Shirtmaven]

One further note.

Wallachs was a New York based chain of mens stores with branches on Fifth Avenue and 45th Street, lower Broadway, Brooklyn, Newark, and around the metro area. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallachs_(clothiers)

I would say that it was middle market as compared to Tripler's, but it sold good stuff by today's standards. It was a respectable place for the clothing of middle management and some of middle mangement who graduate to upper management. Generally, the big bosses would buy at Tripler or Brooks Brothers or Chipp or Paul Stuart or J. Press which were all in two blocks. Even the middle ground suits had much hand work by today's standards. Eventually, Wallachs was purchased by Hart Shaffner & Marx, and it featured its suits as well as Hickey Freeman which was owned by Hart Shaffner. Hart Shaffner became Hartmarx which also owned Tripler's and another chain, Roots. The retail stores were sold to another company which eventually went bust.

It was the type of place where a businessman would come at least twice a year for seasonal clothing, typically the fall for the fall-winter clothing and the spring for spring-summer. The emphasis was on quality make and tailored fit rather than high style.

Wallachs's passing in 1995 marked the ominous beginnings of the casual cancer trend.

My first father in law opened an office machine business. He shopped at Wallach's. He wore Hickey. He had no sense of fashion or style. He knew he had to wear a nice suit. And the customer service was good.

 

[Mark Seitelman]

My first father in law opened an office machine business. He shopped at Wallach's. He wore Hickey. He had no sense of fashion or style. He knew he had to wear a nice suit. And the customer service was good.

This is why proper business dress has died as have the stores that sold it.

It used to be that any salesman or owner of a company had to wear a suit and tie. It was the uniform. It was the accepted clothing of a gentleman. This is no longer the case. Now salesman see prospects in shirt sleeves and sneakers.

 

[comrade]

The Knize shop in Vienna has a sign, as of a few years ago,
that says they have a New York branch. The NY store actually
closed in 1970, according to a sales person in Vienna.

One further note.

Wallachs was a New York based chain of mens stores with branches on Fifth Avenue and 45th Street, lower Broadway, Brooklyn, Newark, and around the metro area. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallachs_(clothiers)

I would say that it was middle market as compared to Tripler's, but it sold good stuff by today's standards. It was a respectable place for the clothing of middle management and some of middle mangement who graduate to upper management. Generally, the big bosses would buy at Tripler or Brooks Brothers or Chipp or Paul Stuart or J. Press which were all in two blocks. Even the middle ground suits had much hand work by today's standards. Eventually, Wallachs was purchased by Hart Shaffner & Marx, and it featured its suits as well as Hickey Freeman which was owned by Hart Shaffner. Hart Shaffner became Hartmarx which also owned Tripler's and another chain, Roots. The retail stores were sold to another company which eventually went bust.

It was the type of place where a businessman would come at least twice a year for seasonal clothing, typically the fall for the fall-winter clothing and the spring for spring-summer. The emphasis was on quality make and tailored fit rather than high style.

Wallachs's passing in 1995 marked the ominous beginnings of the casual cancer trend.

My first summer job at about age 14 was at Wallachs on Main Street in
Flushing. I was hired to assist salesmen during their Summer Sale. Among other duties, I had the responsibility to write down the alteration
tailor's instructions while he measured customers. Every day I wore a
tweed sport coat, because the only other tailored clothing I owned was
my Bar Mitzvah suit from Rogers Peet, which no longer fit. Fortunately,
the store was air conditioned.

 

[comrade]

This is why proper business dress has died as have the stores that sold it.

It used to be that any salesman or owner of a company had to wear a suit and tie. It was the uniform. It was the accepted clothing of a gentleman. This is no longer the case. Now salesman see prospects in shirt sleeves and sneakers.

My Dad was a dentist whose office was one block from our home. He
worked in a white jacket that closed at the neck. When he went home
for lunch he put on a suit jacket and a tie, sometimes a clip-on bow,for
the three minute walk. He shopped at Rogers Peet and later Paul Stuart.
At both he had "his" salesman.