Sulka Shirts

[RJman]

These are made in Italy, supposedly.

 

[uriahheep]

The made in Italy shirts are a little better.

 

[Horace]

Just picked up two new Sulka shirts on ebay for $30 each. Â Can anyone tell me how are they? Â Do they compare to H&K or Charvet? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws....AB:US:6 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws....AB:US:6

I don't know if they are still around but stores in NYC and Chicago were legendary. Up through the 80's, I was impressed with their goods.

 

[lisapop]

I have fond memories of Sulka in New York, which was always a quiet haven for quality, tasteful, often unique apparel.  Just the other day, I wore a Sulka leather jacket with a camel hair lining that buttons out for wearing during warmer weather.  Seymour Merns (aka Sy Syms of the discount store empire) purchased Sulka as his trophy, and many mourn its disappearance from the scene.
Grayson

 

[RJman]

In 2000 I happened into their Paris store as it was closing, with huge discounts on everything (this was way out of sale season). I picked up some leather luggage tags for my dad... they came apart fast though.

 

[kabert]

There's a very cool folding Sulka cane, with leather "holster," on Ebay right now.  I've never seen anything like it.  Not that I'd have any use for it....

Edit: OK, "cool" may not be entirely accurate -- interesting and different, at least.

 

[AlanC]

Well, if they don't live up to RJMan standards there's always ebay relist.

 

[lhh]

Sulka shirts are very good. All last for years, they are worth the money. The shirts pictured are after Sulka was sold in the 1970's. The previous A. Sulka & Co. shirts had a more intricate label and were even better quality shirt. The actually used to cost $17.50 - 25.00. I bought all my shirts, ties, from them. After the sale the quality was OK but the fit was not the same and the fabric was also not quite the same- the price increased. Still a very good shirt. Sulka was the US equivalent of Charvet.
Hope this helps.

 

[RJman]

Well, if they don't live up to RJMan standards there's always ebay relist.

la surdose de luxe mene au crime...

 

[AlanC]

Originally Posted by AlanC,Mar. 15 2005,12:47

Well, if they don't live up to RJMan standards there's always ebay relist.

la surdose de luxe mene au crime....

ha ha, ain't it the truth.

 

[Shirtmaven]

I can only tell you about domestic production.

about 20-13 years ago. Stock shirts were made by a guy named Barry Parkoff in Port Chester, NY. He also made sails.

Whe he closed the production shifter to Elana J in PA. They are gone for over a year.

Custom was made years ago by Chris-Arto.
Mike at Geneva took the business with him when he opened up across the street from Chris -Arto. The factory was not called Geneva. It was named after some other swiss city.
Sulka then pulled the custome work and gave it to Paris shirt.

Neil Fox was the one who basically killed the business.

IMO.


Carl

 

[kabert]

One thing I've noticed about the Sulka shirts I have is that they're all cut very full -- comparable to the Brooks Brothers cut, or bigger.

 

[Horace]

One thing I've noticed about the Sulka shirts I have is that they're all cut very full -- comparable to the Brooks Brothers cut, or bigger.

Yes, full. Don't think bigger than Brooks though. (May be wrong of course -- but difficult to get fuller cut than Brooks, no?) I knew a lot of Ivy League guys who would wear the stuff. It was well-known to be a purveyor of luxury -- almost sinfully so by standards of the New England haberdasher.

 

[kabert]

Regarding whether Sulka shirts have MOP buttons, I took a look at the 3 Sulka shirts that I currently have in my closet -- interestingly, the one dress shirt does not have MOP buttons but the two more casual shirts do (both are heavy cotton fall/winter/early spring shirts). One of the two casual shirts has "Sulka" stamped into the MOP buttons as well. I didn't look to see whether any of the shirts indicated whether they were made in Italy or the US or elsewhere.

 

[Manton]

Neil Fox was the one who basically killed the business.

What happened? All I remember was, they were on Park in the 50s for many years, seemingly doing just fine. Then they opened a "superstore" on Madison in the 60s, and within a year they were gone. Very sad.