A. Sulka and Co. was founded in New York City in 1893 by businessman Amos Sulka and tailor Leon Wormser. The shop was originally a shirtmaker’s establishment, and in 1895 was located on Broadway. By the early 1920s, A. Sulka had moved to Fifth Avenue and had opened stores in London’s Old Bond Street and in Paris.
They were known for their high quality custom shirts, and for luxurious items made from silk such as ties, scarves and robes. The store became a favorite of the well-dressed rich and famous, including the Duke of Windsor and Clark Gable.
Amos Sulka died in 1946. More stores were opened, including ones in San Francisco and Chicago. Sulka carried primarily mens items, but there were select women’s items such as scarves and robes.
During the late 1960s and 1970s, the idea of luxury was changing, and many buyers were looking to European lines, such as Gucci. Sulka was no longer the desirable name it had been. The company was sold in 1980, and changed hands several times before being acquired by Vendome in the 1990s. There was a plan to revive the name, but the stores were closed beginning in late 2001, and the last store was shuttered in 2002.
Written by Lizzie Bramlett, fuzzylizzie.com
from a 1919 cravat
Courtesy of an anonymous donor
from a late 1940s lady's scarf
Courtesy of an anonymous donor
from a 1950s lady's silk robe
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from a 1940s/1950s alpaca vest
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from a 1951 lady's silk scarf
Courtesy of an anonymous donor
from a 1955 sleeping coat
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from a 1955 silk robe
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from a 1955 silk robe
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from a 1958 silk smoking jacket
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from a 1962 lady's vicuna sweater
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from a 1963 dressing gown
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from a 1964 silk scarf
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from a late 1960s shirt
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from a 1969 smoking jacket
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from a 1971 cashmere shirt
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from a 1981 sport coat
Courtesy of an anonymous donor
from a 1980s man's suit
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from an early 1990s robe
Courtesy of an anonymous donor
from a 1993 cashmere sweater
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from a 1996 cotton bathrobe
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