Back in the 1920s, Nancy Kahn’s grandfather was welcoming patients into his home office on the east side of Manhattan, wearing shirts and ties exclusively from A. Sulka & Co.–“much to my grandmother’s chagrin,” says Nancy. Sulka was in the midst of its rise to prominence as a haberdasher to American royalty, like Kennedys, Rockefellers, and Hollywood leading men, as well as actual royalty, like the Duke of Windsor. While Nancy’s grandmother may not have appreciated the expense of a Sulka wardrobe, she recognized the quality of the silk and workmanship, and saved her husbands neckwear–from subtle to loud; richly colored, printed silks in stripes and abstract patterns. Sometime in the late 1920s, according to family lore, she deconstructed the ties, ironed the silks flat, cut them into triangles, sewed them by hand into squares, and sewed the squares into a 60-inch square quilt with black satin backing.
The quilt was handed down to Nancy, who has put it up for sale in her Etsy shop. Although the opportunity to drape yourself in silks from one of the world’s great lost men’s clothiers is rare and tempting, Nancy recommends this as a decorative, rather than functional, item. Which is true to the spirit of neckties as well.
– Pete
