One of our customers, a chairman of a large NYC-based bank, asked us to make some ties for the bank.  He said the bank had a number of ties, but none that were good enough for him to give to the people with whom he was dealing.  (Those were the days when banks were quite profitable.)  The project planted the seed that developed into Chipp 2.

We had a number of customers who had the most stripes on their sleeves.  We suggested tie projects to them, and we had a good number of positive responses.  So, in its infancy, Chipp 2 made ties for some corporate clients, for our store, and for our mail order catalog.

The most popular ties in our catalog were the ties with dog breeds. Our first “litter” had 15 breeds.  We tracked the requests we received for different breeds, and we added five to seven breeds a year.  Today our Chipp2.com web site offers 95 breeds of dogs on ties, cosmetic bags, belts, suspenders, and pillows.  We offer our watch products in every breed that walks the planet.  Although the only ties showcased on our website are the dog breed ties, we continue to make many projects for clubs, companies, schools, alumni groups, and like.  If you want to chat about ties, tie projects, custom clothing, shirts—feel free to contact us.

In 1945 Sidney Winston and Lou Prager opened Chipp of NY,Inc. They had both worked for J Press. The business was financed by Jonas Arnold, who was the proprietore of a men’s shop in Cambridge, MA named Chipp. ( Arnold and the Sill’s brothers were partners in a men’s shop in New Haven, CT. named Chipp. They had a parting of the way and the Sills brothers then called their operation Sills and Arnold moved to Cambridge and continued using the name Chipp.) Arnold suggested that Winston and Prager use the name Chipp for their NYC shop. Through the years many Yale and Harvard men who had traded at the New Haven and Cambridge Chipp shops thought that Chipp of NY, Inc was connected to the shops where they traded during their college years. There never was a business connection between the three shops. This is the answer to the frequently posed question, “Where did the name Chipp come from?”

The metamorphosis of Chipp of NY, Inc to Winston Tailors and the creation of Chipp2 ( our necktie operation and the mother of Chipp2.com, the web site that features our dog breed products) will be continued in future blogs. If any readers have questions about our custom clothing , made-to-measure clothing, or our neckties- dog breed or others, feel free to call and chat- 212 687-0850- Paul Winston

A number of our customers have suggested that I share some of the experiences and things we have learned in the 65 years that we have been doing what we do.  What does the two-headed Chipp 2-Winston Tailors do?  Chipp 2 is a small “corporate identity product ” maker. We make ties and scarves for clubs, alumni groups, schools, companies, etc.  Our website features the products we make that feature dog breeds.  Winston Tailors makes custom and made-to-measure clothing- suits, sports jackets, odd trousers, vests.  We also have an unusual range of shirt fabrics and we make shirts to order.  We have been privileged  to deal with an exciting, conservative (in dress, not necessarily politically)  clientele.  The blog will deal with the history of the “two heads” and with some of the things that have come to pass- for example what it was like making clothing for  President  John F. Kennedy.   Tomorrow’s blog will contain a few stories about the origins of the two entities.