My great grandfather Albert Jaffe came to this country from Lithuania in the early 1900s to pursue the American Dream. He found work traveling up and down the East Coast in a horse and cart selling furs. In order to better his circumstances one day he purchased a bow tie from a large department store in downtown Baltimore, took it apart and reproduced the design.
Eventually he turned his small bow tie operation into a successful clothing factory, supplying uniforms and other goods throughout the East Coast.
My wife and I still believe in the American Dream, but a college education and hard work just isn’t enough to pay the bills anymore (much less save for retirement.) We started Rags to Riches as a way to honor the hard work of the immigrants who continue to make this a great country … and to help pay the bills.
We use fair trade fabrics because we believe that pursuing the American Dream for our family does not have to mean creating an American Nightmare for others at home or abroad.
We hope you enjoy our bow ties.
Larry and Jennifer Schugam
