| Robert Talbott Inc. is famous for its exclusive line of | | | | savage blow when the couple's three-year-old |
| handmade silk neckties, which include limited edition silk | | | | daughter, Heather, died of a brain tumor. The family |
| ties that are hand-signed and extremely hard to find. | | | | was so devasted that Robert promptly quit his job and |
| These ties are special because they are made from a | | | | moved his family to the other side of the nation, |
| single sheet of quality silk and they contain no inner | | | | California. |
| lining or ironing. Talbott has also expanded into other | | | | Turning a Hobby into a Business |
| men's lines that include dress shirts, sweaters, suits, | | | | It was then that the family decided to start their own |
| leather jackets and accessories. The company even | | | | business and Audrey's little hobby soon became a full |
| offers a women's line that includes shirts, sweaters, | | | | time job. Due to the high-quality fabric and the |
| scarves, belts and handbags. | | | | labor-intensive process, the Talbots knew that they |
| Talbot clothes and accessories are sold at upscale | | | | could sell their products only to men with deep |
| department stores like Nordstrom and Saks Fifth | | | | pockets, so they targeted this niche market. For years |
| Avenue, though some of their exclusive neckties are | | | | Robert Talbott packed the family car with his wife's |
| nearly impossible to come by. | | | | unique creations and traveled up and down the |
| Brief Biography | | | | California coast selling her handmade wares to |
| Robert Talbot was born and raised in Grenfell, Iowa, in | | | | haberdashery shops. In time, the demand for Talbott |
| 1905. He went to Grenfell College and later earned a | | | | ties grew so great that they were able to open their |
| M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1931. After | | | | very own store. |
| working a number of jobs, he finally settled in New | | | | In 1953 the couple opened a store in Carmel, California. |
| York City in 1939 and took a position at a top life | | | | At that time they sold only hand-made silk ties and |
| insurance company. During World War II Talbot met | | | | bowties. The couple barely stayed afloat for the first |
| and married Audrey Sharpe, a woman he had met | | | | few years but still managed to open a second store in |
| through the passing of a friend. | | | | 1960. Then a few years after that men's fashion |
| At that time it seemed as if Robert Talbot's life was | | | | changed and people were suddenly willing to pay a |
| on a straight trajectory. He had married a woman he | | | | premium for quality ties. Designers like Ralph Lauren |
| deeply loved and they subsequently began to raise a | | | | and Christian Dior had ushered in a new age and the |
| family in Connecticut. He also had a stable job that | | | | Talbots quickly reaped the benefits. |
| allowed the family to live an upper middle class life in | | | | Today the company has annual sales of over fifty |
| the idyllic suburbs of central Connecticut. In time Robert | | | | million dollars and they sell to some of the most |
| would become and executive vice-president and was | | | | exclusive retailers in the nation. They have also |
| marked for greater things. | | | | expanded their product line to include both men's and |
| Meanwhile, his wife, Audrey stayed at home and | | | | women's shirts and accessories. Although, their silk ties |
| raised the children. She had only one hobby and that | | | | on which the company's reputation was built are still |
| was creating silk neckties for her husband and his | | | | hand-made and highly sought after. |
| friends. But their seemingly perfect life was dealt a | | | | |