After Six is historically the largest and most influential formalwear maker in USA. The company was founded as S. RUDOFKER’s Sons in 1903 by Samuel RUDOFKER, a Ukrainian immigrant who tailored overcoats in his Philadelphia row house. In 1923 his sons Morris and Max introduced the “Rudo Tux”, the first ready-to-wear tuxedo priced at only $16.50 – this made formal wear accessible for the working man and changed the focus of the company. The RUDOFKERS are also often credited with pioneering the concept of rented formal wear when they began selling their tuxedos to haberdashers, dry cleaners and tailors with dry-cleaning facilities who in turn acted as dealers for customers requiring temporary formal attire for events and weekends. In the 1930s the RUDOFKER sons decided they needed a new identity for the company that would reflect its evening wear specialization, that's how After Six brand started – a reference to the etiquette of wearing tuxedos and tailcoats only after 6:00 p.m – which was trademarked in 1937 and eventually incorporated in 1946. In 1950 After Six began to work with celebrities, named one of its tuxedo for actor and singer Tony MARTIN. A few years later they started to produce a range of colored dinner jackets and introduced one of the first wash-and-wear white dinner jacket which proved to be another huge success. In the end of 1950s the company passed to Max’s son Sam RUDOFKER, under his leadership it began to diversify in 1966 acquiring numerous business that sold shirts, overcoats and uniforms and in 1969 the company went public. Through the 1970s booming rental trade continued and the company produced formal day wear in a wide range of peacock tones, having created the brightly hued Arnold Palmer tuxedo line for Joe Average, collaborated with such designers as Oscar de la RENTA and Dimitri, licensed their name to suppliers of products such as cufflinks, wrist watches, dress socks, and even prom dresses. When black tuxedos made a comeback in the 1980s as America’s hippies matured into yuppies, After Six embraced the luxury-goods era with new rental and retail lines inspired by the TV series Dynasty, Miami Vice and L.A. Law, and upscale offerings from Bill Blass, Henry Grethel and Christian Dior fashion houses. Sam resigned in 1981 and Morris RUDOFKER’s son Bob took over the reins as chairman. Despite the launch of a Michael JORDAN tuxedo line in 1990, After Six filed for bankruptcy in 1993. I was the end of RUDOFKER family stewardship and the headquarters in Philadelphia. In March 2011, after several company bankruptcies, it was purchased by the Dessy Group, that had been producing bridesmaid’s dresses as a licensee of After Six for the previous 14 years. Thus, begins After Six: The Sequel.