Hankie Couture

Oak Park native transforms hankies into doll clothes.

ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jews in the D

I

t might look like an old 
hanky to some, but to 
Marsha Greenberg of Oak 
Park, it’
s a doll outfit waiting 
to happen. 
Greenberg, 66, is the creator 
of Hankie Couture, which 
revamps vintage items such 
as handkerchiefs, tea towels, 
tablecloths, napkins and doi-
lies into one-of-a-kind doll 
clothing.
At age 10, Greenberg was 
already creating amateur 
designs out of newspapers for 
her dolls. By 11, she’
d mas-
tered knitting, crocheting, 
embroidering, cross stitching 
and needlepoint, to name just 
a few. 
She married her husband, 
Brian, in 1972 and together 
they started Marsha Inc., 
a company that designed 
and manufactured women’
s 
clothing. After selling the 
business in 1986, Greenberg 
began designing custom-made 
dresses for private clients, 
even some for the Academy 
Awards. (“No one famous, 
though,” she said.)
Life would have continued 
along that projected path if 
not for their fateful trip to 
Pennsylvania in 2002. In a 
corner of an antique shop, 
Greenberg noticed a display of 
vintage handkerchiefs. 
“I heard the music of a 
hundred-piece orchestra in 
my head,” is how Greenberg 
later described that moment 
in the first of her three books 
on the subject. “Here were my 

… vintage treasures! Flowers 
mated expertly with scallop 
borders! Romantic roses 
lit up by enchanting vines! 
Such a happy combination 
of elegance and elan! And so 
small!”
Greenberg purchased more 
than 100 and realized they 
would make the most amazing 
doll dresses. Most exciting of all 
was the fact that no two were 
alike. “Where can you go any-
where these days and find only 
one of something?” she said. 
With each hankie, 
Greenberg considers its size, 
border, colors, design and 
decides what would best suit: 
a bodice with long or short 
sleeves, with possibly even a 
matching hat or purse. 
Equally as important to 
Greenberg is that kids enjoy 

them. “I’
ve seen the way doll 
clothes are made today, and 
it’
s appalling — cheap polyes-
ter fabrics, Velcro that’
s barely 
stitched on,” Greenberg said. 
“How can anyone have fun 
playing with something so 
poorly made?” 
Children are not the only 
ones who benefit from 
Greenberg’
s creations. Over 
the years, she’
s received many 
letters from around the world, 
from people who couldn’
t bear 
to throw out their deceased 
mother’
s or sister’
s handker-
chiefs.
On the other hand, what 
exactly were they supposed to 
do with them? Greenberg to 
the rescue! She revamps the 
handkerchief into a unique 
doll outfit, which the family 
can display proudly on a doll. 

“I think it’
s because my 
dresses strike a chord in peo-
ple’
s hearts. They evoke a fond 
memory. People feel and see 
the love that I have put into 
my dresses,” Greenberg said. 
To date, Greenberg has cre-
ated more than 6,500 doll out-
fits, which she sells on eBay 
(price ranges from $15-$300, 
depending on custom detail) 
and has the rest on display 
in her basement. Still, she 
knows there are plenty more 
vintage items out there just 
waiting to be discovered, and 
she’
s prepared: she never goes 
anywhere without her tape 
measure. 

For more information or to purchase 
doll clothes or Hankie Couture books 
(which include patterns), email 
marsha@hankiecouture.com.

“Such a happy 
combination of 
elegance and 
elan! And so 
small!”

— MARSHA GREENBERG

28 | OCTOBER 1 • 2020 

Marsha Greenberg 
celebrating her 
August birthday 
social-distancing style

