I’ve always loved Drake’s ties but found it hard to explain why. There isn’t that much to the making of a good tie, after all – just hand cutting and a slip stitch. The biggest difference is in the aesthetics: the dying of the silk and the design of the patterns. So I quizzed Michael Hill at Drake’s about it recently, to get to the bottom of some of these details.
The Drake’s silks are all now printed up in Macclesfield. While Michael thinks it is important at one level that the dye-and-discharge method is the original, traditional printing technique, the superior quality is the overriding factor.
simon, could you advise on the construction of drakes ties? do they make 4, 7 fold etc, use interlinings? simon
Pretty much entirely three fold, lined and tipped. Some untipped now and lighter linings, but that’s a recent phenomenon
Glad to hear that. Always preferred Barba over the rather stiff Drakes. A Good excuse to buy more Drakes ties.
My usual problem is that after a while my ties become permanently creased where the knot is. Once that happens I find it much harder to get a dimple, and the ties become relegated to the second drawer which isn’t used as often as the first drawer. Since I’ve heard a great deal of good about Drakes I just bought my first tie from there. It’s much stiffer than I had anticipated, but it is indeed beautiful. I’ve only worn it three times, so can’t comment on the permanent creasing aspect of it for another 6 months.
Is there something one can do to prevent or fix this creasing? I carefully untie my tie at the end of the day, roll it, and place the roll sideways in a drawer. My ties are not stacked on top of each other in the drawer.
— P
Always hang them after wearing, P, so the tie can relax and the creases drop out. I you store them rolled that’s fine, but hang them up for a day or just overnight first
Simon,
An interesting column.
I have always been a fan of Drakes ties as they not only reflect English aestheics, but the artisinal qaulities of British craftmanship. They show what the British clothing industry can do if they have the passion,vision and commitment.
Michael.
I’ve always had a problem pairing a tie with a shirt and knowing when is the right time to have the patterns clash instead of match. I really like several of the designs on the Drakes website and, from the information in this column, the craftsmanship looks outstanding. I’ll need to upgrade my collection!