Reader profile: Ian
Ian is retired, and got into luxury menswear late in life. But he always had an interest in clothes, from his early days in Ivy clothing to the forties and fifties influences that came with learning jive dancing. It could be easy to see him as bein...
Reader profile: Ian
Match in comments:
Amazing! I bet Ian must have loved that. Thanks for letting me know...
My bespoke bow tie, from La Bowtique
Back in December we covered the various styles of bow tie , from batwing to butterfly. Learning about the traditions and conventions helped me clarify which style I prefer for myself, and today I’ll be covering which one I had made, and why. ...
My bespoke bow tie, from La Bowtique
Match in comments:
I think it's more harmonious if they're the same, but it's not the end of the world if they're different. I can even see an argument that the contrast is nice. I'd have the cummerbund the same as the bow tie probably....
The styles of bow tie – and why they matter
I rarely wear a bow tie. Certainly never casually, and the number of black tie excuses has dwindled since I left my job in legal journalism. Back then there were several award ceremonies a year - we even threw four ourselves - but those have gone a...
The styles of bow tie – and why they matter
Match in comments:
Thanks for that Lindsay...
40 Colori made-to-measure knitwear and tie: Review
I’m pleased to say that the jumper and tie I had made by 40 Colori turned just as consistently and professionally as everything else I had experienced from the shop. The cashmere crewneck fits well, with the measurements being exactly what we...
40 Colori made-to-measure knitwear and tie: Review
Match in comments:
Yes Yes Yes For that quality level, no. You can get hand-framed which is a level up from someone like Dalmo, but what you're getting is still very good....
40 Colori: Italian made-to-order, London
A reader recently recommended to me the made-to-measure knitwear at 40 Colori, a shop on Lamb’s Conduit Street in London. He has trouble getting knitwear to fit, being rather tall, and 40 Colori did a good job of making a piece to order for h...
40 Colori: Italian made-to-order, London
Match in comments:
Hello Peter, Thanks for your question! Our knitwear (whether merino wool or other compositions) is knitted either with our 12 or 8 gauge machines and is available in a number of styles and textures. If you have any furth...
Adamley hand-screen printing, Macclesfield
Let me set the scene. Macclesfield is a small English market town, and it’s a grey day. The bright-green casentino overcoat of Benedikt Fries, as he walks towards us, rather stands out. Photographer Alex Natt and I are watching him approach f...
Adamley hand-screen printing, Macclesfield
Match in comments:
Great article. A breeze of fresh air and a good distraction from day to day screen printing technicalities. As a screen printer, I would like to see a part 2, diving more into the technics used to achieve such beautiful ...
White tie and blue shirt: Sunny formal in Sartori...
Wearing a white tie with a blue shirt is something that makes perfect sense in Naples. To a certain extent, wearing sugary-pink jackets and lapis-blue tailoring makes sense too. It's just sunny so much of the time, even in winter - and that sun is s...
White tie and blue shirt: Sunny formal in Sartori...
Match in comments:
No I haven't, sorry Greg...
The summer tie
I don’t tend to wear brightly coloured ties. Too often they’re brash and loud, where a dark simple tie would be more tasteful. The only time I’ve regularly worn them is in unusual colours like lime green, rather than primary red...
The summer tie
Match in comments:
This might seem hilarious, but on grounds of comfort, I’ve actually worn a bow tie to a fine restaurant in Belgium which was way more comfortable. 1. Less weight… I sometimes notice that a tie can be like a heavy wei...
Where and why I shop: Wei Koh, The Rake
Next year I will publish a travel guide to the best men's stores around the world, with Thames & Hudson. Alongside the city chapters there will be interviews with well-travelled people in the menswear industry, highlighting their tips and in...
Where and why I shop: Wei Koh, The Rake
Match in comments:
Tatton Baird is a fantastic hat shop and we're very lucky to have them in my home state of Utah. What isn't widely known however is that their master hatter was trained by a gentleman named James Whittington who ran his ...
Popular at the pop-up: Hollywood tops, linen shir...
Given the heat at the moment in London, it shouldn’t be surprising that linen is the most attractive thing in the pop-up up shop, which has been going wonderfully so far. Edward Sexton’s Hollywood-top trousers (above) have been particula...
Popular at the pop-up: Hollywood tops, linen shir...
Match in comments:
No, the A&S will be better, but that's clear from the price too. And the difference will be mostly in the fineness of the linen, so it depends whether that matters to you...
Shibumi ties, Burgos shirts and tebas – in ...
I’ve noticed in the past year that a lot of my favourite ties are from Shibumi. They’re always on the end of the rail; they always get picked up first. Yet I haven’t written about them for quite a while. Having Benedikt (below) in ...
Shibumi ties, Burgos shirts and tebas – in ...
Match in comments:
I don't think it really matters, unless you have actual logos/crests, or unless you're going to somewhere very old-fashioned, like a member's club...
Edward Sexton ready-to-wear: Hollywood-top trouse...
It’s been so fun swapping in brands every week or two during the pop-up shop. A lot of work, but fun: it feels like a different place, a slightly different atmosphere, every weekend. On Wednesday this week we exchanged The Armoury for Drop93 -...
Edward Sexton ready-to-wear: Hollywood-top trouse...
Match in comments:
I'm afraid I don't know much about the make of the RTW jackets, sorry David....
The Drake’s x Permanent Style outfit
Drake's was one of the first menswear brands that really inspired me, back in the days when I'd sit in Michael Drake's study going through old decorative art books, dissecting patterns. Drake's managed to combine craft and style, deep tradition and ...
The Drake’s x Permanent Style outfit
Match in comments:
Hi Einar, I think a white linen can still look fine in this context, and the white lines won't make much difference. Personally I wouldn't wear it with jeans, or even chinos, but smarter outfits are good. With something ...
Bigi ties – Milan workshop
Bigi is in many ways what Drake's used to be before the expansion of its retail and collection: a small brand and a top-line tie manufacturer making for the world's top stores. A third generation company, it has a workshop in the south of Milan run ...
Bigi ties – Milan workshop
Match in comments:
No, 8cm should be fine given that...
The vintage feel of Tie Your Tie (and Sevenfold, ...
Talking with Kenji Kaga of Sevenfold (and Tie Your Tie) recently threw up some interesting questions around what makes a tie appear vintage. Kenji is heavily influenced by 1940s-1950s styles, as is evident in his tailoring. But he freely admits that...
The vintage feel of Tie Your Tie (and Sevenfold, ...
Match in comments:
It isn't, you're right, and with Tie Your Tie it's kind of the point that they don't look neat and straight. I would just hang them and let the shape drop back in a little, but not try and make them too sharp...
Brand round-up: R. Culturi, Mes Chaussettes Rouge...
1 R. Culturi There are many brands launching ties or handkerchiefs online these days, given it’s an easy area to try and express something new - and the lack of sizing makes it relatively easy to sell online. One that was shown to me recently ...
Brand round-up: R. Culturi, Mes Chaussettes Rouge...
Match in comments:
I owe MCR an apology - they replied very quickly to my complaint and reassured me that although my password was shown in the email, the email itself was encrypted. So all-in-all a good response....
Double-breasted flannel suit – with pink an...
I know I've written about green and pink a few times before. I could find one old post with a little flower illustration, but there must be more. Perhaps it's the fog of Christmas food and wine clouding my mind. In any case, it bears repeating that...
Double-breasted flannel suit – with pink an...
Match in comments:
May I ask the cloth used in this commission?...
Brand round-up: Alexander Kraft, Loic et Gil, Chr...
The next in our regular installment of small brands doing interesting things looks at some ties, handkerchiefs and knitwear. Viola Milano x Alexander Kraft First up is a collaboration between Alexander Kraft and online accessories company Viola Mila...
Brand round-up: Alexander Kraft, Loic et Gil, Chr...
Match in comments:
Despite the marketing spiel, the mark-up is ridiculous. The proliferation of online-only tie brands such as Viola Milano is a testament to the very healthy, attainable margins. A fawning i-gentry does help too. Also, and...
Ethan Newton’s Tokyo store – Brycelan...
I was quite intrigued to see Ethan Newton’s Bryceland's store in Tokyo when we visited a few weeks ago. In particular, how he is presenting his view on tailoring and how that mixes with the more casual americana side. The tailoring is essentia...
Ethan Newton’s Tokyo store – Brycelan...
Match in comments:
A vintage backpack, and a collaboration Brycelands did years ago with Frank Clegg, using some vintage cloth....
Manning & Manning suit – with an Itali...
The Italian Background: an awkward but persistently useful phrase I coined back in 2008 to describe the tendency of Italians to wear blue shirts and navy ties under strongly coloured suits. Rather than the English alternative - bright shirts and tie...
Manning & Manning suit – with an Itali...
Match in comments:
Yes, I would probably use Crispaire if I was to do it again....
Drakes made-to-order ties
A few week ago, Drake's asked me to try out their made-to-order tie service, which has been given a new digital home on the website. The prime question is, of course, do you really need a MTO tie? It didn't even feature on my list last year of the ...
Drakes made-to-order ties
Match in comments:
I'm afraid you are mistaken... Sorry...
If you only had five ties – a capsule colle...
Readers often ask for ‘capsule collections’ of types of clothes – shoes, suits, ties etc. There are many reasons such a list is useful. It can point to the ‘essentials’: those things that provide t...
If you only had five ties – a capsule colle...
Match in comments:
Hi Gary, Large knot grenadine, dark navy. Whether you like it hand rolled (untipped) or tipped in silk is a personal thing. I quite like hand rolled if it's done well. I did MTM to get a wider width (9cm) but again that ...
How smart is my tie?
A few weeks a reader asked for a post on what makes a tie more or less formal, smart or not. It’s a very relevant question. Few men today wear ties, but when they do, they rarely want them to be as smart as the traditional foulards and Maccl...
How smart is my tie?
Match in comments:
They do, but it's really not that thick, I think it ties a nice knot. A three fold with no lining will create a very small, tight knot. I would always want a lining, just varying its thickness with how thick the silk was...
Casual tie and sports jacket (military donegal de...
In the spirit of our recent posts on assembling outfits, here’s the process that put this one together. Originating idea: I’ve always liked the way this pale, silk tie from Ralph Lauren goes with my Rubinacci cashmere jacket. The corn...
Casual tie and sports jacket (military donegal de...
Match in comments:
Hi, I'm afraid I never did an article about the belt, but I can do something more general in the future, yes absolutely...
Green, shantung, club (tie)
Dark green is a subtle and versatile tie colour. You’re not surprised I think that, right? After all I sing the praises of green at every opportunity. But broad truths bear repeating. With an outfit like the one above, navy would be the s...
Green, shantung, club (tie)
Match in comments:
They're a little informal for a suit, but in a dark colour perhaps with a slightly more casual suit, like a flannel...
