I know we are all a bit tired of weddings (thanks Will and Kate), but with the summer wedding season just kicking off, it is probably a good time to invest in a new tie to refresh that suit you wore last year. One of my favourite tie makers as of late has to be General Knot & Co.
The New England-based furnishings label has just released their new collection featuring chambray, plaid and floral prints. The vintage ties are handmade and use various fine fabrics and materials that date back as far as World War II. All ties are released as part of a one-time-only run, so you better move fast if you want to get your hands on one. Prices start at $78 USD (£47) and are available from their website General Knot & Co.
Tasselled loafers have been on our radar for yonks now, and this summer saw deck shoes really break into mainstream menswear but are we ready for a hybrid?
ASOS seem to think so with their fringe tie deck shoe, it has all the retro casual of a deck shoe with the dandy addition of a tassel. As if that wasn’t enough it also features a kiltie, we are big fans of the little fringed tab! What do you think? Take our poll and let us know!
The Times has a feature at the moment detailing the changing size of the common tie as we go through decades of economic change. Apparently John Lewis has announced “a dramatic inch-loss of nearly 25 per cent in width over the past six months” with its most popular ties. Charlie Allen, the famous tailor Brandish recently had an exclusive sit-down with over the new ‘n’ improved England kit, told the Times that “the impact of economic turmoil on tie design can be traced back through the previous recessions of the 20th century. While postwar Britain and the Swinging Sixties embraced exaggerated prints and widths of up to 5in, the downturns of the 1930s and 1980s saw sizes reduce to as little as an inch.”
See after the jump for my Top 5 ‘Skinny Summer ties’- on the cheap for your enjoyment! (They’re all under £10)
The internet is aflame smouldering with news of the congruent tie. It’s a tie which is made so that the stripes on the knot and the rest of the tie match up.
It’s a godsend for anal types but I’m not sure that anyone else would really notice? It also seems like the change in direction of fabric removes any of the satisfying dimpling and folding which makes tie-knotting such a dark art. Eric Glennie have a whole range of congruent ties in various stripes and they also have a really cool silk neck chain.
We want to know what tie-supremo Alexander Olch would make of these ties, in the meantime why don’t you give us your tuppence worth by taking our poll below:
I doubt I need to give any background to the ‘Presidential Major Moment’ currently hitting headlines around the world. Looking through pictures of President Obama’s (how unbelievably cool is that?!) inauguration, I couldn’t help but let my mind wonder onto more sartorial matters. It struck me that while the new First Lady was rocking a very diplomatic Isabel Toledo (Cuban-born, American-based designer) outfit, Barack looked rather bland in his suit and red tie. But it appears that this outfit is a rather well-worn fashion formula…
Whilst the appetite for formal dressing in menswear shows no sign of slacking, inevitably certain details start to look a bit tired. Thus it is with the bow tie. Whilst some can carry this off with aplomb (as the cover star of last month’s debut Buckmagazine showed) for others it was never going to be easy. There’s something novelty about the bow tie that risks looking too try-hard.
Cheap and cheerful this tie is a quick fix to brighten up your wardrobe, the bright coral is such a good colour.
Ok so it’s polyester and you might get bored of the colour but as a wardrobe pick-me-up it’s second to none. At only £9.99 from River Island it’s definitely worth a punt, taking your outfit from normal to formal never looked this good.
Alex James looked great pictured at Ascot recently with his wife Claire. Sporting a white suit with an off-white shirt the former Blur bassist kept things interesting with a pale mustard retro tie. I wouldn’t have thought textured ties were a very good look in summer but it’s quite an effective look. See after the jump for a selection of the best summer textured ties.
Expressing yourself through the medium of a necktie is a dangerous thing. Thankfully Toybreaker’s screenprinted ties are million miles away from the novelty Winnie the Pooh/Simpsons/Taz/Whatever ties that you see reluctantly balding middle managers wearing on the tube into work.
The Caviar range depicts a smattering of your finest fish eggs over slim silk (but crucially, not skinny) ties. There are four colourways to choose from, Beluga, Salmon, Sturgeon and Wasabi Tobikko and colours have been Pantone-matched. Buy them now on Esty at the discounted rate of $75.
Queen Michelle digs out an uber cool picture of her uncle… Looks like style runs in the family. [Kingdom of Style]
EJ has found a cuff made from discarded camera components and it’s the best men’s jewellery I’ve seen in a while. [Style Salvage]
I’m slowly coming round to being less matchy-matchy and this outfit shows how a jolt of cobalt blue can spice things up a bit. [Breach of Style]
Haute Concept are getting all worked up about a tie, but hey if they’re poking fun at Dubya who am I to complain? [Haute Concept]
What would you buy if you had a spare $1000? [The Sunday Best]
Out of show season, it gets just that bit harder to predict the trends. However, in typical fashion, the industry moves on; someone gets a haircut, a designer does a high-street collaboration, Amy Winehouse is paid $1 million to do a Louis Vuitton gig. In the case of April, we celebrate the 75th anniversary of Lacoste.
René Lacoste turned up at tennis tournaments dressed almost as good as he played and it was from a bet on a crocodile skin suitcase that the famous Lacoste logo came about. This trend report is about the stylish ‘Public School’ look that came about as a result of Mr Lacoste’s personal style. Prepare yourself for a whole new type of playground mafia.
Since the beginning of time, life, and our own existence, man has been fascinated with choice. From peace protests to monumental civil rights movements, we have always had a taste for the mish-mash aspect of life. This obsession with accessibility has been translated onto the season’s catwalks, designers showed a mixture of fabrics and styles to form a collage of culture and a sartorial storyboard of their travels.
From Dries Van Noten to Miu Miu, this was a look that designers embraced and with its increasing popularity among the fash-pack it is one that I’m sure will make a splash in the coming months.
Peckham Rye make the most perfect ties, avoiding being trendoid (yes that’s a word!) skinny they’re just the right kind of slim. The colour is so deep and rich on the tie it’s well worth £55. Their knitted ties give great texture to an outfit, and look good teamed with a shirt and cardigan. In this warmer weather you might want to wear it with a short or rolled sleeve shirt and a lightweight anorak or parka.
Collars are shrinking. We’ve already seen the rise of the skinny tie in a reaction to the retro ultra-large tie and now wing-like pointed beats are being replaced by their smaller, more timid square cousins. A prime example of small-collar chic is this shirt by Lanvin from Browns (£270): gone is the braggadocio of oversized cuffs and collars and the result is a neat and unassuming look. The blue and white pinstripe lends an air of refinement and makes it the perfect spring shirt.
Collars are shrinking. We’ve already seen the rise of the skinny tie in a reaction to the retro ultra-large tie and now wing-like pointed beats are being replaced by their smaller, more timid square cousins. 
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