The Minimal Necktie Wardrobe

[davidhuh]

Hectorm has stated above that only 2-3% of his tie collection goes unused.

Is that the general experience here??!

I'll buy you all a drink in a suitably disreputable and cheap London pub if that holds true of you.

90% of my wardrobe (ties and everything else) goes unused,unloved, un-looked at, in any month. And I can document that. Now who will be buy me a drink??!

Dear Uppercase,

happy to accept your offer to pay me a drink . The very few ties I'm no longer using have historical value to me. The rest of my wardrobe is being used and worn. Ok, I had to dump a few things

Cheers, David

[Frederic Leighton]

Revelations reveal themselves in mysterious ways. Be receptive.

I was heading to the Drake's factory this morning, hoping to find there the B/W shepherd's check for my first [trial] order.. and yes, at the factory I found two long shelves, full from floor to ceiling of the left overs from the old collections.

On my way to the factory, though, at London Bridge I walked past an old man, 85+ I would say. Black three-piece suit, black fedora with very high crown, black shoes, black walking stick. The silly up-and-downs of the station weren't making his life easy. This encounter made me want to wear my black suits more often.

He was wearing a dark-red madder tie, so I went for dark-red madder

[uppercase]

OK obviously I owe both Leighton and davidhuh drinks if only for being honest men despite other faults I am sure I will discover once they loosen up.

Leighton threw out 75% of his wardrobe. Now he wants to pick up his old habit of wearing black suits. Obviously he needs to throw out the other 25% of his wardrobe.

Davidhuh's mistakes are categorized as having historical value and I certainly appreciate such double talk. For him, make it a double.

There is much to be learned in these delusions.
One, despite realizing our mistakes, we can not help ourselves but to pick up new mistakes and bad habits. And write about them.
Two, all the past is history and therein lies it's value. Ties and such are just part of recording our passing.

It seems to me that our tie collections are poignant reminders of our lives.

[Frederic Leighton]

[...]Leighton threw out 75% of his wardrobe. Now he wants to pick up his old habit of wearing black suits. Obviously he needs to throw out the other 25% of his wardrobe. [...] There is much to be learned in these delusions.

You see delusions where I see joy. Evidently you popped into the pub by yourself before your guests arrived

[uppercase]

Obviously there is something amiss.

How does one go from setting out to buy a boring b/w shepherds check and end up with a red madder??!

This is the source of many a man's problems: too easily distracted by pretty bright colors.

But totally understandable. Indeed commendable for not being sidelined by practicalities.

And certainly you wouldn't be able to explain your choice as it was visceral, instinctual rather than rational. And indeed our sources of joy may not be be easily explained. Just like our clothing choices.

Although probably a mistake, and despite your good intentions of going to drakes for a sheperds check, the rational Leighton obviously got high jacked along the way and so a red madder is added to a collection, and which will not go with anything.

To make matters right I think that we should at least get a brief report on drakes outlet and what's going on there as well as a photo of some sort of this red madder tie. And if you should again bump into this 85 year old , let us know about him as well; I personally would like to know where he's going.

[Frederic Leighton]

How does one go from setting out to buy a boring b/w shepherds check and end up with a red madder??! This is the source of many a man's problems: too easily distracted by pretty bright colors.

Not bright at all. Dark and somber. But I will agree about your misunderstanding being my fault, given the little familiarity I have with the way (nonsensical to my Mediterranean eye) the English-speaking world describes colours.

And certainly you wouldn't be able to explain your choice as it was visceral, instinctual rather than rational. [...] Although probably a mistake, and despite your good intentions of going to drakes for a sheperds check, the rational Leighton obviously got high jacked along the way and so a red madder is added to a collection, and which will not go with anything.

The visceral start was followed by a rational journey, since I had some tube stops left before arriving to destination. For the first time in many years, I remembered the ties my father used to wear. As a child I didn't like them at all - they all looked very serious and boring... many madders... Despite that (or thanks to that?), my dad certainly is, in his classic and conservative choices, one of the most elegant men I know.

Probably a mistake, you say; I can only try and do my best, enjoying the process. I'm well aware of my lack of experience and as a consequence I never give advice to anybody about what to wear. I still enjoy asking for advice and exposing myself to criticism, since this always instills good qualities.

To make matters right I think that we should at least get a brief report on drakes outlet and what's going on there as well as a photo of some sort of this red madder tie.

Not sure how Drake's manages to keep open. The Mayfair shop suggested I would go to the factory for my bespoke order. At the factory I was sent back to the shop, but with the recommendation of getting back to the factory by email later.

No book with swatches - all you can do is having a look at the massive shelves packed with silks rolled on their cardboard tube wrong side out while a lady stares at you. The staff is very kind and polite, of course.

The outlet sells items left from past collections and the average price for a tie is £40. I didn't like anything. The building is nice - the factory is at the first floor, "all under one roof" (although I was informed that they subcontract the handrolling, which brings the delivery of bespoke orders to 5-6 weeks ).

[davidhuh]

Beautiful madder tie, Federico! I understand you got distracted

Cheers, David

[uppercase]

Yes great looking tie.
Congratations!
Distractions can obviously be serendipitous.

[couch]

Late to this thread, but in view of the general tenor and questions raised, those who don't already know it might find some interesting examples for consideration in Manton's "soporific tie" thread over on Styleforum. As always on that forum, there's a lot of noise in between useful nuggets, but the extremely long thread has pictures of some very fine ties (and some less so). A great number of small-patterned prints from Marinella and the other small Italian makers, but variety too. Unfortunately not usually shown worn . . . .

[Frederic Leighton]

Beautiful madder tie, Federico! I understand you got distracted

Yes great looking tie. Congratations! Distractions can obviously be serendipitous.

Uppercase, David - thank you! I should also add that, before finalising my choice, I asked a B/W shepherd's check to consider adding it to my oder. I was passed a Prince of Wales pattern. No, like this but B/W instead of navy-blue, I explained, showing a navy-blue shepherd's check among the rolls of silk. At that point they gave me another PoW silk. No, I didn't take it as the sign that I should buy PoW; I stuck to my madder

Late to this thread, but in view of the general tenor and questions raised, [...]

Thank you, Couch - definitely useful and helpful.

Off-topic. It fascinates me the way online communities, free from those geographical restrictions that operate in the physical world if not for the language they use, still tend to replicate the behaviour of communities of the physical world. Each forum, growing, manifests its own personality and seems to attract members who share similar values, while members with contrasting opinions might move elsewhere or be silent (and investigating about this, I've just learned a new-to-me English word used in anthropology - kinship). Similar to the dress codes of the physical world, a writing code comes to exist and defines the level of formality adopted by the community - the formality of the language or the formality of the cloths (at first sight, that Styleforum seemed to me more informal). A certain hierarchy of the members also develops, which makes me wonder whether hierarchy is innate in the animal kingdom.

Now more ties and shared advice, please

[Frederic Leighton]

Update - happy ending for my first order at Drake's. They delivered in 10 days, instead of the announced 4-5 weeks. When I popped in to collect the tie I was asked to wait - the Managing Director wanted to come meet me. "This has been a challenge for us!", his first words. The 1930's tie I provided for reference had flared ends, like most of the ties from the 1920's-1950's and, probably struggling a bit with my unusual request, they beautifully reproduced this shape that is not commonly seen on modern ties. Like the tie I provide: very light interlining, untipped, no keeper, hand-rolled edge. Beautiful! They made a pattern and stored it for future orders...

[Tutumulut]

That is all nice and well, Frederic, but without proof, what are we to believe?

Pictures please! Outside, inside, macro, micro, as much as you can. I have the feeling this is going to be a most wonderful excursion into the Golden Days and who better as guide than you?

T

[Tutumulut]

.

[hectorm]

...no keeper....

Any special reason for going keeperless on your ties, Federico? If you have it, you can always use it or not depending on your day mood for flailing tails.

[Frederic Leighton]

I must first apologise for my very late reply to your contributions and questions, for which I am grateful.

That is all nice and well, Frederic, but without proof, what are we to believe?

Dear Tutumulut, now I most definitely owe you some photos Will make sure to take some at the next wearing.

...no keeper....

Any special reason for going keeperless on your ties, Federico? If you have it, you can always use it or not depending on your day mood for flailing tails.

Dear Hectorm, of course you are perfectly right. Although, last time I used a keeper I'm sure I must have been 16, which means two decades ago. To my mind, the keeper, especially when accompanied by the stiffness of modern ties, makes the tie look like a kipper. Many options keep being available when a keeper is not present (including safety-pins; yes, safety-pins). I don't mind my tie going a bit out of place or twisting on itself during the day - that's my personal and only 'sprezzatura', if you really wanted to give it a name and a reason; and it reminds me of the origin and purpose of the tie as a foulard tied around the neck. With long-rise trousers, the length of the tie is extremely reduced anyway. And when wearing a waistcoat, as I do for 9 months a year, the tie stays there all the time. As a side-note and not as a reason to go keeper-less, I've never seen a pre-1960's tie with a keeper.

What's your favourite mode? ..and, do you use any other 'device' to keep your tie in place?