The London Lounge

I have had the good fortune, during the past few days, to partake in some real holiday merrymaking in London. The outings included many wonderful restaurants with friends, family and associates. It had been quite some time since I had visited some of the old haunts and I was looking forward to seeing a few elegant men and their ladies during the festivities.

I was stunned by the sartorial disarray. Black suits worn with colored shirts and three buttons décollete. I would have never thought it possible in London. It was like going back in time to Hollywood in the 70s, bared chests less the thick gold chains.

It was in this context of worry about the state of English dress that I undertook a visit to one of the most stylish of silk masters and LL member: Mr. Michael Drake. The few hours with Drake and his team, the vision of so many style-rich products being hand sewn, for export to the entire planet, from central London, was the doctor’s cure for the sartorial funk that ailed me.

When I recounted my London experiences to my host, his response was precise, “there are not any rules anymore.” It was an honest and chilling fact that made so many lines written about sartorial rules suddenly seem university anthropology. “But I make things for people who understand. And while I craft products to my retail customer’s specs, and fulfill bespoke orders from individuals, I also make a lot of things just because I like them”, Drake explained as he moved around the corner to gather a few magnificent, heavy silk squares in his ample hands.

I knew I was in the presence of a kindred spirit when he laid the 35” silk squares down, “do you know the picture of Cary Grant in “To Catch a Thief”, the one where he wears the large dot silk square?” Sure enough, the square was there before my eyes in orangey, white dotted technicolor. “These are samples. I don’t know if I will ever sell any, but I really like them.” Meanwhile I was calculating the hundred color combinations I wanted these scarves in (to go with my gray suits) as frankly speaking I had never seen anything so well made. “I see it right away in a creamy white background with brown spots” I ventured. “I have it”, he replied with the phrase I would hear often during the course of the day.

Michael Drake displays his way of folding a silk square:





At this point the square is folded one or two more times such that it resembles a necktie, a long rectangle or cylinder. Then it can be fashioned and worn in many different ways. Here Drake wears it a la Gary Cooper.



From scarves we moved to ties, hounds tooth patterns and Churchill dots. “It is from a picture of Windsor with his wife. He wears a flannel DB and has this astoundingly handsome dotted tie. It’s simply the most elegant man’s tie made.” I had to agree with him. The only thing is that I called the design a Cooper dot and made it as the LL club tie:



So it can be debated whether it is a Churchill dot Cooper is sporting or vice versa, what cannot be debated is the designs natural and enduring elegance. It worked awfully well in the 1920s and nearly a century later, it won’t spoil your looks.

Many of you will remember the great cashmere and silk scarves that in previous times could be purchased at Hilditch & Key in Paris. What I didn’t know is that they were made by a young Michael Drake. “I learned a lot from the couple who were the managers of Hilditch Paris at the time, they were always fighting, but they knew their stuff.” Drake is releasing new products in this style and I saw the first samples. They were lovely to touch and the colors could only be equaled by the best of the Hermes of the past. This is a truly a difficult undertaking and one that bespoke lovers are sure to embrace.

“I do love Paris”, Drake explains as he describes the influence of Parisian chic and Italian style on his work. It’s a kind of “best of” approach that finds form in sober, discrete yet colorful designs. The chic, the epigrammatic is everywhere to be seen. “If you can sell your products in Milan and Paris, you can sell them anywhere in the world.” But the irony is as strong as it is perplexing. Michael Drake and Jean-Claude Colban, the two undisputed masters, export virtually everything they make away from national markets where men have all but given up on silks. “It’s not worth the trouble and we don’t have the time to explain things relating to elegance, one either gets it or not.”

This was just the beginning of a very informative visit. The cutters were cutting, the craftsmen were sewing, and the finishers were finishing all by hand. Slip knots, madder silk, flared ends, linings, soft silks, heavy silks, ties of every shape and color awaiting retailers each with their own distinctive spin on elegance. Yes, it was all there as I expected to see it. But the thing that informed me the most about Drake’s ties was Drake himself: creative, enthusiastic, and as curious as a kid in a silks store.

Michael Alden

PS. The end result of these few hours of sartorial cure will hopefully make its way tangibly, into the hands and round the necks of Drake’s fellow LL members. I am proposing to issue a set of neckties and scarves that will be selected to dress the clothclub fabrics creations each season. The first bit of work will be too design the silks to go with the newly issued summery blue Brisa, brown Prince of Wales and Violet gunclub. Stay tuned for announcements.

Drake's silk square in olive green. Warning: The following scene may not be suitable for the sartorially challenged as it contains images of three silk elements, ascot, scarf and pocket square, being worn together.



You see there is nothing terribly frightening about wearing silks.

Cheers

I have noticed that many of my favorite items, no matter where purchased, have tiny little MD initials on the country of origin tag. Yesterday, in fact, I wore a scarf from Paul Stuart and an unlined seven-fold Spano repp tie, both bearing the MD mark of a great manufacturer.

It's hard to overestimate the extra punch a silk scarf makes to an outfit.

But, obtaining good silk squares from RTW outlets, in the right size and color scheme, is defnitely a struggle .

An LL project with Drake would certainly be a step forward in providing more choice.

Here's a photo of a recent purchase:

uppercase wrote:It's hard to overestimate the extra punch a silk scarf makes to an outfit.

But, obtaining good silk squares from RTW outlets, in the right size and color scheme, is defnitely a struggle .

An LL project with Drake would certainly be a step forward in providing more choice.

Here's a photo of a recent purchase:

I think I saw that in the NY Saks this week (labeled as Drake's, not a retailer). If you bought it there I will be annoyed that you didn't make your presence in town known.

That's a good project, Alden, and a great looking silk scarf that you added to your post above!

The scarf looks good under an overcoat. It makes all the difference.

But what other ways, and with what, are there to wear a silk scarf?

And what is the right size and dimensions?

Dopey, do you think that scarf of mine is made by Drake?

It is pretty generic and though not from Saks, it's from their nearby neighbour, Brooks.

Ofcourse I'll be sure to look you up for eggnog when next in NYC!

I hear you have snow and hope you're keeping warm. It seems more the weather for LLBean than Dege. Don't ruin your shoes!

The scarf looks good under an overcoat. It makes all the difference.

Agreed. But it looks just as good as above with a sportscoat or blazer. I am looking forward to the orange one above to be worn with the new Brisa light blue suit this Spring.

I am going to do some photos with different ways to tie a scarf. One way I very much like is to simply do a 4 in hand and wear it either tucked into the shirt or out (in lieu of a normal tie.)

The best size is as Michael Drake made this one 35" x 35 "

Cheers

Michael

uppercase wrote:That's a good project, Alden, and a great looking silk scarf that you added to your post above!

The scarf looks good under an overcoat. It makes all the difference.

But what other ways, and with what, are there to wear a silk scarf?

And what is the right size and dimensions?

Dopey, do you think that scarf of mine is made by Drake?

It is pretty generic and though not from Saks, it's from their nearby neighbour, Brooks.

Ofcourse I'll be sure to look you up for eggnog when next in NYC!

I hear you have snow and hope you're keeping warm. It seems more the weather for LLBean than Dege. Don't ruin your shoes!

The scarf I saw in Saks was similar but labelled as Drakes. I wouldn't guess as to who makes for Brooks without seeing the Brooks scarf. If it is made in England and has a little "MD" on the tag, then it is Drake's. My guess, given the Brooks volume and price-points, is that it is not.

This weekend's snow was an attempt at the real thing. We are almost there.

Michael:

I think the 35-inch silk squares from Michael Drake could be a hit, a veritable hit, with members of the LL. Ties too, I suppose, though I do wish Drake would offer 60" x 4" neckwear with self tipping at the front blade and tail, even if it's only on a bespoke basis. Anyway, do pursue the silk squares.

JMB

With regard to the observations of Messrs. Alden and Drake on the state of present day “English style”, I think the problem with neckwear today lies with the poor understanding of its place in a man’s wardrobe:
- silk ties are widely regarded and treated as a compulsory business-only accessory. Most men will happily do without even for business, if they can, and they certainly won’t wear one during their leisure time;
- other ”specialty" ties (e.g. woven silks, wool, linen) are either misused (coloured and striped woven silks with city suits) or not used at all, since the modern man doesn’t wear ties when he doesn’t work;
- bow ties are regarded as either fancy, hilarious or obsolete, except the black silk pre-tied version to be worn with whatever passes for “evening wear” these days;
- ascots are systematically shunned as being precious or old-fashioned;
- silk scarves are almost unheard of as menswear, or worn in ostentatious patterns and colours, in fashion-forward ways.

But I also think that, when shown good examples (thank you, mr. Alden!) and offered a few basic notions of what and how to wear, the modern man actually likes what he sees! All he needs then is the confidence to wear what he likes even if he knows he will likely be the only one to sport an elegant brown dotted scarf tucked into his tweed coat the next evening out. Not for the sake of being unique (that’s a fashion thing), but because he understands and enjoys.

Costi:

I don't think being unique is necessarily a 'fashion thing', though heaven knows it has been misappropriated by more stylists on the red carpet, runways and editorial pages to grab attention for a fleeting moment or a guffaw. Fashion is the antithesis of Style, which you've either got or you haven't got. It's your signature; and what you wear and the flourishes you add change throughout life. Call it taste, if you like, but I prefer style.

JMB

I think the 35-inch silk squares from Michael Drake could be a hit, a veritable hit, with members of the LL

I think my biggest problem with these squares will not be how to wear one, but how to stop wearing them. Its only been a few discoveries like the Brisa cloth that have been as interesting a surprise for me in recent years.

It's your signature; and what you wear and the flourishes you add change throughout life.

Excellent

Call it taste, if you like, but I prefer style

These two words have very different meanings and scope in my mind. I will elaborate in another thread.

M Alden

With regard to the observations of Messrs. Alden and Drake on the state of present day “English style”, I think the problem with neckwear today lies with the poor understanding of its place in a man’s wardrobe:
- silk ties are widely regarded and treated as a compulsory business-only accessory. Most men will happily do without even for business, if they can, and they certainly won’t wear one during their leisure time;

Costi

I am actually working on a piece about the five errors young dressers most often make and you can imagine that misunderstanding silks is included in the discussion. What I also pick up from the anti-silk movement is that they find the tie uncomfortable (there is no reason for this to be true) and the exclusion of the tie a “liberation.” The latter theme is fascinating and reminiscent of the last great anti-tie period, the 1970s, and we all know what an illustrious and elegant period it was in all matters from the arts to dressing!?

Cheers

Michael

alden wrote:I am actually working on a piece about the five errors young dressers most often make and you can imagine that misunderstanding silks is included in the discussion.

I am quite curious about the four further errors... The problem, I suppose, is to limit the list to five items only

Dopey, I don't find the "MD" on my scarf pictured above, only "Made in Italy" so I guess it is not a Drakes.

In any case, Drakes does make some interesting accessories, for example:
the cashmere scarves with 'ripple' finish which is not easy to find,
the knit ties with handsewn spots,
the cashmere, 1 ply, sweaters with a deep "V", nice when wearing ties

Nice!

As to silk scarves, Alden, I wonder if 35" is large enough. I think I like to see a scarf tucked under a jacket or into a shirt: either an ascot or a longer silk scarf.

For example, the length of the scarf in Mr. Drakes photo, as handsome as the scarf is, sort of hangs expectantly in mid air.

As hard as it already is for most men to wear any silk accessory at all, I would think that this way of wearing a silk square is going to be tough for most to adapt.

Dear Uppercase,

The AA contains many examples of how these scarves can be worn and the 35” size is sufficiently large for each of these uses. My only fear in going larger would be weight. The Drake scarves are weighty silk. But I intend on asking the question when I visit the next time.

Cheers