What's the proper overall tie length

[Jordan Marc]

Scot:

While there are fans of English-made ties, even six-folds (which depending upon the weight of the woven silk can make you sweat profusely through your collar), they always strike me as wanting in terms of patterns and colorways. For the most beautifully designed ties, look to Italy and Sicily.

If multi-fold ties are what you want, however, there is a gr-reat source in Naples, E & G Cappelli, that makes beautiful ready-to-wear ties as well as custom twelve-fold ties. The shop is rather difficult to find, but here is the address:

E & G Cappelli
Via Cavallerizza a Chiaia, 37
Naples

To get a good idea of what this tiemaker can do, google E & G Cappelli and scroll down until you find an
entry entitled A Visit To EG Cappelli and peruse the photos. Truly gorgeous silks!

JMB

[shredder]

JMB, I think that you might be conflating silk weaving with tie making, two distinct areas of expertise and activity. I have seen only a tiny portion of the archives at Vanners, Stephen Walters and Adamley but find it difficult to agree with your assessment about the narrow range available from English silk weavers and printers. Your suggestion to look towards 'Italy and Sicily' made me smile since it reminded me of a comment made by one of my Florentine friends, 'Sicily? You mean that island off the coast of Africa?' Another friend from Catania was with us at the table, so a good laugh was had by all.

Scot, the thing about those in London that offer 'bespoke' ties is that they tend not to be bespoke makers but ready-to-wear makers / merchants who offer a bespoke service on the side. That is to say, they tend to require a minimum order quantity of 3 or 4 ties made of the same silk. Whilst I respect their commercial decision, I make a distinction between bespoke commission and merely interrupting someone's production process, so I prefer to let them get on with their production line.

s

[Jordan Marc]

Shredder:

I have no doubt about the talent and capability of silk designers and weavers in the United Kingdom; it's just that the offerings you see on Jermyn Street, the Burlington Arcade and Bond Street, or used to see
before 'redevelopment' started, has neither the remarkable sense of design nor the exquisite palette of
colors you find in Italy. Having seen firsthand the process of creating designs in studios, the meticulous
process of silkscreening each color separately, and the actual making of the prints at Como--it's truly an
illuminating experience in artistry.

Example: I asked a silk designer where she got her inspiration. She said the designs were inspired by art and architecture in Firenze, all those marvelous pictures in the museums and the incredible designs of the churches, not least San Miniato. And the range of colors on her palette? That she said came from gazing out at the city from Piazza Michelangelo at different times of the day or wandering around town to see what caught her eye or exploring Tuscany at different times of the year.

It is not for nothing that making the Grand Tour always included Italy. Think of the architects, designers,
artists, composers and 'properly' raised young men and women who made the journey and came home with
treasures and memories to last a lifetime. Gr-reat country, Italy. And still the best place for ties.


JMB

[alden]

Your suggestion to look towards 'Italy and Sicily' made me smile since it reminded me of a comment made by one of my Florentine friends, 'Sicily? You mean that island off the coast of Africa?' Another friend from Catania was with us at the table, so a good laugh was had by all.

At least your Florentine’s comment was charitable; a Milanese would have called the island something else floating in the water off Africa.

For ten years I lived in the Maremma in Tuscany and it was Tuscans who dragged me the first time down to the little island. A few years later, I sold my house and moved there. As it happens, many Tuscans are doing the same after selling their homes at inflated prices to English, Swiss, Germans and Americans. They are happily resettling to the island along with slews of other Italians and much to the chagrin of the locals.

It is not all a rosy picture, the food is so amazingly good, even for a part time Parisian, that fitting into your bespoke clothes can become a real challenge.

Eden was supposed to be someplace near Africa, don’t suppose it could have been an island?

[Costi]

Michael, I must agree Sicily is so wonderful... too bad it's inhabitted

It is not for nothing that making the Grand Tour always included Italy. Think of the architects, designers, artists, composers and 'properly' raised young men and women who made the journey and came home with
treasures and memories to last a lifetime. Gr-reat country, Italy.

Well, JMB, Madame de Stael got banned from France for sending "Lord Nelvil" after her Corinne and praising Italy so much (and so much to the detriment of Scotland) while all the time ignoring France. Perhaps Corinne only existed in Madame de Stael's imagination; as far as "Lord Nelvil's" fascination with Italy, though, only the names changed, but it is still there today. And Napoleon proved wrong against her, because France may be admired and respected, but only Italy is loved.

[Jordan Marc]

France may be admired and respected, but only Italy is loved.

Truer words never spoken, Nicholas.

JMB

[Costi]

What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet

[storeynicholas]

-Uooo000OOOOOO
The extra rings denote my recent acquisition of a fine Italian pipe, just now puffing Half and Half Bright and Burley...
NJS

[Costi]

Italian pipe, British tobacco, Brasilian fire... isn't that a most happy combination?

Sorry, I got carried away and forgot my line:
Hehe

The truth is I would have no objection if people smoked pipe rather than cigars or cigarettes. Not where and when I eat, but otherwise I tend to lean in the direction of the smoke if it comes from a pipe.

[storeynicholas]

Italian pipe, British tobacco, Brasilian fire... isn't that a most happy combination?

Sorry, I got carried away and forgot my line:
Hehe

The truth is I would have no objection if people smoked pipe rather than cigars or cigarettes. Not where and when I eat, but otherwise I tend to lean in the direction of the smoke if it comes from a pipe.

Very happy combination (although the tobacco is actually from the USA and heavily taxed). I think that your objection is to the smell of the cheap tobacco and woodchips that find their way into the worst cigarettes and I couldn't agree more; especially when eating: I sometimes had lunch with a chap who not only smoked at the table between courses but smoked as he was eating. Owing to the rich mix of food, drink and smoke that he had onboard at any one time, he did not completely close his mouth as he chewed so his companions all had a foretaste of what we can expect, in terms of sight and smell, across the Styx.
NJS

[alden]

NJS

Which Italian pipe did you buy? Castello?

Michael

[storeynicholas]

NJS

Which Italian pipe did you buy? Castello?

Michael

Castello pipes are works of art, aren't they - plenty of nice straight grain too. My recent acquisitions were gifts from a friend in England - one is a Talamona Oltrona and the other is a humbler (but very satisfactory) Savinelli.
NJS