Feature Article: Artisan visit-Michael Drake

[dopey]

uppercase:
Have a look in Paul Stuart (or ask me to do it for you). I picked up, yesterday, a Drake's-made scarf that may be what you are looking for. It is six inches wide and approximately 54 inches long. The construction is tubelike, meaning the original width was 12 inches, and the silk is a hefty, stiff twill. There are two colorways, an aqua and a purple, each with a print of black outlines of irregular shapes. I got the purple.

[uppercase]

These are very nice illustrations above on wearing a silk scarf.

I note that they are all tucked in and this, I think, is the right, most elegant way to wear a silk scarf.

When left dangling, I think that the scarf loses some of its panache.

In any case, with Winter upon us, now would be the perfect time to adopt the silk scarf with much less self consciousness than, say, wearing an ascot in mid Summer.

At least we have the excuse for needed warmth and the silk scarf is not much of a stretch from our already wearing a woolen scarf tucked under an overcoat or sports coat.

Anyway, I'll be interested to see how the LL collaboration with Drakes develops.

Dopey, Paul Stuart really is a superb men's store in NYC. Certainly right up there among the contenders for top men's store in the USA. Their window displays are always great.

A purple scarf?! I can't visualize it; a photo is needed!

[marcelo]

In addition to the interesting images from AA depicting scarves-cum-pocket square posted in this thread, I should like to suggest this shot from a recently broadcast documentary at BBC. It looks great, in my opinion, though Mr Everest’s scarf seems not to have the same size as the one being donned by Michael Alden.



The idea of a LL scarf in collaboration with Drake’s sounds promising and I would be glad to follow the development of this project.

[alden]

I note that they are all tucked in and this, I think, is the right, most elegant way to wear a silk scarf.

When left dangling, I think that the scarf loses some of its panache.

Yes, you can wear an ascot tucked into your shirt and a silk scarf tucked into the shirt, jacket or overcoat.

The best way to wear the bandanna style is to knot the scarf twice, as in the famous Cooper picture or those of Noiret. The second knot is tied in the opposite way compared to the first knot so the two lie flat. Sounds complicated but it isn't.

The silk scarf from Drake is very heavy silk and as such can be easily worn as a substitute for a wool or cashmere scarf.

Cheers

Michael

[yialabis]

sounds like a really exciting project !!!

Vassilis

[dopey]

. . . Dopey, Paul Stuart really is a superb men's store in NYC. Certainly right up there among the contenders for top men's store in the USA. Their window displays are always great.

A purple scarf?! I can't visualize it; a photo is needed!

I am not fond of posting pictures and even less fond of taking them, but if there is anyone entitled to call me to task on that, it is you.

Here are photos of the two Drake's-made Paul Stuart scarves I mentioned. The brown one is made of a stiff, papery jacquard. I know nothing of where Drake's sources its materials, but it would not surprise me to hear it is from one of the ancient Florentine weavers. It is quite unusual - if you pleat a short section of it lengthwise, you can extend it horizontally, like a pointer, and it will hold its shape - a bit of that is visible in the way it drapes in the first photograph. The purple scarf, which really does match the Iris's shade nearly exactly, is knotted the way I use it - wrapped twice around the neck and then knotted in front (see the headshot illustration of the man in the green hat that Alden posted).

[uppercase]

Dopey, both those scarves are very elegant indeed! I also prefer the purple and it matches your iris eyes magnificantly.

But how long is it to enable you to loop around your neck and knot? Do you wear it under an overcoat and does the shirt show below the scarf; and wind blow through?; that would be my concern.

BTW, does Drakes have a retail presence anywhere or do they basically sell to others who re-brand?

All of their products certainly seem to be top notch quality.

You've got to love the firms owned by individuals, who are obsessed with quality, maintain standards and keep on top of things.

[dopey]

Dopey, both those scarves are very elegant indeed! I also prefer the purple and it matches your iris eyes magnificantly.

But how long is it to enable you to loop around your neck and knot? Do you wear it under an overcoat and does the shirt show below the scarf; and wind blow through?; that would be my concern.

The purple one is about 6.25" inches wide and 66" long. Double wrapped and knotted is for tucking into a shirt or sweater. If you want it to fill the gap in the overcoat, you might use a single wrap and double knot or an ascot knot (i.e., a FIH with the final pass over the knot), depending on the space you have to fill.

BTW, does Drakes have a retail presence anywhere or do they basically sell to others who re-brand?
. . .

This is the scarf I saw at Sak's (or very near to it). If I did things right, you can click on it to get to their online shop.


I did the same with one of their dotted scarves, which looks to be a similar product to my purple one though in a different design.

[alden]

You've got to love the firms owned by individuals, who are obsessed with quality, maintain standards and keep on top of things.

My sentiments exactly.

All the scarves shown are very elegant indeed. I saw the blue one Dopey posted with the two calibers of dots the day I visited Michael Drake and it is superb. I am going to have to have one or two of those. Both the purple and brown are on the list as well, as they are very useful colors and designs.

M Alden

[iammatt]

The square silk scarf shown in the first pics is very elegant. Can I assume that when they become available, we will have some idea as to where we might find them? There are a couple of ladies 35" squares on the Drakes site, but the patterns, even though they are dots, seem to be a little less masculine.

[alden]

The square silk scarf shown in the first pics is very elegant. Can I assume that when they become available, we will have some idea as to where we might find them?

They will be available here as LL products in the clothclub. I am just now choosing the colors for the first series. It seems to me that navy blue is a fundamental. What other colors would you choose? The olive green and orange are very nice. I would like a good brown as well, or the off white with brown dots.

Cheers

Michael

[JDelage]

It is interesting to me to see M. Drake's online store offering 2 versions of (or his personal take on) a blue & white scarf that appears 4 times in M. Alden's post:

http://shoponline.drakes-london.com/zoo ... 0Silk.aspx
(Labelled as a woman's square but similar to the orange square shown in the first post)

and

http://shoponline.drakes-london.com/zoo ... scarf.aspx
(180cm long!)

[alden]

It is interesting to me to see M. Drake's online store offering 2 versions of (or his personal take on) a blue & white scarf that appears 4 times in M. Alden's post:

Yes, that is a smaller, lighter weight silk made for ladies scarves. The silk I am working on is a whopping 36 ozs weight silk that is made for men.

Cheers

[iammatt]

The square silk scarf shown in the first pics is very elegant. Can I assume that when they become available, we will have some idea as to where we might find them?

They will be available here as LL products in the clothclub. I am just now choosing the colors for the first series. It seems to me that navy blue is a fundamental. What other colors would you choose? The olive green and orange are very nice. I would like a good brown as well, or the off white with brown dots.

Cheers

Michael

My three choices would be green, navy and a good brown with cream dots. I have a pocket square which is a perfect version of the latter, and find that it harmonizes with just about everything. I'm not crazy about white on brown, but cream is great. I'm not sold on the contrasting edges, but I guess you wouldn't see them much. To me they rarely help, and can look off.

[Cary Grant]

I'd also like to see a warm brown with cream dots for a scarf. I have a square now like that.