Friday, September 21, 2007

"Wool" Neckties


Autumn begins the season for wool neckties, the best of which are cashmere or a mixture of cashmere and silk (I think of Irish poplin, a weave of silk and wool, as a spring and summer item so I'm not discussing them here). Of the pictured baker's dozen from my closet, eleven fall into the cashmere category, the red tie is pure wool and the light blue solid is camel hair.

The point of "wool" neckties is that they absorb light rather than reflect it, and that feature combined with the visible weave adds interest to combinations built around flannel or tweed jackets. They are particularly effective combined with a paisley or hunting pattern silk pocket square.

Like many men, I learned to appreciate the color of silk neckties first, for some reason that probably had something to do with the opinions of various young women. But I've since learned to be my own critic, and I like the look of wool for Autumn.


5 comments:

Jeff said...

What do you think of Flusser's preference for combining different textures, such as "wet" silk and "dry" tweeds?

Will said...

It's not only Flusser's preference. Mixing textures is the key to elegant dress.

Angelo said...

Will, just a question for You to verify my capability of identify the producer from tie's characteristics.
Is the red tie on the extreme right of the picture from Rubinacci Atelier?. Indeed the softness due to unlining , the width of the anterior blade (7.5-8 cm), the edge hand finishing and the delicate pattern seem to suggest this proveniance.
Thanks
Angelo

Will said...

Angelo, that's a gift from my friend Iammatt. It's a Kiton sample that was never put into production.

yachtie said...

I've always had difficulties finding good wool neckties.Could you suggest some sources?