A Most Useful Necktie

If a man were to have but one necktie in his wardrobe, one could make an argument that it should be a black silk grenadine. Grenadine's texture gives it visual interest despite its subdued coloring, and it goes with just about anything, from gray jackets through Mr. Bond's brown suit in the video capture from Goldfinger and, a bit less successfully, navy blue.

There are two types of grenadine, each woven by Fermo Fossati of Como, Italy, whose old shuttle looms also produce the world's finest shirtings. The more textured is the honeycomb patterned Garza Grossa worn by Bond and the other the finer, more mannered Garza Fina. Either is appropriate for business as well as more serious occasions such as funerals or the failure of one's government to do anything meaningful to address governance and financial challenges that make those of Greece and Spain look trivial.

Grenadine neckties are more of a type than conventional silks. For one thing the Garza Grossa in particular must be lined, lest the wearer's shirt be visible through the loose weave. The bulk of the material also rules out multi-fold construction as anything more than a three fold is too bulky (that same bulk means grenadines ought only be tied with four in hand knots as either of the Windsors produce too large a knot).

As to the color, Beau Brummell began wearing black stocks, the necktie of his time, to reduce his laundry bills early in the 19th century and black neckwear has been ubiquitous ever since. It is always correct, just as colored bow ties worn with dinner jackets are always wrong. And that makes the black silk grenadine a most useful necktie.