How could you say “No” to this face? I thought that showing a begging puppy might be a good encouragement to take this brief survey. In case this isn’t enough, then maybe the chance to win a $250 gift card to our partner site Bows-N-Ties.com might motivate you to spend 30 seconds to answer the few simple questions below.

As you might know, I am  a tie aficionado. To me, a tie is the ultimate accessory that can add a completely new look to any outfit. Be it for a formal black tie event, a job interview, dressing for a wedding, or going on a first date, I am a strong believer that a tie has many benefits outside of being stylish. Now I want to find out if there is indeed a correlation between wearing ties and such things as your career, your relationships, happiness, success, and much more. I very much appreciate your participation! Results will be posted within the next 30 days.

Vintage Tie Patterns from the 1950s – Found in Como, Italy

Last week I traveled to the Como, Italy in search of new tie designs, high-end fabrics, and skilled tailors. If you ask yourself why Como and not China, then the simple answer is that I was looking for superior quality and excellent design. Como has always been famous for silk production ever since Italian monks smuggled silk worms from China in the 5th century to this mountainous region of northern Italy. The climate was just right to grow mulberry leaves – the food silk worms need in order to produce this sought after thread (For more info, you may also want to read my article on Tie Fabrics).

While the actual production of silk has gone back to China (mainly because of cost reasons), Como still produces silk fabrics. The raw silk is now imported, and the Italian do their magic in terms of colors, designs, and unique fabric weaves. While in Italy I visited eight of the world’s most famous silk fabric mills and designers, some of which supply fabrics for brands such as Brioni, Zegna, Marinella, Kiton, Brooks Brothers, and several others. One company I especially enjoyed meeting with was BBC Jacquard. Their sales consultant Marcello Scebanti not only showed me their entire current collection, encompassing close to a thousand different designs and fabric weaves, but he also gave me access to one of the company’s most valued treasures: their design archives that stores thousands of original fabric designs from 1903 till today. Below are pictures I took from their design book from 1954.

Quite common for tie designs from the mid century were geometric patterns which today’s design world often refers to graphic prints. Today these patterns are not found on neckties, but more commonly seen on floor tiles, wall paper, and other house furnishings. While rare on neckties today, I think that these patterns will be coming back into the world of ties sooner than later.

Another design pattern I especially liked from the design book from 1954. T combination of colors and geometric pattern is just perfect. I asked Marcello if they could re-produce this design, and he said that modern looms are too fast to produce some of the old designs, something I found quite interesting.

This was my favorite among the hundred+ designs from the book from 1956. The color is perfect, and the design is truly unique. If anyone knows where to find this actual fabric (or even better an actual tie with this design), please comment below.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Hendrik
Tie Aficionado and Founder of Tie-a-Tie.net

Necktie Color Trends 2013: Time for Bold Greens

Ever since Pantone announced Emerald as their 2013 color of the year, has this shade been showing up everywhere. While it is a bit too bold on larger clothing pieces, fashion designers found the necktie and bow tie to be the perfect accessories to infuse some of this trend color into a man’s wardrobe. Not just emerald is popping up in tie designer’s summer collections, but also popular are ties in teal, mint, as well as any imaginable shade of turquoise. Without doubt, for those who are used to wearing mostly navy, black and burgundy ties, these bold accessories might seem a bit overwhelming at first. To make it easier to add these pieces to your daily rotation, I went searching for some of my favorite looks showing off these pieces. I hope this serves as some inspiration to step out of your comfort zone. It is time to be bold.

A simple and stylish way to add this color to your business rotation: Solid teal color tie (left) and solid teal pocket square (right), also note the skinny width of the tie that perfectly compliments the slim fit suit. The tie bar nicely accessorizes the tie and keeps the skinny tie in place. Picture Source: Tumblr.com 

Two popular tie trends for 2013: Emerald green color & knitted texture. Here the tie nicely compiments a more casual/smart ensemble. Picture Source: stoneleighgallery.tumblr.com

A great combination of color and pattern! Here the emerald green polka dot tie is paired with a window-pane check shirt, and stone gray suit. The white pocket square features a subtle gray border and is the perfect piece to add contrast and a touch of sophistication. Image Source: guystyleguide.tumblr.com

Other Related Posts:
Style Guide for Paisley Ties
Necktie Color Guide

Thanks for Visiting!

Hendrik
Tie Aficionado & Founder of Tie-a-Tie.net