Cravats and Whisky at The Park Tower Hotel

Cravats and whisky aren't obvious soulmates, but I was delighted to take part recently in 'Attire', an event at The Park Tower Hotel in Knightsbridge, London to celebrate two great British products. At a well-attended evening event I shared the stage with Teo Van Den Broeke, Style Director of UK Esquire, to discuss style and to highlight our pairings of whisky with cravats and bow ties. The whisky was The Macallan and I'd selected one of my favourite brands, Cravat Club, to provide their British-made silk cravats and scarves to go with a range of straight serves of this wonderful whisky. Teo had paired a range of bow ties with cocktails created by barman of the Hyde Bar, Sergio Silva.

Wearing Cravat Club's 'Blythe' cravat

For me the event was an interesting challenge. Until recently I've been wary of wearing a cravat as, for my generation, they were the preserve of the older generation. However, under the gentle guidance of Jenny Meguro, founder of Cravat Club, I've been wearing them more and now see their benefits. Not only do they offer something different to the man of style, but the huge range of colours and designs enables a men to add colour and personality to an outfit, whether formal or casual. Cravats can be worn in situations slightly less formal than ties and have the advantage in the winter of bringing some warmth to the neck.

Cravat Club's 'Coen' cravat

My serves of whisky were served straight, over ice or (my favourite way) with a dash of water. My favourite was the 25 year old sherry cask Macallan; not as smooth as some Speyside malts, but as a result bursting with spicy, smoky character and making a good, bold Scotch. The Macallan ice ball (see final image below) is a spectacular way to serve a fine Scotch on ice

While I'm not a great fan of mixing the best whisky into cocktails, Sergio did wonders for Teo's selection, the highlight being a delicious whisky sour (usually with lemon juice, sugar and egg white); ideal for those who shun sweeter cocktails.

Cravat Club's 'Sylvester' cravat

I had no one reason behind my selected cravat/whisky pairings - some echoed the colour of the whisky or displayed a warm, celebratory note that chimed with the drink. The relaxed nature of the cravat, traditionally worn at the weekend or after throwing off one's tie after a hard day at work, echoed the restful moment when we sit down to savour a fine malt. For me both products represent the very best of British, offering quality, luxury and all the pleasures of long-term ownership. The Hyde Bar at The Park Tower Hotel was an ideal, suitably relaxing, setting for the evening.

Links: 

The Park Tower Hotel, Knightsbridge

Cravat Club

The Macallan

Wearing Cravat Club's 'Coen' cravat and showing The Macallan ice ball.

This feature is a collaboration with The Park Tower Hotel Knightsbridge, The Macallan and Cravat Club. It will continue with a seasonal blog feature in December and on Instagram too.

Cravat Club: Made in England cravats and pocket squares and new Blog Sponsor

I'm delighted to welcome and thank Cravat Club as a sponsor for the blog as I look for funds to improve the blog for readers and brands I work with. They will be no strangers to readers as I've mentioned them before. Their cleverly-curated range of English-made cravats and pocket squares appeal to all tastes and styles and are well-displayed on their brand-new website here.

Please support Cravat Club and Grey Fox Blog by clicking on Cravat Club's advert on the right or by visiting their new website to browse and buy.

Best of British Menswear Week - Men's accessories from Holdall & Co, The Gentle Fox,

HOLDALL & Co have appeared here before as designers of high quality English-made leather goods. I wanted to update you on the recent addition of a large (16") briefcase to the collection.

Rai Navickaite, founder and designer, told me:

"I’m really proud of this new addition to our collection; it’s actually my favourite product! I have been working on it for almost a year (it all started as a bespoke briefcase project for a customer), designing, prototyping and perfecting the design with our craftsmen. Every briefcase is made individually, each piece cut by hand using traditional knives from one single bridle leather hide (to ensure consistency with colour, texture and thickness). As ever, we use traditional techniques and, of course, there's lots hand finishing and stitching".

Go to Holdall & Co for information and to buy.

THE GENTLE FOX makes cravats, bow ties and pocket squares in England. Like many people in her position, Gill started by sewing for herself and friends and found there was a demand for her products, so started to sell them. She uses organic cotton and thread and reuses or recycles as much as she can. She takes commissions for her beautifully-made accessories.

The Gentle Fox

Go to The Gentle Fox for more information, or to buy.

Cravat Club - Grey Fox talks to a British-made menswear label on its first birthday

Due to a skilled use of social media (there's a lesson here for many menswear brands), I've known about Cravat Club for most of its existence. I'd been wondering how it was getting on reviving the cravat, when by chance I recently bumped into (see image below) Jenny Meguro, who runs the company. She kindly answered some questions about the business on its first birthday (see below). 

Cravats are back, with Cravat Club leading the way

I'm not yet a cravat wearer, but I'll be trying some of Jenny's lovely products over the next week or so. Will I be converted? I've tried a couple and have a suspicion that cravats will now form part of my life, but I'll let you know in a future post.

Jenny offers a very impressive range of colours and designs of cravat and pocket square - all made in Britain. See Cravat Club for more information.

Grey Fox bumps into Jenny Meguro at L'Eroica Britannia

Here is my conversation with Jenny -

I'm intrigued as to how you came to be selling cravats. How did you get started?

Initially, my business partner Julian came up with the idea of Cravat Club as a sort of side venture, as his main profession is painting restoration. He had always been a fan of cravats and he felt that there was a lack of choice when it came to designs and finding a good quality product, as most cravats he found online and in stores had a tendency to either have very uninspiring patterns or be made very cheaply abroad which lacked quality. So he decided to fill this gap in the market by sourcing silk mills here in the UK and have good quality cravats made in more interesting patterns and colours. Julian then had a simple website made as the platform to showcase and sell these products.

Some of the many Cravat Club designs available

After 5 years in Japan, I came back to the UK last year, and while I was looking for work in marketing, I came across Julian’s business venture and was really intrigued by his idea of bringing the cravat back into fashion. I have always been interested in fashion; had previously studied textiles, and men’s fashion was always something I was curious about. It was eye-opening to experience the varied fashion trends in Japan and I also observed how the majority of men in Japan dressed so well and immaculately; a little different to here in the UK! It’s about paying attention to the smaller details and presentation is paramount in Japan, which is where a little accessorising comes into play.

I was keen to ensure that Cravat Club’s image steered away from the stuffy and outdated undertones that cravats have traditionally had, and that a slightly edgier and more contemporary touch would be ideal for today’s market and to appeal to a wider audience, not just for the more mature gentleman! So I revamped the website using more ‘off-the-wall’ imagery, I then had a plethora of designs made up to appeal to both the younger and older target market, and took over the online and social media marketing side of the business. 

Pocket squares

Has there been a revival in the cravat? 

There has been a huge resurgence of the well-dressed modern gent in the last few years, and popularity of men’s accessories have escalated hugely with the bow tie, pocket square and boutonnière being part of a man’s wardrobe, and cravats are steadily emerging onto the scene too. Cravats are the perfect accessory to complete an outfit for the sartorial chap bearing comfort and style at the same time, and as every woman knows, a well-dressed man is certain to stand out from the crowd and turn heads at social events! 

British manufacturing has also been increasingly sought-after as consumers in the UK are striving for well-made products from artisan and independent specialist businesses, as opposed to products being constantly churned out on a factory line abroad in order to cut costs, meaning quality and heritage becomes diluted; thus losing its charm and calibre. And so for us, the concept of a British made silk cravat was the epitome of quality and heritage rolled into one.

Where are your cravats made? Please tell us something about them and their design.

All of our products are manufactured across England. We have two types of cravats and pocket squares; jacquard woven silk and printed silk.

The woven silk is made in the Midlands from high grade raw-yarn silk. After we have requested and selected our designs and colourways, the silk goes through preparation, dyeing, and weaving stages to create intricate, lustrous and colourful patterns.

The printed silk is produced in the North of England from the finest raw-yarn silk, which undergoes various processes, and is then treated with steaming and stenting after being printed with our carefully chosen eye-catching designs and colours.

The material is then cut and made into cravats and pocket squares in the Midlands and the South Coast of England before ending up at Cravat Club HQ!

 Who and where are your main markets? How would you like to see these develop?

Even though our main market is in the UK, we offer free worldwide delivery so we are also popular across the globe, and have sold to over 30 countries so far, including all across Europe, the US, Canada, Brazil, Northern and South East Asia, Australia and the Far East, (and to my delight, this includes Japan)! It’s quite exciting for us when we receive an order from a country we haven’t sold to before, so each time we put a flag pin in our world map on a cork board in the office – it looks a bit like we’re planning for world domination! 

Our target market ranges from men in their late 20s/early 30s to, shall we say, the more mature gentlemen! There is a generation gap between Julian and myself, and I think that works well because we see fashion and designs from two very different perspectives. That’s why we have over 100 products on our site ranging from traditional to contemporary patterns, to classic designs with a twist - so there’s something for every gentleman’s taste!

We would like to see more men who haven’t tried a cravat before take the plunge and go for it, they would be surprised how comfortable it is to wear, and paired with the right outfit, how stylish it looks. You don’t have to make a huge statement wearing a cravat, you can show as little or as much as you like depending on how you tie and position it under your shirt, and there are a variety of ways you can wear it for different occasions, so you can dress it up or down. 

What inspires you in driving the business? What are you favourite moments in running the business?

Well, we’re only officially a year old but a lot has happened in this year!

Apart from wanting to see more and more men dressing well and taking pride in their appearance, I relish on the exciting thought that the cravat is on the precipice of flooding the men’s fashion scene. It feels like Cravat Club could potentially, or is already starting to have an effect on today’s fashion. 

I thoroughly enjoy running the business as it’s so varied, from planning and co-ordinating photo shoots, having input with the designs, communicating with customers and people via social media, to researching what’s trending and constantly thinking about the business and coming up with new ideas…and I love being my own boss, that helps too!

Click here to go to Cravat Club's blog.

Cravats are back and available from Cravat Club

A fellow can always look dapper in a cravat, even if his choice of socks embarrasses his bulldog -

Image Cravat Club 

I remember my father wearing cravats in the sixties. They make a lot of sense, keeping shirt collars clean, providing a smarter casual finish to an open shirt and of course keeping the neck warm. It's not surprising they're making a comeback.

Here's a selection from Cravat Club's website - ideal British-made seasonal presents for a man or a woman. They come in a wide variety of silks, colours and patterns.

Is it time for the return of the cravat?

I can just remember my father wearing cravats in the sixties - always silk and always paisley pattern. They kept his neck warm and protected his shirt collar from the grime; what's not to like?

Maybe it's time for the return of the cravat. They can be picked up for next to nothing a eBay at the moment. I'm tempted to try and will report back in due course.

Here's a link to a video on how to tie a cravat How To Tie A Cravat (Style For Men)