H. N. White Ties: Handmade From Vintage Huddersfield Fabrics

I've shown H. N. White's ties here and on Instagram before, but when my eye was caught by his current collection made from vintage Huddersfield wool cloths I had to mention him again.

H N White ties made from vintage fabrics

I asked Harry White to tell me about his tie-making business (link at end of this feature) and the vintage cloths that had caught my eye:

"I started my tie company around 18 months ago. I wanted to create fully handmade English ties using interesting and unique British fabrics. This is primarily what we sell: some fabric, such as grenadine comes from Italy and our knit ties come from Germany (as there only a couple of places in the world that make knit ties, Britain is not one of them). In the past we've made ties from Irish linen, Fox Bros flannel from Somerset, woven silks from Sussex and the mainstay of our collection which is printed silk from Macclesfield including Adamley.

This particular crop of Huddersfield wool I was lucky enough to chance upon through a contact who had a stockpile of some rather old English woollen fabrics. So they are actually vintage, rather than chosen from current bunches. Most were woven in single width which is around 70cm width which gives a clue to its age. Most modern woollens are woven at 1.4m wide now. I picked what I thought would translate well into a tie - Prince of Wales and gun club [checks] are particularly popular - and of course the weight must be not too heavy so that is also a factor when choosing fabric".

To see more of Harry White's ties click here for his website. 

This post is unsponsored and all views are mine alone.

Penelope Cream Ties Hand-Knitted in the UK

Penelope Cream makes hand-knitted ties that incorporate dyes that she's carefully selected from around the world, giving each a melange of colours that vary from arctic greys and blues, through the vividness of tropical flowers and birds to the sands and azures of an Indian Ocean beach. The choice of dye and yarn is crucial and Penelope can tell you about each colour, where it's from and how it's made.

  

These are ties for the connoisseur; as they are hand-knitted (each taking several hours to knit) each is unique and needs a certain amount of care (a light press from time to time), but the beauty of their design repays the owner. I've never had so many compliments about a tie as when I wear a Penelope Cream tie (link to website below).

I met Penelope recently to ask her about her business:

GF: What is your background insofar a tie design and manufacture goes?

PC: My route to design is not via a formal art or fashion school route. Instead, my formal training is in various different areas, with a strong overlap between art, modern languages and science. At school my art teacher used to sneak me into the classes as my other teachers had decided I was interested in too many varied subjects and needed to be more clearly focused on either arts or the sciences. I found it hard to drop any of the subjects and while I followed at first a traditional academic path in modern languages I continued with design and received a number of graphics and illustration commissions whilst at university. After my first degree I did some applied training in the world of illustrated print media and design and worked for some years commissioning large international publishing projects.

My interests continue to span art and science, and designing for hand knitting draws these together. I remain fascinated by the way in which colours are produced using skilled manipulation of pigments. The satisfaction comes from mathematically constructing a textured surface which combines three-dimensional form with variants of colour, either in a subtle interplay of similar tones or bright ‘pops’ of dense colour.

GF: Tell us something about the inspiration behind your designs.

PC: I grew up for much of my childhood in a large household of many nationalities, interests and skills, where multiple languages, art and sciences all co-existed quite easily. There were doctors, scientists, a stage designer and linguists who were also illustrators, ceramicists, model makers, and writers. It was a house filled with the childhood books of earlier generations, and I grew up heavily influenced by authors and illustrators of the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s such as Jean de Brunhof, Edward Ardizzone, Edward Lear, and Kathleen Hale. Whether it was Babar the Elephant or Orlando the Marmalade Cat, or the scenes of Ardizzone’s shipwrecks or heroic adventures, many of the characters wore classical suits - and ties.

My later influences remain close to the same time periods, with the textile designs of Sonia Delaunay - especially those of her collaboration for Metz & Co - and the photography of Horst P. Horst being particular favourites. Horst’s striking compositions for Vogue that use a bright splash of colour against more muted shades are one of the inspirations for my current collection. I hope that the ties can provide a similar elegant focal point to today’s wardrobe, bringing a design twist to those appreciate classical style.

GF: Are you focusing just on knitted ties for now?

PC: I see the knitted ties as the first in a number of lines that will draw on some of the same characteristics: high quality, textile-based designs that promote the work of and allow me to collaborate with independent studios and dyers. I have several ideas that I’m working up and I am keen to hear from people as to what they would like. I always find that one of the most important sources of feedback are the people inherently drawn to my original designs.

GF: What are your plans for the future of the business?

PC: I am in discussions with hand dyers about unique colourways, and how to combine the placement of colour within my future pieces. I am also talking with a weaving studio and some colour experts about my next designs. I’m keen to think laterally, and collaboratively. I very much enjoy working up a proposal and taking products forward both for myself and in conjunction with others.

To see her ties and to buy, go to Penelope Cream.

Seaward & Stearn: making silk ties in London

Making a tie isn't a straightforward process. From cutting the material to stitching the tie calls for care, skill and experience. Such skills are found in the London Bridge workshops of Seaward & Stearn who kindly offered to make me a couple of ties. I happen to have a fascination for that printed silk known, mysteriously, as ancient madder. With its rich, natural colours and slightly chalky feel, this screen-printed silk generally comes in geometric floret, medallion or Paisley designs, adding a classic sophistication to any look, whether tweed jacket or pinstripe suit.

I had the pleasure of watching a tie being made.
Selecting from the many rolls of silk wasn't easy, but a decision was made and I followed the process from cutting to the final stitch before leaving wearing my tie. I opted for a large repeat floret and, after some discussion, it was made to be 147cm in length and 8.5cm on the tip. I'm not a great fan of narrow ties and 8.5 cm is as narrow as I will go in general. A classic look deserves a generous tie and I believe we are moving gradually away from the noughties menswear looks characterised by skinny ties, skinny trousers and too-short jackets

For more on Seaward & Stearn's superb selection of ties, pocket squares, shirts and much more, see their website here, where you can buy their products. In the second part of this feature I will explore the fascinating story of ancient madder in more detail.

This feature is unsponsored. I was given two ties but all views expressed here are mine alone.

Cravat Club Printed Silk Ties Handmade in England

I recently heard from Jenny Meguro at Cravat Club who's updated me on their ever-broadening collection of neck ties. All British-made, they now offer ties from both woven and printed silk in a very wide range of colours and designs from tartan, paisley to textured plains and skulls (yes, skulls). Price between £85 and £95, they are, as we expect from Cravat Club, both well-made and beautifully designed. See Cravat Club.

I was sent a tie for review, otherwise this feature is unsponsored and all views are mine

Marwood SS15 - menswear accessories made in the UK

Marwood's gentle made-in-England accessories appeal to me because they are different. Their look book for their SS15 collection features John Tebbs of The Garden Edit which sells highly stylish goods to the keen gardener. Marwood's soft colours and textures go well in such surroundings. The photography is by Arianna Lago.

To see Marwood's collection of exquisitely-made British accessories, including ties, bow ties, scarves and pocket squares, click here. 

Augustus Hare ties and Grey Fox interview

I had the privilege of being interviewed on the Augustus Hare website this week for their Autumn Interviews series. I'm a great admirer of their English-made silk print ties, Italian knitted silk ties and pocket squares. The green/blue Zola knitted tie in the image below is one of my most-admired ties.

To read the interview and see their selection of beautifully-made products, go to Augustus Hare. Jacket - Hackett, shirt - Smyth & Gibson, chinos - Lyle & Scott, belt The Worcestershire Leather Co.

Shaun Gordon - stylish maker of stylish ties

Shaun Gordon isn't yet a grey fox, but he has unofficial status as such. A man of real style, he dresses in that timeless way that suits a man of any age (the jacket is vintage, tweaked by his tailor). He's a perfect gentleman and a skilled tie-maker, launching a new range of beautiful ties this week.

Shaun Gordon - Image courtesy of Kahlil Musa

I met Shaun for coffee recently and our conversation roamed far and wide. We found that we were both influenced by stylish grandfathers. Shaun says on his website -

My earliest memory of my Grandfather was him dressed impeccably sharp. He was very charming and most importantly happy. I never understood why he dressed the way he did until I wore my first tie to school, my first job interview, first date, weddings, formal and social events. I had the feelings of pride, importance, confidence, a sense of purpose and happiness every time I wore a tie.

Now, I wear ties everyday because the act of wearing them is a ritual for starting the day by feeling good. This is the reason why I am a tie-maker to become apart of your daily experience and creating for you luxury limited edition hand-made ties.

Shaun carefully selects silks and told me that he spends much time meticulously making each piece - a lot of hard work and love goes into each tie. They are objects of real beauty and real bargains at £75 each - no machine-made objects these.

Click here to see the range of Shaun's hand-made ties.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ShaunGordonTieMaker

Twitter: Twitter.com/SGordonTiemaker

Two ties in two days

I started this blog all of two weeks ago, so to celebrate I bought two ties.

I know I've been banging on about tweed, and particularly Harris Tweed, quite a lot; but I make no apologies for that.  It seemed right that one of the ties should be Harris Tweed, and here it is with a more formal, but classic, fine-spotted burgundy silk tie.  The former was from Edinburgh Woollen Mill and the latter from a Teddington charity shop - which should I wear on Christmas Day?

Photos Grey Fox

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Have a dig around your wardrobe - you may be surprised

Once a man reaches a certain age he may have been collecting clothes and accessories for some decades.  This means the he may unwittingly possess some items which have miraculously come back into fashion.  I haven't worn a tie regularly for a few years and, during an overdue sort out of my tierack, I found a few ties which are probably 20 to 30 years old, but could be worn now with little embarrassment.