Going Green Part 1

When it comes to green in the Trad world we usually think Olive. This could be olive moleskin trousers, the classic cord sport coat in olive, or even outside of the olive spectrum there is iconic soft green OCBD sported by Miles. This post is not about any of the green items above, but about green ties.

Miles Knows about green.

My first green tie was the same as many of my readers and by far the most popular green tie, the Argyll & Sutherland repp. My next green tie was a more solemn repp that has served me well in both ultra conservative settings and on cool overcast days, but still has a nice pop of color (1st picture below). Next, I picked up this bright green repp that has become one of my very favorites (2nd picture below). These three ties got me hooked on green.
tumblr_ntnu6cfFy11ttpazyo1_1280Bright Green TieThis week Ask Andian Dr. D put up a whole lot of ties for sale and there were a fair number of green ones. The most exciting of these to me was the American version of the Malaya Regiment tie that I have been fawning over at Ben Silver for at least a year (1st tie below), but I could not stop there. As you can see by the ties that I selected (All featured below) there is a type of stripe that I love. I would describe this type of ties as bold yet conservative.
Malaya Regiment tieGreen RegimentalGreen Red Blue RegimentGreen Yellow Red Repp TieThe color green provides a great back drop for stripes (and foulards, but that’s  a whole other another post). Colors such as red, yellow, and purple stand out when set against it. If you don’t have a green tie in your collection I suggest that you add one. I suspect that it won’t be the last. I will share more on going green next week when I will reveal a few of my more predictable green purchases.

A quick side note. I paid under $20 for my Dr.D ties shown above. If you have never visited the Ask Andy Trad forum I will tell you that the Trad Exchange is a true gem. It alone is worth being a member.

oxford cloth button down
Jerrod Swanton is a simple man interested in simple, classic, and traditional style.

17 Comments on "Going Green Part 1"

  1. NaturalShoulder says:

    Green is my favorite color and I share your fondness for green ties as well. I am envious of your haul from Dr. D.

  2. Roger C. Russell II says:

    I have recently rediscovered green myself. I have been window shopping rep ties lately. The best full retail price I have found for ties that have exactly the look I desire is J. Press.
    I have to share my recent shopping experience at my Local Brooks Brothers. I asked the salesman for a blue OCBD. He retrieved a pinpoint. As it turns out he did not know the difference between pinpoint and oxford cloth. We then had a discussion about the collars being sized down. The salesman said they were making changes like this to help the bottom line because the company is trying to put itself in position to be sold.

  3. James Redhouse says:

    What’s next? Brown Ties?
    Let’s stick to Navy & White, Navy & Red, Navy, Red, & White.

    • Hollywood Argyle says:

      I am as hidebound and reactionary as any, but certainly green in a regimental tie is completely acceptable. It’s part of not only the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, but also 13th/18th Royal Hussars, 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, Devonshire & Dorsetts, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, Queen Victoria’s Rifles, Duke of Lancashire’s, Gordon Highlanders, Gurkha Brigade, Surrey Yeomanry, Light Infantry, Baluchistan Infantry, Aston Old Edwardians, Old Harrow Golf, Old Repton Golf, and a boatload of others.

      And let us not forget that alternative to the navy blue blazer: the hunter green blazer in doeskin (a kind of napped wool).

  4. Fred Johnson says:

    Green ties are, in my opinion very under rated. I always search them out for they can combine with an outfit and take it beyond the ordinary and expected. Lets NOT stick to navy & white or navy and red or navy, red & white. and limit our possibilities and education in the ways of classic dress.

  5. CAY says:

    I love green ties, too. I find ebay to offer some great ties, and I frequently get them at a good price. A quick trip to the cleaner and they are good to go.

    In the green department, I have gotten two beautiful green ties this way. One is a rep with a green background and red, yellow, and navy stripping. The other is a green and navy stripe. These are both J Press ties and look as good as new.

    I wore them at a conference I spoke at recently paired with a J Press navy blazer and a light brown sack sport coat (H Freeman) and got compliments on both.

  6. MrErikJ says:

    Without seeming like a total nerd, I believe it was this blog that turned me onto green ties in 2013. Before that, I relied too much on navy and red based ties. While it seems counter intuitive to the trad philosophy, I have to give Jerrod credit for inspiring me to get a little variety in my tie rack.

  7. fred johnson says:

    Ox,
    As an aside, green ties, in almost any design would coordinate nicely with that camel hair blazer and opens up a whole world of possibilities to move away from the predictable. I might have a little limited in my earlier appraisal of your desire to obtain one now that green ties have entered the picture.

  8. Alexander says:

    Green is indeed a color that goes with a lot and is even reccomendable for those of us who might need some accents in their wardrobe but shy away from too bold or feminine colors. I thank you, dear Jerrod, for this article. Even if you are not the first to say it, it can’t be said enough that green is an underrated option.
    Greetings across the Atlantic

  9. Roger C. Russell II says:

    I have a hunter green wool necktie with a foulard pattern consisting of mallards. I get a very Tradly look with said tie, a blue OCBD, and a brown on tan herringbone jacket. To me it’s a very Anglophile look. Green is not an interloper. However, a green OCBD is pretty yucky.

  10. Charlottesville says:

    Very nice ties, Jerrod. I have a handful of greens, including silk repp stripes, a wool challis with pheasants, a couple of foulards and a some paisleys. All are great with tweeds and camel hair, and the stripes in particular are nice with a blazer. I especially like olive shades, but have some in forest and a couple in brighter tones.

    Roger — I am not a fan of the solid green OCBD either, but it is undeniably a heyday item of impeccable pedigree, as shown in this BB ad from 1955 posted just today by fellow trad Heavy Tweed Jacket: http://heavytweedjacket.tumblr.com/image/132596549694 . I do like a green university stripe on a white OCBD, however, and have one in olive and one in lime green. The former is great with tweeds, and the latter brightens up a navy blazer or tan summer poplin.

  11. Roger C. Russell II says:

    Charlottesville, I apologize I think yucky was a little harsh on my part. I was a bit self centered in my opinion. The green OCBD actually looks good on Miles. This is the second reference to the green OCBD being part of the heyday era I have heard about. Christian at Ivy style was infatuated with them a short while back. I just do not think I would wear it well. I don’t wear yellow either. However, (and I shouldn’t reveal how long I keep clothing) I used to wear the very tie I described above wih a peach pinpoint button down. I was in the eleventh grade then. I will by forty eight next week. For some reason I thought it looked good.

  12. Richard says:

    Great post. I don’t always wear a navy blazer, but when I do I wear it with a green tie. Green is a strong contender with gray tweed, too. I don’t think green ties look their best with earth tone jackets, though. There, blue and black ties really shine.

  13. Charlottesville says:

    Roger — I’m with you in my reluctance to wear a green OCBD, regardless of their heyday bona fides, or Christian’s embrace, as natty as he always looks. From 11th grade to age 48 sounds like about 31 years, more or less. I confess to wearing a suit earlier this week that I bought at BB in 1986 or 87, which is almost that long ago. I also have at least 2 or 3 ties that date back to the early 80s. Coincidentally, one of them is navy with a green stripe. Hope the beautiful Indian summer weather we are experiencing here in Virginia reaches to your area.

  14. Roger C. Russell II says:

    Charlottsville,
    Yes I am experiencing the Indian Summer. I am on the Tennessee/Mississippi state line, 5 miles due south of Memphis. Yesterday I jogged shirtless for 2 hours in 82 degree weather. Here we are in November and I am still building a tan.

  15. Tommy says:

    One of my prize possessions is my Dark Green Langrock Princeton by Welch Marletson & Co with yellow gold and dark red stripes. Great find that cost me only $10, with a few roosters as well at about the same price- though shipping was around $10 to the UK?

  16. RWK says:

    I just picked up a hunter green silk knit tie by Land’s End at a local thrift shop. I already have a number of dark green silk woven ties, but man, this silk knit tie has a beautiful depth of color. It really enhances the richness of the hunter wonderfully. If you’re into the whole solid silk knit tie with oxford and khaki jacket/suit look for summer dressing, I’d highly recommend looking at such a tie.

I would like to hear from you