Archive for April, 2013

Tie Collection

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My ties needed to be reorganized. The current tie set-up was a dresser drawer. All the ties were rolled and very organized. However, this made it hard to try on more than one in the morning and I didn’t think that it was good for the shape of the ties either. I have decided to move them to a tie rack. I got them all out in preparation for the move and was a little surprised how much my little collection had grown.

Ties to be alteredTies to be altered (narrowed, bow tied, etc.)

Two years ago I had fewer than 10 ties. This was not problematic as I rarely had the opportunity to wear one. At some point, I decided that it would be a good idea to stock up on ties and that future me might appreciate that. Two years later and I now have around 50 ties. I have also started to wear a jacket and tie on Tuesday/Thursday. Guess what? Future me appreciates past me’s decision.

Okay, not all of these ties were purchased at a thrift store. 8 were purchased via Etsy and another internet re-seller, 3 were purchased at the Brooks Brothers outlet, and  2 were gifts. The other 80% of the ties were purchased at thrift stores and kept, or traded away for others.

Similar TiesNot twins, but maybe brothers or cousins. The tie on the left is Brooks Brothers and the tie on the right Gant.

Thrift stores have proved to be an invaluable resource for acquiring ties cheaply. If I take my time I can usually find at least one tie at every store, which is a great ROI. It does require a lot of patience. You will sort through tons of ties, find one you like, and then find the stain. It is often painful to find that stain. In fact, I have learned not to get too excited until I have done a thorough examination. Which leads me into a short rant:

Why do thrift stores accept flawed ties? I understand that “beggars can’t be choosers,” but who would benefit from a stained tie? The only person that I can imagine who might be interested in a stained tie would be someone who would use it for the material. So, all stained ties, if accepted (and I don’t think that they should be) should be placed in a bin marked as “Flawed Ties.”

Sorry for the rant, but it needed to said. The moral of this story is to be patient and consistent when looking for ties at thrift stores. Eventually you will have a day like this one (Tie Haul). String a few of these together over the course of a few years and you will have a nice collection of ties before you know it. I do want to leave everyone with something to think about. Why aren’t there more striped ties at thrift stores?

Ties are  3” and 3.25” width with less than a handful of 3.5” width ties

 Red Striped TiesTie Collection Red Stripes Close-up

Blue Striped ties

Tie Collection Blue Close-upTie Collection Green & Yellow StripesTie Collection Green & Yellow Stripes Close-up

Tie Collection - SkinnyTie Collection - PatternsTie Collection - Pattern Close-upTie Collection Patterns 2Tie Collection Patterns 2 Close-upTie Collection Pines & ConesTie Collection Pines & Cones Close-upTie Collection PaisleyTie Collection Paisley Close-upTie Collection EblematicTie Collection Emblematic Close-upTie Collection KnitTie Collection  Knit Close-upTie Collection Bow TiesTie Collection WoolTie Collection Wool Close-up

 

 

 

What Does a Trad Girlfriend look Like?

Trad GF

What does a Trad girlfriend look like?,” Is one of my favorite threads over at Ask Andy’s Trad Forum and is clearly the inspiration behind this post. So, what does a trad girlfriend look like? She could be the pretty girl in a polo and pearls, the girl in Lily and a headband, or the woman with a wardrobe that closely resembles your own. A trad girlfriend is all of these women.

Clothes are only a small part of what makes a girlfriend trad. She will be your partner in mixed doubles, be at home on land or water, comfortable in the country (at the country club) or the city, and will help you weather life’s storms just like your trusty old Barbour. If you are really lucky she might even make you a needlepoint belt. This post is about appreciating all of the trad ladies out there.

Trad Gf Reading

Vassar Girl Trad GF in Skirt with Horse

Trad GF Field HockeyTrad Girl on a boatTrad gf riding gear

The Pink OCBD & Ties

Creating tie and shirt combos is generally a painless endeavor for me. It is not that I am especially good at picking out tie and shirt combinations; it is just that my closet makes it especially easy. 95% of all my shirts are blue OCBDs with the remaining 5% consisting of white OCBDs, university striped OCBDs, and one pink OCBD. I could close my eyes, grab an OCBD, any tie, and it will look pretty good. The pink shirt is the one exception. It takes a little more work to find the right tie to wear with it. I have rounded up a few pink shirt and tie combinations to give my fellow pink OCBD wearers a little inspiration. There are an infinite number of possible combinations. Keep experimenting.

Pink OCBD with Red and Burgundy TieThis is me.

Pink OCBD with Blue & Green Knit TieTom from Ivy Inspired

Pink OCBD with Blue Madras TieSome inspiration for summer.

Pink OCBD with Repp TiePink OCBD with Blue & Pink TiePink OCBD with Red club tie

Keikari: Interview with Christian Chensvold

IVY STYLE

Ivy Style is by far my favorite blog; it is the website that I spend the most time on that doesn’t actually sell clothes. I am sure that most people that are reading this are aware of the site. If not, the site offers a great mix of news, history, and personal stories centered around Ivy League Style. Recently Christian Chensvold, the man behind Ivy Style, was interviewed over at Keikari. The highlight of the interview in my opinion is when Christian talks about what he found in Ivy League Style as it echoes my own outlook on the style.

 “In the Ivy League Look I found a genre of clothing that is fairly fixed, which perhaps appeals to my sense of order. But it’s also flexible enough to appeal to all the sides of my personality. It can be cool, elegant, sporty, conservative. I also strongly identify with the approach of being relatively dressed up with casual attire and relatively dressed down with formal attire.”

Keikari, which translates to fop in English, is a Finnish website and forum dedicated to menswear. Head on over there to read the full interview here.

Christian ChensvoldChristian Chensvold