Bored with my neckties, let's talk about options

[CollinMacD]

CollinMacD, that hula girl tie reminds me of the old "peek-a-boo" ties that were popular a long time ago. These usually had a traditional pattern on the front, but the back side had a pin-up girl image that you could see by flipping the tail up. Needless to say, those probably wouldn't be acceptable in today's environment. Even the hula girl tie might raise some eyebrows in a work environment.

One source of ties that I've used over the years is The Tie Bar. They have a nice range and selection, but seem to be more on the trendy side rather than traditional. That said, they do have a lot of traditional styles, and I like that they have a vast range of materials that you don't find in the usual outlets. Things like linen, wool, cotton, and of course a lot of knit ties. (As I said, I'm really into texture these days.)

My father had a peek-a-boo tie, yellow with hula girl, and pinup on the inside folds. I will check Tiebar out. I have been buying a lot of nice solid wools and tartan ties from ScotWeb lately. Little pricey when you add the shipping, but you cannot find these ties in the US. I like them a lot. Of course got the collection of MacDonald Clanranalds. working on the MacDonald of the Isle next. Cheers.

[Blaidd]

Tobus, apologies, but I am not totally conversant with many of the tartans displayed across the forum; that one appears particularly nice (on my monitor here) - could you name it for me please. Thanks in advance.

I agree with your texture sentiment regarding ties. Most of my military ties (uniform) are knitted variety and I find them particularly good for kilted attire, as well as when in 'sports jacket' (tweed) in civilian dress. Silk have their place (or quality man made) with business suits, which I also find myself in regularly. Either way, like you, I know when I like one!

Edit: having just caught up with your subsequent posts, the picture of your ties; the one on the right looks very similar to a Royal Green Jackets (now part of the Rifles) regimental tie! A Light Infantry regiment close to my heart - they were my first in the army! Nice to see again. Thank you.

[Tobus]

Tobus, apologies, but I am not totally conversant with many of the tartans displayed across the forum; that one appears particularly nice (on my monitor here) - could you name it for me please. Thanks in advance.

That kilt was made by Barb Tewksbury, using Reproduction Colquhoun tartan material from DC Dalgliesh. It's part of their "reproduction" colour palette, which they can weave for any tartan sett. But the tartan itself is the same sett as regular old Colquhoun clan tartan (which is my clan connection via Kilpatrick).

In this colour palette, greens go to brown and blues go to a faded blue. Reds go to a lighter orangy-red, whites go to cream, and blacks go to dark grey (or dark brown, actually). I believe it's supposed to represent the natural aging of original dyes, although research has shown that this is more fanciful than true. But I do like the general look of it. Visually, it's similar to the "weathered" colour scheme used by another weaver. Here's what DC Dalgliesh has to say about this palette:

"Probably the most historically authentic tartans on the market, derived from fragment of tartan cloth more than two centuries old, dug up from the historic Culloden Moor in 1946. Careful analysis and research into the original dyes by DC Dalgliesh led to a range of tartans designed to be authentic in colour and design to those worn in 1745 and before. They have a soft muted effect reminiscent of the days when vegetable sources such as lichen, moss and alder bark provided the dyer's raw materials."

I'd take that with a grain of salt, but still, the colours are appealing.

In the photos below, you can see the Reproduction Colquhoun next to my Ancient Colquhoun kilt. Same sett, just different colour schemes. But again, you can turn any tartan into this colour scheme by having them weave it in that palette, if they don't already. They do stock some clan tartans in that scheme as stock tartans.

[Tarheel]

Tobus, I have ties for you. I'll send all the ties in the photo if you PM me your address. Don't worry about shipping or cost. As a clan cousin (distant Colquhoun connection) I think you need these to fit the kilts in your last post. The red tie is linen with a Mallard drake embroidered at the tip. I cutting back on all my brown, olive, bronze and tan ties anyway. I'd be proud for you to have them.
Bobby Ingram

[Tobus]

Had a thought for you. I went looking at the Simplicity (sewing patterns) website), for tie patterns. They have several. Included with waistcoat patterns. Could you modify a pattern to suit your needs? Then, disassemble a tie (first, use one that you hate, in case of a mistake). Lay the pattern over it, & create a new one. If it must be reduced in size, there should be ample (relatively speaking) material to work with.

Baeau, that's not a bad idea to just build a new tie to my sizing preference, using a sewing pattern but taking the material from an old tie that I've deconstructed. It's worth trying, anyway! I'm sure I'll do like all my other projects and get about halfway through before deciding I really just don't have time for it, LOL.

My other option is to learn to knit, and then make my own knit ties. Anybody here ever done that? I know we have a few knitters here, and a knit tie would seem (to a non-knitter like me) like about the easiest thing you could knit. Due to my obsession with texture, knit ties really are my favourite these days. For example, here's a knit, striped, pointed-end tie from The Tie Bar. What's not to love about that? If they weren't $25 a piece, I'd order one in every colour. And better yet, if I could learn to knit them myself in any size, shape, stripe pattern, and colour combination, I might find myself in proverbial hog heaven.

So what does everyone think? Could this be a novice knitting project?

[Baeau]

Hello Tobus....my wife has done the same thing with a few bits of clothing. When she lost weight, on one of the offspring's prom dress (hand me down, used as a very nice dress, not for prom), & a couple of other items. The tedious bit is using a seam ripper & very small scissors. Once apart, its a quick assembly. Well, should be.

I wouldn't be shocked if The Wizard hasn't knitted a tie, or few.

[davidlpope]

Oh, and by the way, I have a special request for anybody who might know:

In the photo below, the 4 at right are bowties. One of them (3rd from right) is maroon and olive with a gold separator stripe. I absolutely adore these colours! I cannot remember where I bought this bowtie - it was online somewhere. I don't think it's a regimental tie scheme, and appears to just be a fashion pattern. I have been looking for a full-length necktie in this same pattern for years. Paired with a tattersall shirt, it would be the proverbial bee's knees! Does anybody know where I can find that pattern in a long necktie?

Natal Mounted Rifles. More info here:
http://www.bensilver.com/R136-Natal-...l#.W2RD9aQpCEc

[Tobus]

Natal Mounted Rifles. More info here:
http://www.bensilver.com/R136-Natal-...l#.W2RD9aQpCEc

Oh, crumbs. Thanks for the info. It kind of sucks the wind out of my sails on that pattern, as I would not want to wear it knowing that it represents something I wasn't part of. It probably wouldn't matter here at the office where nobody here has probably ever heard of regimental ties, but still...

I did find my original source for the bowtie when I bought it back in 2013. It was from The Tie Bar, and was described as "school stripe - olive/burgundy", which is why I thought it was just a fashion stripe. It's no longer offered, but it's still in my order history.

That's one of the dangers of wearing any striped tie, isn't it? Even a fashion stripe can accidentally mirror an obscure regimental stripe.

[davidlpope]

Oh, crumbs. Thanks for the info. It kind of sucks the wind out of my sails on that pattern, as I would not want to wear it knowing that it represents something I wasn't part of. It probably wouldn't matter here at the office where nobody here has probably ever heard of regimental ties, but still...

I did find my original source for the bowtie when I bought it back in 2013. It was from The Tie Bar, and was described as "school stripe - olive/burgundy", which is why I thought it was just a fashion stripe. It's no longer offered, but it's still in my order history.

That's one of the dangers of wearing any striped tie, isn't it? Even a fashion stripe can accidentally mirror an obscure regimental stripe.

I wouldn’t worry about it. I wear lots of ties like this for work every day. The exception is when I go to a military or Scottish themed event, I wear one of my Marine Corps ties. The other exception is when I went to London a couple of months ago I left all these at home and brought a simple small patterned tie just to avoid any issues.

[kingandrew]

Tobus,

I am mostly a bow tie wearer, so I can give you a few sources for those.

Beau Ties, Ltd. makes their ties in the USA and offer a wide range of styles and patterns. They are not always cheap, but there are usually several patterns on sale, which will be pretty affordable. Their quality is excellent.
www.beauties.com

The Bow Tie Club is another online retailer. They also offer a wide range of options and make their ties in the US. The deal on this site is that if you buy 5 ties, you get another one for free. So that brings the average price down, but does require you to buy several at a time.
www.bowtieclub.com

Finally, Jos. A. Bank Clothiers is a mens store of long standing. Along with many other traditional items, they stock bow ties. They frequently offer sales and special deals, so if you check regularly you will soon find some good prices on ties and bow ties.
www.josbank.com

I hope this is helpful,
Andrew