Founded in 1977, Drakes has established itself as one of the leading purveyors of English handmade ties crafted using only the highest quality materials and dyes. Drakes ties are made entirely by hand in the heart of London, drawing on the company’s rich artisan heritage of traditional tie making, spanning over 30 years. In sharp Indian silk, textured knitted styles or old-school stripes, a Drakes tie makes a mark of sartorial distinction.

To complete the look of stylish authority, Michael Drake, founder and designer, recommends the four-in-hand or Half Windsor knots. Michael likes to uphold Oscar Wilde’s words of wisdom that “a well tied tie is the first serious step in Iife.”

Just two of the Spring colors

New this season, Drakes launches the ‘untipped tie’, a more casual and lightweight spring and summer version. With a slim 7cm width, the new style ties are made from exquisite raw handwoven Indian silk or woven Shantung silk; the blade and tail are left untipped and completed with a hand-rolled finish.

Available in a beautiful selection of Indian Colonial ground colors of oxblood, bottle green, sky blue, tussah brown and Jaipur pink, the untipped ties make the perfect summer accessory for stylish men’s attire for any occasion.

My Drakes untipped tie roving the office

Drakes was kind enough to send me one and I have to say, though skeptical at first, I am a convert. I’m wearing it right now and though reminiscent of a thin, “man in the gray flannel suit” era piece of neck wear, this tie is elegantly eclectic.

In fact, they are handmade right in the middle of Los Angeles – a fitting tribute to the brand’s Made In America philosophy. Hugh Simms launched his 2009 signature “Caulfield” collection of neckties to a very receptive audience.

The distinctive and narrow ties attracted the attention of many fashion insiders as they incorporated Simms’ “Ivy League Grit” style – classic prep school patterns with a disheveled American edge – with their own.

The Caulfield Collection is available at www.HUGHSIMMS.com and plans are in the works for several limited engagements in LA, New York City and Miami. His ties are also being carried in Kitson and Fred Segal – not bad by any stretch. Like any good designer these days, he also plans on rolling out a home accessories line in the near future.

** Hugh is offering a special discount for OTC readers. Just use the code HOLIDAY when ordering off the company’s website and save 40%! This special deal expires after Christmas, so act now. **

Hugh is a very interesting guy who really does not fit the mold of an LA fashion designer. In fact, on paper, it’s more likely he would be teaching history at Deerfield Academy. I spoke with Hugh about his ties and the idea behind his “Ivy League Grit” style.

A distant grandson of Lord Baltimore, the founder of Maryland, Simms prides himself on his East Coast roots. In 1997, after attending one the country’s leading prep schools, Simms followed in his father’s footsteps and attended the Cornell School of Hospitality Administration, where he focused on business law and minored in wines.

The designer looking very LA

After a stint in the hotel business, he became an independent designer working on various projects. Eventually winding up in Los Angeles, Hugh attended the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising and there developed his signature “Ivy League Grit” style.

When I spoke with Hugh about his design business and its inspiration, I noted that his “Ivy League Grit” look was similar to the world of Rugby, the Ralph Lauren brand. Hugh agreed that the feel is similar, but his goal is not to target teens looking for a theatrical retro fad, “Rugby is a more of a pretty boy younger, high school/collegiate market,” said Simms. “I aim to create a lifestyle brand and clothing for those a bit older, rougher, and with a mindset of intelligence is sexy. I target an older clientele, 25-40; more Clive Owen and Daniel Craig then Zac Efron.”

I pointed out that Drakes London, another excellent tie maker, also makes its local domestic production a point of pride. “Like Drakes I pride myself on my area. I have a strong group of craftsmen and women in Los Angeles and will never stray from the city. With the economy I believe people really do care about the made in USA provenance,” he said.

The unique thing about Simms’ ties is that they are distinctly casual; unusual for a handmade, very high quality necktie. While I have worn my “Rusty Gate” tie under a sweater and loosely tied with an oxford and jeans, this is not a business suit tie; unless of course you work in the fashion industry.

Simm’s explained, “I created the tie ten inches longer to allow the end of the tie to be exposed. And a larger knot can be tied with an extra wrap around the knot which will easily adjust the look.” It’s a rough, even edgy, homage to the prep school look but perhaps too stylish for some. Personally, I like it – not for every day, but for when I want to have fun getting dressed without actually going casual.

What’s next, I asked? “In the near future I’d like to do a bow tie, a very cool antique style pocket square and also cuff links. After that, I’ll be focusing on menswear.”

As a guy from New England, and an Ivy League college town to boot, I know from bow ties. I have long been a big fan and to me they have always represented a shot of jaunty intellectual creativity. So, I dug through the OTC archives and pulled together some thoughts on bow ties.

Just so we’re clear, I am taking about the bow ties you actually have to tie yourself. Clip-ons are to me a wasted effort. The imperfection of a self tied tie is what makes it such a personal expression of your own style. The only tie knot that should appear symmetrically flawless is the double Windsor, and that’s only because if done correctly it can look no other way.

Southern gentlemen have embraced the bow tie for generations and it seems that the current upsurge in bow tie interest was given birth in the Low Country. My instinctive style guide is finally getting some validation as bow ties are now starting to show up all over the place. Southern gentlemen though seem to have a better understanding of the bow tie’s edgier, intellectual capacity. A bow tie takes some guts to wear and, stereotypes notwithstanding, is not for the meek and timid.

About as Southern a bow tie as you can get

Tucker Carlson, the political commentator stopped wearing his trademark bow ties in part because he came to realize that they were viewed as slightly aggressive. Apparently in the tie-wearing world, at least in D.C., they are the sartorial equivalent of daring someone to pick a fight.

The core of the bow tie movement seems to be a particular elevation of the overall trend toward a sense of formality in menswear. We all know this does not mean that every guy out there wants to wear a three piece suit to work. However, if you look across the landscape of men’s clothing there is a definite move toward looking better and cleaning up.

This is not new, I’ve been talking about the trending away from slouchy casual for a while; but in my opinion, it is now taking on more definition. Where the latter 1990s, just before the tech boom, was a boring morass of bland office wear – really, the last clearly defined period of “business dress” as a uniform – we now have a movement that is actively seeking a modern update of classic influences. And it’s really a self motivating movement; out of the necessity to appear professional and keep one’s job, the desire to get a job or just for the love of dressing well.

Urban cool bow tie

Viewed that way, I would call today’s bow tie wearers the modern dandy. Really, this is the perfect compromise for the stylish man of today (or even the man of today who wants to be stylish). Think about it: a dandy, in his original guise, was an individualist during a period of conformity and class stratification.

He was someone who wanted to make a mark of society, turn convention on its head, find a place in the salons and courts of the power players and yet still fall within the general framework of polite society. In essence a dandy is an individualist to whom others are drawn, yet someone who still maintains his own identity.

A handy do-it-yourself guide

I don’t know about you, but to me that rather sounds like the personality of today’s up and coming entrepreneurs and big thinkers. Of course not all of our future world leaders are going to run out to stock up on bow ties, but many of them are looking to find their version of the power suit, the perfect watch, the best car or the right shoes. And as it happens, they seem to be demanding quality of quantity, substance over flash, and the unique over anonymous.