Tony Sylvester: My Made-to-Order Tie

Tony Sylvester, of Man About Town, London Undercover and the band Turbonegro, tells us what he loves about his Drake's made-to-order tie.

One of the most appealing aspects of Drake's ties has always been the broad range of fabric choices: Both in pattern and colour and more specifically in texture and finish. I first came across the brand when searching for crunchy silk knits in different, more offbeat colours. At the time, I felt all the ties on offer tended to have a uniform look, the same weight silks, the same homogenous shimmer. One day, at an independent shop well off my beaten track, I triumphantly turned up olive green, rust brown marle and Anglican purple knits in one haul, all with this unknown Drake's tag on the back blade and a loyalty was born instantaneously. I think my next purchases were a brace of summer weight tartan bow ties, but it was the shantung repp stripes that really made me fall head over heels for the brand.

My Cloth

I plumped for this one as the deep burgundy, white and goldenrod reminds me of a classic Fox Flannel cricket blazer, and the rich yellow adds an extra optical three dimensional quality to the tie. I felt it would sit well between the navy, white and tans of my warm weather wardrobe. 

My Construction:

I went for a 9cm width as I've found that with my frame and beard, sizing up looks more harmonious. I added a little length for back & front blade equation. For lining, on these thick cloths I think the lighter the better, and I feel the result speaks for itself - a tie unquestionably Drake's yet incredibly personal. 

How I Wear It:

Something about the combination of the conservatism of the old school or military stripe with the louche slubby feel of the shantung struck a deep chord with me. For summer outfits, they're the most natural choice, adding a subtle colonial touch to linen or seersucker ensembles. The look of rough matte silk screams out to be handled, so being asked to choose a fabric from the Drake's archives proved as much a tactile exercise as a visual one. I'll be teaming up the tie with almost all of my warm weather outfits - from olive military jackets through to navy linen blazers. Here I'm attempting a kind of Oxbridge summer party look with the bold repp stripe providing a collegiate anchor to the disparate components.