Guides

Recognising a good silk tie

What separates a hand-finished jacquard silk tie from an industrially made one — and how to check without expertise.

Woven or printed

On a printed tie the pattern sits on top of the fabric; the reverse is pale or white. On a jacquard-woven tie the design is part of the weave — you see it on the reverse mirrored, but complete.

From that follows the practical difference: a woven pattern cannot be rubbed off, a printed one can with time.

The thread inside

Open the back of a tie and a single thread runs along the seam from top to bottom. It is not pulled tight but carries a small loop — the slip stitch.

It lets the tie stretch as it is knotted and return to shape afterwards. If it is missing, or the thread is glued down, the tie will distort permanently after a few wearings.

The hang test

Hold a tie loosely in the air by its narrow end and it should hang straight down and swing gently. If it twists into a spiral, it was not cut at 45 degrees to the grain — the most common fault in cheap manufacture.

This test works regardless of the material and is the most informative one you can carry out without tools.

What silk feels like

Silk is cool at first touch and then warms quickly to skin temperature. Synthetic fibre stays cool, or feels neutral straight away.

Every tie in this range is 100% silk, jacquard woven and finished entirely by hand.