Tie the knot

Bruce Montgomery examines how both silk weavers and designers are making the tie an increasingly relevant contemporary style choice, with the traditional British necktie continuing to gain favor both in the UK and in global markets such as Japan, Korea and the US. Central to the whole process is the silk, viewed as a luxury fabric for centuries. Silkworms wrap themselves in a cocoon of silk threads before pupating to produce it. China, Korea and Japan were the first to produce silks but later it arrived into Italy and France with the help of Byzantine Monks. The half Windsor probably is to be avoided if one wants to appear in the know, as it is neither one thing nor the other. The full Windsor gives an elegant triangular look and works well with a cut away or spread collar. The four-in hand definitely has more character but does not suit everyone.