This concise guide to bespoke ties will work well if you have an idea of what you want your ties to look like. There is no substitute for asking questions of your tie maker before ordering and looking at swatches if you need a certain color or texture.
Bespoke ties are custom made with the length, width, shape and construction that you prefer. As well as other details such as monograms, rolled edges and flat edges (instead of a triangle). What in the UK is called bespoke is the same as custom made in America. The best bespoke ties are made very slowly and with a great attention to small details. Creating a custom design is not the same as making a tie. Usually there will be a minimum of at least 12 ties for designing and weaving a custom silk and sometimes much larger minimums as for example with grenadines.
Getting the correct length is very important as if your tie is too short the knot will tend to be too small or if your upper torso is short or long that also can change your tie length. There are different ways to measure for length, but I prefer to put a tie on using the main knot that you normally wear and place the big end where you like it - for example on your belt line. Then you add or subtract to the ties length based on the distance between the big and small ends which normally is about two inches, but there is no firm rule; and some men (like my father) like the big and small ends to be equal in length.
A lined 3-fold tie construction will normally work very well. For grenadines a small 4th fold is added to help with durability. Lined 6-fold tie constructions will add weight and drape. Unlined ties will tend to not hold their shape as well as lined ties and the knots will be smaller. Men who like the craftsmanship of complicated watches will tend to favor unlined 7-folds. It is a sartorial myth that 7-folds are the best construction - the best tie construction will be the one that is perfect for you. The best ties are those that are made very slowly with an attention to small details and a constant review for quality control during all the steps of construction.
Silk is the classic tie fabric as it holds colors very well. There are many weaves used in weaving tie fabrics such as the classic bright and shiny satin with a soft finish - note Italian satin has texture and is slightly stiffer and more elegant. Reppe weave silk is normally used for striped ties and a tight twill weave is very good for prints. Twill silks are my personal favorite for traveling, very strong and wrinkle resistant. The loose grenadine weave made popular by James Bond 007 is perfect for showing off the texture of a solid tie but can be delicate. Grenadines ties normally are woven with silk but also are available in cashmere and a number of other fabrics such as cotton and wool. Knit fabrics have a similar look to grenadines but are more casual and stronger.
Wool has a beautiful texture and matte finish with the added benefit of being wrinkle resistant. Wool is also the ideal tie interlining. Bespoke tie makers will normally have a number of different weights of interlining wool on hand and they will match the correct wool interlining with a tie silk.
In America the traditional tie shape is the one that Brooks Brothers popularized many years ago. In Europe a bottle shape is sometimes preferred. Tie shapes can be customized if you give us the width measurements at around five different widths.
Monograms can be machine made or hand sewn - with hand sewn monograms having a softer nicer look. We like to put monograms on the rear tie keeper loop as that is a strong area without risk of tearing the silk.
John from New Jersey recently asked us about our Mogador fabric: With its 51% silk and 49% cotton the fabric has a texture that many feel works best in the winter. But I am going to take a contrarian stance and say it is a year round fabric. The colors are a soft matte but they are also bright and cheerful. So Mogador ties look good in the Spring and even in the Summer.