Recent Purchases - Page 523

Originally Posted by Ich_Dien 

EG, Berkeley, 202, Dark Oak - but I don't know where from

Originally Posted by razl 

...BB Ancient Madder silk ...
Somebody in marketing get's a +1, that just sounds great.
Nice ties too! Would love to see that PRL in action, done right.

Originally Posted by jrd617 

Haha that's really what they're called. I think it's a trad thing that goes back decades, maybe 100 years? Doubtful marketers were involved

Originally Posted by in stitches 


i do think however, that the use of the word "ancient" is a marketers brain child.

Authentic ancient English madder neckwear, pocket squares, and scarves used to be a staple item of good campus shops in the USA.

The shops that I was most familiar with as a young man — Tom Bass (serving Lehigh University and Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA), and Langrock (on Nassau Street in Princeton, NJ) — divided their neckwear selections between rep stripes and patterns. The patterned selections included insignia clubs, neat foulards, wool challis and tartan, and always a special section for the English madders. In paisley or neat geometric designs, they were considered the king of campus ties, inevitably more expensive than the other ties, but more prestigious and discriminating.

Today this silk fabric is all but a lost art, but one firm that makes The Real Thing is Drakes of London. The dusty madder colors of mustard yellow, ruby red, faded jade green and indigo blue, dark chocolate, and bluff were initially achieved from natural dyestuffs (which are the madder, later synthesized with chemicals; I must remember to ask Michael Drake when and why the “ancient” was attached), and arduously silkscreen printed on special gum-twill silk. The dye bite gives the gum silk a distinctive bloom and tactile feel experts call a chalk hand, a uniquely soft heft to the fabric and subtle powdery, slightly faded quality to the color palette.

Ancient English madder neckwear, squares and scarves were so popular not only for their innate beauty and luxury, but because they were thought the perfect accompaniment to tweed sports jackets. This, to my mind which is somewhat prescribed by the tastes of my youth, remains a perfect combination. — G. BRUCE BOYER

Originally Posted by m0bbie 

 

 

Got these nice loafers today. Appreciated the quality.

Originally Posted by jrd617 

Thanks for the info on Madder, Spoo. Didn't know that bit.
Got some Mastai Ferrettis on the way. Best beater shirts money can buy. Darted and nice fabric.

Originally Posted by MalfordOfLondon 

Nyet, sorry....

Originally Posted by NAMOR 

cant wait to see them Saint Crispins since everyone who owns a pair seemingly doesnt own a camera. ahem^^^^^^