old YSL and Dior ties

[bike756]

I found some old YSL and Dior ties in my dads closet recently, and thought he must just have been better dressed than I thought. But I just went to goodwill and saw crappy looking YSL and Dior ties. Did these companies just not used to be as prestigous, or am I finding an unusual amount of designer ties? I noticed the same with robert talbot, by the way.

 

[Bradford]

Neither YSL or Dior have been prestigious since the early 70's. In the 80's they both licensed their names out like crazy... those ties were a dime a dozen... you could find them practically anywhere: J.C. Penney's, Montgomery Wards, Costco etc... at holidays like Christmas and Father's Day they often came in boxed sets with matching pocket squares or suspenders... they were popular because they were cheap and people thought they were still getting a quality name...

 

[VMan]

Modern Dior Homme and Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche are completely different than the old YSL and Dior, as Bradford said.

 

[rach2jlc]

Just to add on what Vman said, in 2001 or thereabouts Gucci Group bought YSL and most of the licenses that threatened to dissolve the brand.

Likewise, Hedi Slimane began designing Dior Homme at that time and they completely repositioned the brand to be at the top end of menswear. At that time, they also bought up most of the remaining Dior Monsieur licenses hanging around here and there.

So, anything after 2001 from YSL and Dior is generally quite good (but, keep in mind that YSL Rive Gauche is the label that you want from YSL, Dior Homme from Dior. If it says "Dior Monsieur," then you will probably want to steer clear).

 

[Bradford]

Good points by both VMan and rach2...

Both of these brands have experienced a resurgence... probably doesn't improve the ties you found though... I know... I owned some in college

 

[rach2jlc]

Originally Posted by Bradford

Good points by both VMan and rach2...

Both of these brands have experienced a resurgence... probably doesn't improve the ties you found though... I know... I owned some in college

That resurgence has also lead some to try and be a little tricky with old items. Whenever I go to thrift shops when I'm in Japan, I always shake my head because some of the more unscrupulous ones will price those old YSL and Dior Monsieur shirts and ties for $25-30 (3000 yen or so), hoping to snag some unsuspecting high school kid who thinks he's getting a great deal on Rive Gauche or Dior Homme.

 

[babygreenspots]

Some of the vintage YSL and Dior ties don't seem so bad though. There are slim (3-3.25 inch) ones from the 1970s in silk and wool that are in traditional patterns that I quite like. Also, the vintage YSL velvet jackets are okay.

 

[yfyf]

I raided my dad's closet for his old ties years ago. The Christian Dior and YSL ties should be 60s - early 70s and they surpass any of my modern ties, though I don't tend to go for the megabucks ties that you sometimes see on the board.

The silk ones are soft and supple and a very subtle shine. I have some less common ones as well. A blue worsted wool YSL, a navy ribbed cotton from Dior. A lot of them have a small monogram near the tip of the tie. I like them so much, I can't always bring myself to wear them :/

 

[babygreenspots]

Originally Posted by yfyf

I raided my dad's closet for his old ties years ago. The Christian Dior and YSL ties should be 60s - early 70s and they surpass any of my modern ties, though I don't tend to go for the megabucks ties that you sometimes see on the board.

The silk ones are soft and supple and a very subtle shine. I have some less common ones as well. A blue worsted wool YSL, a navy ribbed cotton from Dior. A lot of them have a small monogram near the tip of the tie. I like them so much, I can't always bring myself to wear them :/

This is what I suspected though the good ones are clearly difficult to find. I think there was a pre-licensed period when these brands were mass-produced but still quite distinctive and of good quality. I wish my dad had better taste, although he is almost from the time before ties.