No.7 DRAKES WIDE REPPS

NON-CONFORMIST CONFORMITY

WIDE STRIPE WHITE HEAT

Look Hook No.7 - Drakes jumbo drill silk Repp ties

I’m no club tie guy but gotta shout out Drakes new wide repps. They’re in rare, plush, jumbo gauge silk drills, but what’s really special about them is stripe width. While edge is hardly synonymous with repp vibez, somehow unconventional proportions deliver something off-centre. Back in June, when I wrote and shot this shit, there were three colour models that have repeating 6 or 3.5cm equal width bands, while even more ballsy two-tone affairs use 10cms. Now there are new ones in actual Savile Row shop (clicky).

Stripe repps particularly are all about institution so non- format repps equate rebellion on the down-low. No big deal? Well, on the visuals for 8cm wide ties this stuff does make a difference. Repps are synonymous with military allegiances, schools or clubs, but these wide guys come like bold slices of flag, still somehow echoing heraldic origins of taking colours to the battlefield. Sort of, but in tie form.

Meanwhile, Drakes jumbo drill wide band silk (dubbed ‘Repp on drugs’ by tie-insider) was actually an Arneys thing. Their repps were in this very silk, coming from a mill in Como. Arneys were that lovely, niche Parisian outfitters/tailors (that just can’t be named for political reasons). Its Arneys! Poor sods got bough by the LVMH acquisitions squad while making Berluti into a menacing global mens clothing brand (les clics). Deemed useful to the cause, Louis’ people dutifully retained traces of heritage and nuance, of course, then absorbed it into the constructed being that is Berluti RTW. Soon after deemed not so useful, and then shut the actual gaff down. Typical, non? Watch these Death Star luxury-congloms making this move is sadder now than ever. It could well be the time to reverse this ‘trend’, somehow. Man like Crompers covered this an age ago (clickmans) if want some clarity (not my forte).

FIRST RULE OF STRIPE CLUB

Ties are a lot like people: You never know exactly what you’re gonna get till you tie them up.

Moving off from that sart-travesty, I salute Drakes for paying homage and acknowledge their crew on The Row (click) for repping their repps admirably: Summer colour ways were straight up man-staples - navy, ivory, forest green, chocolate, and they’ve a slight sheen (think have bloody sold out, but we dead nice). Now they’ve gone richer and warmer- These are fetching with rich, darker formal shirts. This ridged cloth has got clout so they mould & knot nicely- weight, construct and cut largely govern knot expression. Ties are a lot like people in this regard: You never know exactly what you’re gonna get till you tie them up. But then I grew up in the Seventies and Eighties when a rep was a different matter all together.

CHOCO THREE WAY

CONTRAVERSIAL VS TRAD

As ties go, new repp offers from Drakes are right on my band width-  For a conformist format, this is proper non-conformist stuff, so have a shufty if you’re feeling rebellious under the collar.

Stubbs out.

PS. On venerable tie wearing rebel Patti Smith, below. I am planning a short Row ‘season’ on wearing ties loosened- “Loosen Up”. Stay tuned, might even happen.

DRAKES AMBASSADOR PATTI SMITH-

A LIFE SUBVERTING CULTURE & TIES CONTINUES.

Felt should mention Tie Ambassador Smith’s work subverting tie style through decades, from present (above in Drakes) to Horses and the Robert Mapplethorpe period.