Ascots

[Speedster]

Regimental stripe cravats

Don't know if this is of interest (they are in polyester):
http://www.mycollectors.co.uk/content/ties/ties-Cravats.aspx

 

[Indy Magnoli]

Just added a custom ascot service to my site, shown here in the Sherlock Holmes style of tying:




Kind regards,
Indy

 

[Smithy]

Anybody know of e-shops which sells cravats in university/regimental clours/stripes?

Søren, not too sure about university colour cravats (the alumni associations may have them) but there's several places with regimental cravats and I know C & J Medals offer ties and cravats for most regiments.

One word of caution, just be careful wearing ties or cravats for regiments, schools, unis, etc. You will be amazed how many people recognise these designs and you can look a bit silly if somebody comes up to you and says "so what did you read at Oxford and what year were you there"! I was at a lunch at a mate's club a few weeks ago and happened to be wearing my old boy's tie. Sure as eggs a fellow came up and started chatting, he was an old boy as well and recognised the tie.

Not trying to rain on your parade, just warning you that people will recognise what you are wearing and even in places where you would least expect someone to notice.

 

[Spitfire]

You are so right, Tim. And I would be very careful if I had to buy one - in fact, it's more the style I like. I think a striped cravat looks really smart.
So I just might be better off with a non-school, non regimental pattern.
In that case I could always tell people that it was from Vanløse University.

It reminds of the time I was standing in line at the Peace Museum in Normandy. I was wearing a green (baseball)cap with a yellow GB on front.
Suddenly this american guy yells at me - if "I knew what cap I was wearing?"
He was obviously tired of people wearing caps, they could not explain or just because they thought they looked cool...
When I told him, that I knew and it was my favourit american football team Green Bay Packers, we became the best of friends. It was his team too.
So never wear a cap - or a cravat - you can't wear or atleast explain.

 

[Smithy]

You are so right, Tim. And I would be very careful if I had to buy one - in fact, it's more the style I like. I think a striped cravat looks really smart.
So I just might be better off with a non-school, non regimental pattern.
In that case I could always tell people that it was from Vanløse University.

That's the spirit!

Failing that you could always tell them...

"I'm a fully rounded human being with a degree from the university of life, a diploma from the school of hard knocks, and three gold stars from the kindergarten of getting the shit kicked out of me."

 

[Big_e]

FL member mikepara posted a great how-to for tyeing ascots (post# 62). This one. I tie mines using the steps for the day ascot. After I finish step# 3, I repeat step#2 and go up and over again. This gives a bulgier knot and helps the ascot stay put better. I'm wearing an olive ascot I bought from ebay.
Ernest

 

[Carnage]

OK, I'll jump in!!!! It was quite common for English officers of WWII to wear an ascot with their less formal uniforms.

Indeed it was known. My grandfather was a great wearer of the cravat (he retired as a Brigadier) and at the time this post was written, 2007, I would have been wearing one in uniform on occasion for 10 years. In fact it is a practice that I have only recently stopped due to the state of some of my very old ones... Tucked away under a set of 95s then nobody will really notice when you have your jacket on.

I have seen cravats in regimental colours floating round the Cavalry too.

And that is to say nothing of the RAF who would wear them with a no. 1 jacket and some non issue trousers.

 

[Carnage]

I'm wondering why the MP isn't wearing an ascot...oh, wait, now I get it! THEN HE WOULD BE IMPROPERLY DRESSED, too!!!! I'm vindicated at last!
lol lol lol

Actually I hate to stir up an argument from 3 years ago, but I will. I quote your statement luvthatlulu because you are wrong. Had the RMP been wearing a red cravat then he would have been correctly dressed. RMP had a red cravat for a time before a red beret was issued. What is wrong though is the fact he seems to be telling off two Captains and he (the MP) has no visible rank insignia, but I am betting he isn't an officer...

 

[Mario]

I just stumbled across this post and even though it looked interesting, I have to say that I couldn't really follow the text. Did you take the promised photos to illustrate the process? Just out of curiosity...

Thanks...

I'll have my fiance take some pics for me on my phone tomorrow! I can explain it basically, but I think that photos really do more justice to it. Here we go then for the written description:

1. Your scarf must be at least a 40 incher if it is to be usable for making a cravat of the proper length though, perhaps a 36 or 38 inch one would work depending upon your personal preferences regarding cravat length.

2. Lay your scarf out flat on a wide flat surface as you will probably need some maneuvering room. A kitchen or dinner table is often perfect for this. It is essential that the scarf be as flat as possible as otherwise it will effect your ability to make proper folds which do not billow so much as to utterly distort the final form of the cravat later.

3. Once your scarf is laid out to your satisfaction, find the exact middle of the scarf (an easy way to do this if you don't feel like eyeballing it is to lay a piece of string or something else rather light and straight that will not disturb the light silk as silk has a tendency to almost float above the table top and move in a most unfortunate manner, though this is not so much of an issue with cotton - so, lay your string etc., from one point to another diagonally across your scarf) Next, take the other two diagonally opposite points which the string or whatever is not touching and bring them together to meet in the center, point to point at the string. Remove the string. Make sure that the edges behind the pulled points which meet at the center are folded neatly.

4. next, depending upon your personal tastes (though I find narrower folds work best for a cravat of a reasonable and manageable width) fold/roll the scarf's respective corners in from the already folded edges opposite each other until the points which your folded to meet in step 3 are covered. The narrower your folds, the narrower the band that will cover your neck and the more voluminous your cravat will be as well as it will have many little pockets of air!

5. Arrange the pointed ends of your hand rolled cravat (the points remaining, the ends should be at the two points where the string touched) and make sure that they un-ravel a bit at the end which they will probably do anyway and then, simply place on your neck, tie in a square knot so that the knot looks flat in front and does not show its tying and arrange your cravat ends and tuck into your vest or what-have you!

By the by, in case you're interested, this method of hand rolling your cravat is the ancestor of the modern Seven Fold Tie which is, essentially a piece of silk, rather larger than a 40 incher (to achieve accepted modern length of the neck tie) folded the requisite number of times into shape in the exact same manner as a hand rolled or folded cravat. That said, that is also why the bottom of your necktie has that diamond or square shaped window which is sometimes lined and sometimes not at the pointed tip of your tie on either end. Cheers and cheerio and etc! Here's to neck-wear!

 

[BinkieBaumont]

Obtained yesterday here in Australia on ebay, Two Cravats one cream with small brown squares, and another mainly Navy blue with a small red, white and black Art Deco design sprinkled over it, which will look spiffing with my navy Blue Blazer

 

[Two Types]

I've been wearing cravats since i was in my mid teens (early 1980s). I even found a school photograph from 1983/84 and I'm wearing a red and white polka dot Tootal cravat. After a break of a few years, I returned to the cravat and remain totally in love with cravats. Tootal is still my favourie brand but I can accept many others. For those of you out there who like them, here's a selection of mine (all Tootal):
My favourite label

The top one is my all time favourite:

The yellow paisley is one of the patterns i see the most often whenever i am shopping:

The top one is another favourite, whilst the bottom one is a curious 1960s number:

The bottom one is a rather unusual design, a variation on the usual paisley pattern:

This one seems to be fairly early:

 

[Two Types]

Since I'd added my vintage Tootal cravats, I thought I should also add my modern silk cravats from David Saxby. Here goes:

 

[Two Types]

Here are some more of my cravats. First of all by Sammy:

These are by 'A Favourite Cravat' (the top one has a fantastic - and unusual -pattern):

These are by an unknown manufacturer and are made of a wool/cotton mix, making them perfect for winter:

These are unknown and the blue one is probably homemade:

These are by Duggie:

These are by Lyntonia:

 

[Two Types]

Cravats seldom make appearances in films. However, this is George Sanders in the film 'Village of the Damned' wearing a good selection.

 

[Tomasso]

Quite an extensive collection you have there, TT. Well done.

 

[Edward]

Interesting way of wearing it. I would habitually wear my shirt collar out over the jacket if I'm wearing no form of necktie; always looked a bit odd to me when worn with a cravat (then I prefer to tuck it inside the jacket. Still, Interesting to see evidence of both approaches back when.

 

[Two Types]

Interesting way of wearing it. I would habitually wear my shirt collar out over the jacket if I'm wearing no form of necktie; always looked a bit odd to me when worn with a cravat (then I prefer to tuck it inside the jacket. Still, Interesting to see evidence of both approaches back when.

I think the real difference is that he is wearing his shirt collar up and out. This helps to frame the cravat and - also a determining factor - it helps hold the cravat in place. And lets face it, cravats are notoriously wayward things: regardless of knot or pin, they seem to have a life of their own.

 

[Two Types]

Interesting way of wearing it. I would habitually wear my shirt collar out over the jacket if I'm wearing no form of necktie; always looked a bit odd to me when worn with a cravat (then I prefer to tuck it inside the jacket. Still, Interesting to see evidence of both approaches back when.

I've also just found this picture of Jimmy Hanley in 'The Way Ahead' (1944).

I think having the collar out whilst wearing a cravat works here simply because he looks so relaxed. Shirt, jacket and cravat are all creased and worn comfortably. In the film he is defying convention - a 'wide boy' second hand car dealer who drinks in an 'American' bar in wartime London. His image seems to be an attack on convention and British stuffiness.

The jacket also has a very good back:

 

[wimbledonballs]

IT nice to see other who love wearing cravats living in London i my self just love the weekend
so i can wear my cravats let hope more guys in the Londoon area start to wear cravats this coming
winter

 

[Edward]

I was wearing cravats in the office all the time before I got into vintage, actually.... don't quite so much now since a whole load of vintage four in hands and bows joined them, but I must dig 'em out again.... Haven't worn them much in the Summer as my default in very warm weather is a shot sleeved shirt - modern shirts (of all places, I buy them predominantly in Sainsburys), but with a very late Forties/ early Fifties look to them when worn with other vintage and vintage-cut stuff. Most of them are too patterned themselves to look right with a patterned cravat.... I must pick up some plain ones. I've had and seen some nice ex-wedding hire cravats for solid colours (though do make sure to double check photos on eBay as an unbelievable number of people now seem to think that some ghastly clip-on confection is what a cravat is, much like they do with bow ties).

I think the real difference is that he is wearing his shirt collar up and out. This helps to frame the cravat and - also a determining factor - it helps hold the cravat in place. And lets face it, cravats are notoriously wayward things: regardless of knot or pin, they seem to have a life of their own.

Yes....I have found that. Silk is worse in this respect than cotton.