élégance masculine

On tailoring - and toilettes in general . . . a few words respecting dress and tailoring may not be out of place; for nothing is trivial in life, and everything to the philosopher has a meaning. As in the old joke about a pudding that has two sides, namely an inside and an outside; I mean, that there is in a man's exterior appearance the consequence of his inward ways of thought, and a gentleman who dresses too grandly, or too absurdly, or too shabbily, has some oddity, or insanity, or meanness in his mind, which developes itself somehow outwardly in the fashion of his garments.

The Book of Snobs
WM Thackeray

I'm going out into lonely territory, but I like ties. Sorry if the weather is hot wherever you are and you don't even want to think about it; I still like ties. They are the most precious article of men's attire these days. Why it had to dwindle down to this is perfectly silly, but that is the case. So why not celebrate that little scrap of fabric you men tie about your necks. Of course, I'm so crazy about fabric that naturally I seek the refinement of ties. There are so

many beautiful patterns to choose from, surely they permit

you to express your personalities a little.

(top photo Thierry Mugler reversible silk shantung tie)

ever chic Bill Nighy in Good Morning, England

1950 Italian advertisement


Balthus with thickly knotted tie photo Man Ray


beautiful textures of linen and silk from Ermenegildo Zegna

"la véritable élégance est moins loin de la simplicité que la fausse" Marcel Proust

Gary Cooper's nonchalant elegance 1935


Kenzo's mixed patterns

Jean Cocteau with his jacket worn as a magician's cape - not recommended for lesser mortals, but it does set off those long hands well

All photos except that of Bill Nighy from La Grande Histoire de la Cravate by Francois Chaille