The materials
Three silks, one acrylic yarn, and the reason behind each choice.
This page tells no story. It gives the compositions, and what each one changes in use. The rest is in the Journal.
The three ties
| Piece | Composition | Dimensions | Weaving |
|---|---|---|---|
| L’Heure Bleue | 70 % silk, 30 % cotton | 148 × 10 cm | Como, Italy |
| Aube brune | 100 % silk | 148 × 10 cm | Como, Italy |
| La Mousse | 100 % silk | 148 × 9 cm | Como, Italy |
Assembly takes place in France. The silk comes from Como, north of Milan, which has been the European centre of silk weaving since the nineteenth century. What that changes, and what it does not guarantee, is explained in Pourquoi la soie de Côme, in French.
The silk and cotton blend of L’Heure Bleue is not a hidden saving: the cotton takes the shine off the silk, so it gleams less, creases less, and the knot holds its shape better through a day. It is also what explains its price, lower than that of a pure silk.
The flowers
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Material | 100 % acrylic |
| Making | hand crochet, France |
| Size | 3.5 to 8 cm depending on the model |
| Collection | Fourteen flowers to collect |
Acrylic is not a saving either. A flower handled several times a day has to resist felting, moths and fading, and stay light enough not to pull on the silk. Wool fails on all four counts. The detail is in Le crochet, un geste lent, in French.
All fourteen flowers, one by one, with their shade and their size: Flowers.
Care
Silk is dry cleaned and never ironed directly. Flowers are never soaked: a soft brush, a barely damp cloth, drying flat. Everything is set out in Entretenir une cravate en soie, in French.
