Gap nautical toggle cardigan | Polo gingham shirt and raw silk tie | Brooks Brothers chino | Allen Edmonds shoe 

CKCloseup: Hunters Bay raw silk tie

CKCloseup: Robert Talbott vintage shantung raw silk tie

Polo tartan oxford | Imperial herringbone tweed sport coat | Talbott raw silk tie | Drake's pocket square | Ray-Ban vintage Clubmaster sunglasses 

Today at the Thrift

Vintage ties from the 1950's-60's. Too slim for my style, these will be finding a home in the CKC Shoppe.

Frank and Oak - Ties

As you may know, I'm kinda obsessed with ties, with about 400 currently in rotation. In the past few years, I've filled my collection with paisleys, foulards and stripes, but only recently have I taken the time to expand my solid and dotted tie assortment.

First up is the Logan Raw Silk Tie in Ruby. Though I'd call it more persimmon than ruby, the slubbing in this tie will add depth to any outfit, any time of year. We often overlook the visual weight of an outfit in terms of texture. Sure, it's easy to count the number of patterns we can use cohesively, but fabric texture is just as crucial in forming a solid look. Raw silk pairs perfectly with lightweight linen in summer and tough twill in winter. (I know... triple alliteration in a single sentence. Damn. There it was again.) This tie is a bargain at $32... so much so that it's currently sold out.

Round two: the Printed Cotton Tie in Navy Polka Dot. Somehow, I was yet to own such a quintessential tie until this wonderful piece from Frank & Oak came my way. Every guy owns blue/white striped shirts. This has forever been the standard of workwear, and a blue/white polka dot tie is just as timeless. Unless you're wearing a polka dot shirt, this sort of tie pairs with just about anything and runs only $28.

Quality? After wearing these ties all day, each of the past two days, I'm quite happy. Well sewn and solidly constructed, these ties provide substantial knots. Also, they quickly come back to form after being unknotted.

Today's Outfit - Simple and Shantung

When you're wearing a tie this bold, it's best to keep the rest simple. Aside from a complimentary pocket square, a solid blazer, shirt and trousers maintain a rather traditional combination.

Burberry navy blazer

Polo Ralph Lauren poplin shirt

Robert Talbott shantung silk tie

Vintage Japanese silk pocket square

Polo Ralph Lauren green chino

Merona navy socks

Chaps white bucks

Just in from eBay - Shantung Tie

Latest Acquisitions

Polo Ralph Lauren

very vintage raw silk

Robert Talbott

repp silk patchwork

Feeling Green and Pink Again

Linen from Ralphie and raw silk from Robbie. $12 on eBay.