Down To The Details - There Are Bow Ties And Then There Are Le Noeud Papillon Bow Ties

Some people say that it's the details that count. We agree with them. This is an example of our red mogador satin silk, a luxurious silk with the softest and most lush handle, finished with a hand stitched label in red and with our very own designed Le Noeud Papillon clips in red to boot. We want those 'some people' to be our customers and appreciate that there is a difference. That's why our bow ties are made in Sydney, Australia and not on the other side of the world - because adding those small details and getting them right requires us to watch over every bow tie. 

And when it comes to giving a friend a gift, what better way than to give them something that's thoughtful, limited in quantity and made to the highest levels of quality. 

We love bow ties, we want you to love bow ties. Shop the latest silks. www.lenoeudpapillon.com

More Lapel Silk Flowers And Mini Bow Ties, Anchored By Corozo LNP Buttons, Are Now Online

You can see them on lapels on this blog post and on this one - they really are such an effortless way to add some texture and colour to your ensemble without being too much or too feminine. You will love them, all the customers who have purchased them thus far have also loved them. If you log onto our Instragram account (handle @lenoeudpapillon ) you can see a few examples with more to come. Shop the latest range directly by clicking here .

A Big List Of Thank Yous

It's been a great week for us in terms of being recognised for our bow ties. I would like to thank the following people for their support and recognition.

Monocle 24 'The Entrepeneurs'

Thank you to Daniel Giacopelli and Zoe Ferguson for their interview with us in the Vaucluse Studio in Sydney. You can listen to that here:

http://monocle.com/radio/shows/the-entrepreneurs/

Timeless Man

Andrew Doyle of Timeless Man stopped past a month ago and this week posted a very flattering profile on us on his Australian menswear blog. It's worth a read of the blog.... and of the profile..... . Thank you Andrew.

http://www.timelessman.com.au/profiles/le-noeud-papillon-the-finest-bow-ties-in-the-world/

Parisian Gentleman - The Art Of Wearing The Bow Tie

After describing our Majestic Black bow tie as probably one of the best formal black bow ties in the world, author Hugo Jacomet has written a piece of the art of wearing a bow tie. You will need to use google to translate the text as the first post is in French.

http://parisiangentleman.fr/academy/de-lart-de-bien-porter-le-noeud-papillon/

And, as I just found out, the article has gone on to be featured on top French news site Atlantico. You can see more here:
http://www.atlantico.fr/rdv/atlantico-chic/art-bien-porter-noeud-papillon-hugo-jacomet-1590075.html

I would also like to thank the recent contributors to our interviews section. Victor Hugo da Costa, a cutter from Francesco Smalto, Simon Crompton, Savile Row's expert blogger on menswear and one of the most recognised menswear bloggers in the world right now and Ellen Mirojnick, one of Hollywood's most revered costume designers. Without people helping us to write the content that makes you come back to the blog, this blog would merely be about bow ties and that would be very very dull indeed. 

Buy Bow Ties Online In Sydney And Support Australian Made Production

It seems a fitting time today to remind our blog readers and existing customers that our bow ties are made right here in Sydney, Australia. So too are our silk lapel flowers, braces, shirts and ties. Some of our other items are made in Italy, some of our silks are printed in England, like the La Belle Dame square you see above, but invariably if we can produce it here in Sydney we will. We love our country, we feel proud to make here and we will continue to do so as long as we are in business. Come see our latest silks - www.lenoeudpapillon.com

Simon Crompton - Questions On The Run

For those of you wanting to glean more information from Mr. Crompton, it's best to follow his blog Permanent Style . We were fortunate enough to get him to answer a few questions on menswear this week with the view that we will get him back at a later date to answer a few more. See below:

I have been following Permanent Style for years but I don’t know the genesis of how it all started for you. Were you into tailoring from an early age or was your writing the beginning of a foray into that world?

No, I actually got into tailoring rather late. But I think an obsessive side to my personality took over rather quickly. It also broadened out quickly into aspects of style in general, from architecture to interior design.

You must have had quite a few suits made by now – does any piece of tailoring and from any particular house stand out for you as an all-time favourite piece?

I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear that I get that question a lot. I would say that my three favourite tailors, for three very different styles, are Anderson & Sheppard, Caliendo and Cifonelli. Choosing an individual suit is even harder...

Simon Crompton wears a navy Cifonelli suit

Before you tell me that it’s horses for courses, can you tell me whether English wool is superior to Italian wool in terms of the quality of a finished product?

No, not at all. There is very little difference between any mills or merchants in terms of what they can produce - it's largely a question of what they decide to put into it and the finishing they decide to apply. I generally advise readers to ignore labels and concentrate on the materials they are paying for - cashmere, silk, super-fine wools etc.

If you were going to advise our readers on three different cloth companies to seek out, which ones would you recommend and why? 

Following on from my previous answer, I would say don't follow any particular companies at all. Just seek out designs that you like. Caccioppoli, for example, has been very popular in recent years because English tailors never used to carry these southern-Italian merchants.

Cacciopoli wool bunches

What is it about the English and Northern Italians and their obsession with muted colours?

There's a school of thought - that I at least partially prescribe to - that the most sophisticated dress is simple and plain, but of the highest quality. Certainly that attitude becomes more practical the more conservative and professional your employment.

Some of my black tie customers ask me a question that I don’t know the answer to. Can suspenders (braces) be worn under a waistcoat or a cummerbund?

Certainly under a waistcoat - the optimum cut for any waistcoat will always be over high-waisted trousers, which will usually require braces. They work less well with a cummerbund, but if your trousers are high-waisted I would still recommend it.

Can you recommend your favourite 3 shops to visit if an Australian was interested in tailoring houses and was heading to London this summer?

Anderson & Sheppard Haberdashery (probably the best shop in the world for tailoring accessories); Drake's (just across the road); and Trunk Clothiers (a bit further away and not entirely tailoring related, but a wonderful store).

As the world progressively dresses down more and more, how do you see tailoring evolving over the next 30 years? Do you think there will come a day where we will do away with the suit altogether?

I don't think so, no. There will always be a need to be smartly dressed, to demonstrate the seriousness of a particularly environment or event. And the suit will always occupy that place. It might evolve, perhaps even beyond recognition, but the role will be the same.

Victor Hugo - No The Other One! Victor Hugo da Costa, An Interview With The Cutter Of Francesco Smalto In Paris

Victor Hugo da Costa strikes me as a pretty impressive man for 27 years of age. So far in his life he has gone to three fashion schools : The Paul Poiret high school where he received a diploma in bespoke tailoring, The School Of Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne where he received another diploma and finally he trained at the Federation of Master Tailors Of France to improve on his existing knowledge. His first job was at Cifonelli, that famed Parisian tailor which graced the cover of The Rake last month. Then he worked for a smaller Parisian tailor called Brano who taught him a great deal of his current knowledge. Finally his best friend who worked at Francesco Smalto, one of the other ‘top top’ Parisian tailors, offered him to come on board as a suit maker and eventually he made his way into the role of cutter at Smalto which he had held for over 2 years. I asked Victor to tell us a little about his work and to impart with us some of his accumulated knowledge.

Hugo, many people in the blogging sphere would not understand the importance of the role of  cutter in a tailoring workroom. Can you explain to menswear devotees just how important the role of cutter is?

Everything starts with the cut. A suit begins to live when the pencil touches the paper. We try to make a “second skin”. The realisation of a pattern requires a lot of thought and reflection. Nobody is perfect and therefore we must try and successfully create a client’s body on a piece of paper to best hide his defects and accentuate his positive attributes.
Then comes the cutting of the fabric. This is a very important step because have just one chance. If we make a mistake on the paper, we can erase it and start again. This is not the same story with the fabric. We can’t simply cut a new piece of fabric. The most expensive suit fabrics we use cost 4000 euros per metre and you need at least three metres to make a suit – knowing that means an error could be fatal. Placing the pieces of the pattern onto the fabric is like a jig-saw puzzle – you must place them using the least fabric possible because it has to be profitable for the tailor and for the customer. But, before this step, we have to inspect the fabric and if there are imperfections or faults, if there is dust between the threads then we will need to place the puzzles of the jig saw differently. At the same time, we are making the pattern pieces according to the customer’s physical attributes; for example, low shoulders, large hips etc. Then we in the fabrics and cut them out.

Once the fabric has been cut then we cut the remaining items which is the lining, canvas, felt and other materials that will be used by the suit makers to sew the suit.

When a new customer comes in to Smalto, I gather you are not the one doing the physical measurements – therefore, how important is the communication you have between the staff measuring customers to the work you must undertake?

A tailor has a very special relationship with his client. A balance is formed between the tailor and the customer so that they can travel in the same direction. The tailor understands what the customer wants. We, the cutters, don’t have this opportunity to meet the client and therefore we cannot know exactly what his desires are.

This is why the communication between the tailor and the cutter is really important. It allows us, without seeing the client, to imagine him, to visualise his physicality and to know his expectations.

In order to do this we use measuring sheets on which are written all of the customer’s measurements as well as any peculiarities such as the height differonce on the shoulders, his hips, whether he is overweight, if he is vaulted etc. 

All this information allows us to transpose this on paper to achieve the optimal metamorphosis from fabric to the customer’s personally tailored suit. Thus when the tailor makes the final fitting there should theoretically be very few if any alterations to be done afterward.

Casting your mind back over the work you have done, what would be the most difficult suit to cut in terms of style and cloth?

Some of the customers live in hot countries, so we offer very lightweight suits such as the Sahariana. It’s really hard work to cut, especially if the fabric is very light or white. It is difficult to chalk over, there are a lot of pieces in this pattern which you must remember to cut, such as the back which is composed of three pieces, four if there is a belt, there are four pockets with flaps, there are cuffs on the sleeves and the interior is cust from the same lightweight fabric. On top of all this you have to add an extra small piece of fabric for the makers to hide the seam. For this type of suit you must be careful not to forget anything!!!

I understand you sew at home, can you show us something you have cut and sewn yourself that you are particularly fond of?

Reference Photo 1: I am proud to say that I made this wool coat with a mink collar. It is elegant and very suitable for a  Parisian winter.

Reference Photo 2: I made this suit, it has patch pockets and on it I used a cashmere summer wool by Holland & Sherry. It is so fresh, soft and comfortable to wear.

Reference Photo 3: For my next jacket I am about to embark upon I am using a silk without lining for a lightweight look, but this is very difficult to work. This is a recreation of a jacket created by Francesco Smalto in the 1970’s. At the time it was considered as the world’s lightest jacket.

Between the branded wool companies which offer bunches, which cloth company do you find offers the most consistent and best wool both in terms of cutting and finished product?

Each company is different and it really depends on what you see. For me I like Holland & Sherry, Loro Piana and Dormeuil. 

Holland & Sherry for their series bunch Cashique: Super 150’s cashmere and silk. A very beautiful fabric for summer suits. 

The series Lightest by Loro Piana is gorgeous. It is a mixture of wool and silk in 5 Oz. This is an incredibly light fabric, it would be the choice for me if I was making something for the Australian climate. The Vicuña of Loro Piana is one of the most beautiful in the world. Vicuña wool is normally used for coats but Loro Piana has managed to create a series of Vicuña fabrics for suits.

But above all I have a preference for Dormeuil. The Dormeuil cashmere is very beautiful. Whether the cashmere for coats, the Infinity (Super 230’s Cashmere) The Ambassador (Super 180’s), the Tropical Amadeus, The Guanashina (pashmina, guanaco, cashmere and merino Super 200’s) – the thing I love about Dormeuil is the exceptional range of fabrics.

What is the next project you intend to undertake for yourself and what kind of wool will you use?

A very good question! My mind is always full of ideas. At the moment I am thinking I would like to start with a super 180’s. A classic blue suit to wear to work. But I have to finish the suit I have already started. 

Do you prefer blends of wool fibres such as merino / cashmere or silk / merino over non-blended wool varieties?

Yes, I prefer the blends. The blends allow you to merge the specific aspects of each fabric. For example the pashmina / silk allows a beautiful summer suit coupling the lightness and softness of the wool with the sheen of silk.

Cotton and linen or wool and linen allow you to have the freshness of linen along with the smoothness and the durability of wool.

If you were to recommend one café in Paris where people would admire and enjoy a well dressed man, what café should we be seen at?

The places where you can see and admire well dressed men, especially at night are the cafes and bars of the great Parisian luxury hotels. The bar of the Plaza Athénée, the courtyard of the hotel Georges V or The Bar Hemingway at the Ritz Carlton in the Place Vendome for example are the ideal places where you can drink excellent French wines and Cognac. Especially the Ritz, this is where the most stylish men go.

Below: See Victor Hugo da Costa at work. 

W. Griese X Le Noeud Papillon

Last week you saw us present to you the work of Wilf Griese, those rustic and post-apocalyptic designs which were very raw and aggressive. It took some convincing but we managed to get Wilf to create a set of unique items for Le Noeud Papillon which were still very much Australian but skewed towards the gentleman that still wears a bow tie. Below you will see some of the items we have listed on the website. Each item is hand-made and in most cases they will be one offs. I say in most cases because I feel the bullet casing mens leather tray might need to be replicated after I showed a few people over the weekend. 

For any of your who have been seeking out men's leather accessories such as trays and writing pads, the wait is over. Wilf is happy to work on private commissions through Le Noeud Papillon.

Below - top to bottom.

1. Australian sea urchin shell cufflinks cast in bronze.

2. Spent bullet shell casing shell cufflinks hand-made

3. Men's leather tray with spikes in black calf leather

4. Men's leather tray finished with bullet casing ends

Shop them now on www.lenoeudpapillon.com

We're On Our Way To The USA But We Can Go Almost Anywhere - Using PayPal And Australia Post

Just this week I had someone steal $1600.00 from my bank account through what the bank said was someone scanning my visa debit card at a dodgy ATM with a keypad register picking up my pin. I find this all very difficult to imagine how thieves can get so clever but I imagine that it's just like those crooks said in the film Sexy Beast: 'where there is a will, there is a way - and there's a f*%$ing will'.

Although I wasn't very happy with my bank this week I am, by contrast, very happy with PayPal as a gateway for payments. I have often thought it expensive but since buyers get the protection of having set up their own account with PayPal and that they can manage this profile themselves, we prefer not to know your details and let you manage that from your end.

And when it comes to posting your products, we send them via Australia Post and so far we've had very few parcels ever lost. Perhaps only Moscow has caused us some grief, otherwise, most of our customers seem to have parcels arrive within 2 weeks. We know it's not DHL but we find Australia Post is reliable and much more reasonably priced as a service.

So, if you want to own something you can't get anywhere else but you're afraid about buying from a website in Sydney, Australia - rest assured we have a very good track record and we'll be looking to keep it that way moving forward.

Come along and see the latest silks we're running: www.lenoeudpapillon.com

Huntsman Becomes Kingsman In A New Film Featuring Holland & Sherry Cloth

Michael Caine, Colin Firth - I am already going to see the film based on that. Add tailoring house Huntsman, renamed in the film as Kingsman, add a James Bond element and you have a film that every #menswear addict will want to go and see. Both Firth and Caine are wearing Holland & Sherry cloth in the film, the same company which made the apple blossom pink Gatsby wool in our bow ties that we spoke about earlier. Incidentally, there are still a few of those bow ties left on the website. www.lenoeudpapillon.com

Reviews / Testimonials - Le Noeud Papillon Sydney May 2014

Dear Le Noeud Papillon, 

I can not thank you enough!

I celebrate all of the momentous occasions of my life with a new bow tie from Le Neoud Papillon.
Now having permanent residence in Sydney seemed a brilliant time to purchase again.

Being now in a place where people recognise your workmanship and my personal style makes me a very happy man.

I've had men in suit shops and tailors ask me how to tie. They're intrigued by the idiosyncrasy of the perfectly imperfect bow. My only goal is for your bows to reach more people. The world needs beauty. Le Neoud Papillon is beauty's harbinger. I am it's advocate.

T. Carle,
Sydney, Australia

Hey LNP - I just wanted to let you know that I got the braces yesterday and they are freakin beautiful! Thanks for the great service.  If I decide to replace my bow tie before the big day, I will definitely look your way.  

E Kornel,

New York, USA

* NB: I feel terrible because these braces subsequently needed to be altered for size for Mr. Kornel, but we only found that out after his testimonial. I hope he still stands by it!

Above, I am wearing the Leon Drexler hat I wrote about and the braces and the bow tie are matching the silk we currently are featuring in the custom studio in Vaucluse. The bow tie is called Domenico and it is ideal for cream suits. 

Homage To The Kings Of 20th Century Fashion - Recreating YSL and Valentino Circa 1960's

As it was said in our blog post here, we set about creating for an older gentleman recreations of his favourite bow tie and tie into Le Noeud Papillon ties. The process was very enjoyable in analysing the silks and construction of both the tie and bow tie. This afternoon we dispatched them to said gentleman but sent a picture to his phone first. His response was "WOW!". We were happy too. The YSL bow tie was a magnificent number with real character. It was very light weight in construction so we used a heavier silk to finish the bow and we were really pleased with the result. The Valentino tie silk had to be fused first before sewing and it too turned out really well with a contrast between it's dusty vintage finish and the new, brighter shinier mogador we used as contrast. Take a look below.

Old and new, recreating old ties and bow ties into contemporary bows whilst paying homage to Yves St Laurent and Valentino with their work that came before us.

A very enjoyable process. I now look forward to the opportunity to doing it for more customer who have favourite ties they want to recreate. Warning though, there's no change in the price if you supply the silk!

Thank You To The Versatile Gent

We received a lovely bit on our Arnold bow today in the Versatile Gent's blog entry on black tie guidance.

Read the full guide here: http://www.theversatilegent.com/black-tie-on-a-budget-for-a-boss/

" Le Noeud Papillon Arnold Bow Tie: $165 (Online or In-Store at Henry Bucks)

Le Noeud Papillon have made quite a name for themselves in the worldwide menswear scene, supported by the likes of Christian Kimber and Simon Crompton for their character and quality. These bows really are the best of the best and it’s good to support local Australian brands doing great things.

Your bow tie is the item that adds the devilish detail to your outfit and this Grosgrain Le Noeud Papillon bow tie with its carefree knot adds the perfect amount of sprezzatura to such a formal occasion. It’s important to always match the silk of your bow tie to the silk on your lapels and cummerbund (if you’re wearing one) and make sure you tie your own, pre-tied bow ties are for children." 

The Versatile Gent, An Australian Men's Fashion And Lifestyle Blog

Unravelling The Old Boys Of Fashion

It has been a big week for me. From one customer, who bought two smoking jackets and a silk robe, I was sent a thank you card and a book. Nice. Then another customer of mine sent me a CD and a book to read. Extraordinary. Then finally I was invited to lunch with my father who had met a chap on the golf course that wanted to meet me. Now, people don't normally request to meet me. Normally it is me trying to get in front of other people. So, this was a charming change of tempo. The reason the gentleman wanted to see me is because he had an appreciation for all things silk and all things ties and bow ties. He had a number of months ago sent home with my father a very interesting vintage  mid-batwing bow tie from a Japanese company called Hanae Mori in a crepe styled silk. It was black with an unusual diamond shape motif print made up of polka dots. Hard to explain, you would need to see it.

So, I got to lunch on the weekend with this gentleman and it was quite a treat because after lunch we went to his apartment to have a look at his tie collection. It was like opening up a time capsule. Some of the ties were original Valentino's from Roma circa early 1960's. That meant that about the same time these ties were being sold in the stores Fellini was filming La Dolce Vita and 8 1/2 across town and Onassis was likely dining with Maria Callas somewhere off the Piazza Navone. It was like stepping back in time for a moment and I had to imagine the silks as they might have been presented in the window, not what was now in front of me, with that ghosting tinge of having seen better days. On one particular bow tie, a black silk basket weave butterfly bought from Yves St Laurent in Paris in the 60's before the quality was decimated by licensing in the 80's, the thread was so bare in one part that I guessed it would have been worn and tied at least a hundred times and been to the dry cleaners at least 30 times.

On Monday, like a surgeon performing an autopsy, we cut open the said ties and began to see what was involved in the making process. Like most times I cut open a tie, I was surprised. It's only when you bother to cut a tie up that you can break down it's true constituents. On one of the Valentino ties, for example, 3 interlinings had been used to mask what was an incredibly light weight silk that ought to have been more appropriate for a kerchief or a woman's dress than a tie. Our job was to turn the tie into a bow tie using the silk but there was not enough silk to go around and we decided to use half our black mogador satin on one side and half the Valentino print on the other. But being so light weight the cloth would move too much when sewing so we needed to find the right fusing for this light weight crepe georgette before continuing.

In another tie of woven silk jacquard there were elephants in green and light blue which again had faded with time. The woven jacquard silk was again much lighter than anticipated. The elephants on the tie were pointed with trunk up, and despite the fact that making a bow tie out of this would render the elephants pointing their trunks sideways on each wing of the bow tie, the consensus was that the centre knot would render the trunks up which was enough good luck my father needed to order a bow tie for himself.

The final recreation of the Yves St Laurent bow tie in the black basket weave satin silk was the most nostalgic, it reminded me of all that was elegant in a time now lost. I wonder what Valentino and YSL would make of some of the poopy pants that Rick Owens subscribers walk around in these days. I do see that we need to evolve and change, but that black basket weave bow tie had stood the test of time, held together by attention to quality and the use of great materials. We could now recreate a better bow tie, but for it's time it was just superb.

Top: Valentino tie circa early 1960's in a crepe georgette styles silk using three interlinings to build up the body

The three interlinings used to build the body

Cutting open the tie always reveals the secrets to fabrication

The Yves St Laurent bow tie bought from the Paris store circa 1960's

And on that note I leave you with a song recommendation from one of our customers this week which ties in well with the nostalgia of opening up these old flowers above.

Wilf Griese - A Designer With A Raw And Urban Approach To Classic Leather Goods

Wilf Griese is not somebody I would ordinarily come into contact with. It was a chance encounter that we should be seated opposite one another in a titty restaurant in Woolloomooloo one casual Saturday afternoon for a bux lunch that our worlds collided whilst fake tan was being smeared across the white linen by an aggressive blonde stamping her heels into the table and writhing in front of us as we tried to converse on making artisan styled products in Australia.

Although she was quite a beauty she didn't stimulate me as much as Wilf's discourse on how he came out of a long term relationship and decided to make a sea change by converting his home in the Sutherland Shire of Sydney into a workshop where he would spend restless nights pursuing various methods of craft to complete a very unique set of products.

We started flicking through his iPhone and he showed me custom bicycles that he had welded that looked like American Choppers, hand-made handbags of leathers such as Aspen Bison, metals he had cast in the shape of skulls, bullet casings he has used to adorn messenger bags and corkscrews that were over 100 years old that he'd re-worked to include his cast metal heads on them. This was fascinating stuff and if you've ever been to a titty bar before you will know that the shows usually run through a similar set of dance moves ending in the same finale.

My intention is to show more of Wilf's work over the coming weeks but as a teaser to begin with, here are some items that roughly took him 60 hours of work to complete each. Will's work runs under the label HARD and although we don't share the exact same design ethos, I am very appreciative of someone who takes the time to hone his craft like this, especially when he's a one man show.

The Top Hashtags Of Instagram For Menswear

A customer of mine who was purchasing several very elegant Le Noeud Papillon bespoke shirts using shirting from the Monti 200 2 ply, Carlo Riva twills and poplins and Canclini Lusso Rothschild fabrics ranges, paused during one of our fittings and said 'what cuff is that?' pointing to my shirt.

The cuff was one I had found on Instagram and having liked it I had got it made for myself. 'This, oh, this is a cuff on a shirt I saw from Canali. Do you follow Instagram?"

"No" he responded, "but I pay you to be".

At first I thought he was being somewhat derisive but then I realised he was quite serious. Most customers over the age of 40 are not interested in social media and merely want you to guide them towards what is the current look and to ensure they don't look 'old hat' . Other than that, they have no interest in menswear and style. I tried again to persuade the man to take up Instagram but he would not have a bar of it.

It got me thinking though as to what were the best examples of hashtag searches for menswear if one decided to download Instagram and plug themselves into the social media pipeline. Here are a list of hashtags and accounts that I believe are worth looking at.

(NB: For those of you in my parents generation that don't know what a # tag or a hashtag is; it is a way of categorizing content under a subject matter across various social media sites. So, if I write #sartorialporn when I search images it will search for like-minded people who think that a particular photo reveals to them clothes that are so alluring that they compare to pornography. Or, for example, men who like to polish their shoes to a mirror finish might post content under #shoeshine or #glacage or perhaps #mirrorfinish . Chances are someone has posted something under the # tag you desire to search, so search anyway. )

1. #menswear : to begin with this is your anchor. From here you can springboard onto a whole lot of stuff, but if you get stuck you can always come back to this one.

2. #blacktie : one of my favourites is to see what people are posting for evening wear because for me this is the pinnacle of menswear fashion.

3. #lapel : this is an awesome tag I have found which goes right to the nitty gritty of menswear, what is your lapel shaped like and what have you got on it or around it. It also, usually, gives you a close up of the wool and shirt combination which you don't get if the photo is taken from afar.

4. #dandy : as you would expect, the peacocks like to post under this hashtag to flag the attention of other peacocks.

5. #bespoke : as you would imagine, if a tailor has just produced something unique, they will post under this tag. This will often also cover you for shoes and other menswear accessories.

6. #bowties : let's face it, the self-tied bow tie is the high altar of menswear fashion and if a guy is going to post on instagram under this tag he's likely to be dressed to the nines.

7. #custom : not as common as #bespoke but worthy of looking at when used in conjunction to #menswear

8. #berluti : i love this tag not for the menswear but just because to look at berluti shoes is as pleasing as staring into your favourite vista.

9. #dapper : those that don't post themselves as dandy will alternately consider themselves as dapper. So, this tag is the watered down sister tag to #dandy.

10. #wool : not the most amazing tag but when used with other tags such as #suit or #silk you will find amazing content on these searches often leading you from one place to another.

And if I could recommend some people that I currently follow:

@thesnobreport : my favourite Instagram account where an eccentric gentleman posts his daily outfits which include some of the most desired menswear brands in the world.

@italianroom : everything to do with menswear Italian style.

@hamishbowles : a portal into a world of high living from the New York Vogue writer.

@rcallahanphoto : the world according to dandy portrait photographer Rose Callahan

@simplydapperdotcom : a lot of sartorial porn posted daily

@wolfluxury : a world of high living which included architecture you will never be able to afford and cars you will never drive.

@vanityfair : they post some immaculate photos which often include celebrities wearing clothes you would love to own.

@timelessman - a new Australian blog dedicated to covering Australian menswear news.

Le Noeud Papillon's Instagram Account: Often posting under #bowties

#menswear #bowties #braces #silk .... the popular searches of Intagram

The Question Is, Who Wouldn't Sleep With You - Breton - A New Iteration Of Our Quilted Silk Smoking Jacket

Order by clicking this link: www.lenoeudpapillon.com 

This model is named Breton after the gentleman who took a punt and saw it pay dividends. This is a navy quilted satin silk shawl lapel smoking jacket with white contrasting silk satin quilted shawl collar and cuff. Once you have one of these jackets on you will be surprised who wouldn't want to snuggle up to you, because you will be warm and soft and silky. The question then becomes - who wouldn't sleep with you?

BEGÜM KHAN Cufflinks - Very Unique

Cufflinks is a funny business. I have fewer and fewer French cuffed shirts these days and with only one calendar date for black tie this year I can't see myself needing them at all in 2014. I do, however, love looking at cufflinks and considering a purchase of cufflinks and I always admire a businessman I pass in the street that knows his cufflinks. That's because if you are into them, then they are their own art form.

About a month or two ago on Instagram I came across a particularly striking set. Far from looking like those volume based sets you find in department stores or online menswear stores, these were very unique. Conjuring up to my mind something that looked like it could be orbiting in a galaxy far far away or perhaps inside a treasure cave found in Egypt, these delightful cufflinks had a whole other set of DNA.

The cufflinks are by BEGÜM KHAN , a brand that started in 2012 in Istanbul and now is stocked in stores in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, New York, London etc. 

The cufflinks are all hand-made in Turkey using a bronze base metal and then plating that in either silver, 24 carat rose gold or rhodium. The cufflinks are then covered in stones such as amethyst, black quartz, emerald root and sapphire root. Some of the models which I really love are finished with enamel. Part of the charm of these cufflinks is that they have a certain hand-made look and feel about them which is to say they don't look like they came from a press which made 10,000 units in a day.

Although I rarely have a need for cufflinks these days I do recommend that if you are considering purchasing a fresh set, then it's worth checking out BEGÜM KHAN. You can see their website here:  http://www.begumkhan.com/ .

Only The English Can Get Away With Something Like This

When the French and the Italians do smut it seems very cheesy, almost like Sylvio Berlusconi's grin. It doesn't seem fair but only the English can get away with smut. I don't know why the English have risen above it but perhaps its the conservative way they carry themselves on the surface which gives them a certain creative license to carry on in a smutty way privately. Take these slippers for example, they are from London's oldest shoe maker, Foster And Son . The slippers are for home consumption or having your close circle of friends over for dinner; they're not designed for sliding your way across London's nightclub scene. And that's why you can get away with such a cheeky (pun again intended) design.

These came in today and when the courier knocked I was in a rather flat mood but once I opened the box my spirits were lifted and I couldn't wait to share my little secret.

I am always writing lines like 'you have to hand it to the English' but you do, you do indeed, they know how to take something right to the point of distaste, draw a line in the sand, and then come back a notch or two; evidenced below by the fact that there is no full frontal nudity and it's all tongue in cheek (pun again intended) good fun. Order yours: http://foster.co.uk/

Parisian Gentleman's Hugo Jacomet On Vitale Barberis Canonico

Most of us these days yawn when we see #menswear content. We are like kings who sit back on our iPad thrones and wait to see what sort of performance our little jester might come up with next. So, it takes a lot to excite us these days but one article caught my eye this week. It was written by the esteemed author Hugo Jacomet of the French blog Parisian Gentleman and it's on the oldest cloth family from Biella, commonly known as VBC, which stands for Vitale Barberis Canonico, the three family names attached to a wool making (ie: processes up to thread) and weaving business which has been running continuously since the 1600's. 

But, it's not just the yarn (pun intended) that drew me to this story, but also the first image, which I paste below, of Francesco Barberis' peaked lapel suit. It is so elegant and such a wonderful check that I was drooling most of the way down the page as I waded through the family history.

You can read more from Jacomet's article here:

http://parisiangentleman.co.uk/2014/05/10/vitale-barberis-canonico-vbc-the-immortals-of-cloth-making/

Francesco Barberis, of the oldest family still in cloth, Vitale Barberis Canonico, of Biella, Italy.

At the same time, and shamelessly I might add, I post below what Hugo had to say about our bow ties this week. It's nice to hear somebody put Le Noeud Papillon  in the vicinity of something that is the best in the world. Whether we are the best in the world at making bow ties at the moment, we will leave up to you, our customers, to decide. www.lenoeudpapillon.com

A small amount of praise goes a long way - Parisian's Gentleman's Hugo Jacomet on Le Noeud Papillon' bow ties. 

And Whilst On The Subject - An Interview With Jean-Claude Colban Of Charvet For MenStyle.Com

Charvet's Jean-Claude Colban On How To Wear A Pocket Square

I have said consistently that I think Charvet polka dot pocket squares are the best in the world. I could never tell you what exactly it is  about them, whether it's the polka dot size, the finish of the silk or the weight or origin of the twill they use, but they are spectacular. Whilst I don't agree with all of Mr. Colban's thoughts on pocket squares, I do agree with one thing, squares should be worn with nonchalance and character rather than to create very clean lines. Well, it depends on who you are really.

See more on Mr Porter's channel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ0SU0PHIgI

The Best Silk Braces In The World For The Best Bow Ties In The World

We are dedicated to bow ties but we re-trained our focus these past few months and to be fair, these are some of the best braces in the world. They are made entirely of woven jacquard silk save for the metal size adjuster on each strap and the elastic in the rear which we've wrapped in silk. In fairness, the price that we've put on them, $195 AUD does not represent their true value but we figure there are so few gentlemen these days that a) wear braces and b) will pay for quality. 

The first pair we put on the website sold this week to a gentleman in New York who is using them for his wedding, they were black grosgrain. I have four pairs below in stock with more to come shortly. I just love them. I mean that not just from the perspective of how good they look but how much time went into them and how many times my workroom guys said 'no, you can't do it' but slowly slowly slowly we found a way to make them entirely in silk. 

If you'd like a pair, www.lenoeudpapillon.com 

Limited edition silk braces from Le Noeud Papillon 

We Can Make You A Tie That Will Always Love You

Wouldn't it be nice if we all woke up to partners that looked this good for us in the morning? Having a flat day, just turn your front blade over and open up the folds to stare at a woman that has been frozen in time pefectly, like a Keats 'Ode To A Grecian Urn' , our lady will be forever young, forever sensual, forever lasting. $165.00 - www.lenoeudpapillon.com

Testimonials: Le Noeud Papillon Review Of Bow Ties Received

Up until now, I’ve only owned some fashion brand bows which were all I knew.  Wow, was I surprised at what a real quality bow is like to see, touch, and wear.  My LNP bows are much beefier, better made, and just way more beautiful to look at than anything I have in my current wardrobe.

I wore the Kirk this past weekend and received several complements.

More LNP ties will definitely be in my future.

Regards,

J Krupa
Ontario, Canada

The Smart Alternative To A T-Shirt And A Shirt

For months now I have been working on a new collared t-shirt label with an old friend of mine. We have been itching to get these to market but like with any product you attempt to put into production, there are enormous hurdles to be overcome along the way. Nevertheless, Moth Of Sydney is now a reality after months of going back and forth in refining the designs.

Quite simply Moth Of Sydney  was born out of a desire to create a high-grade Italian jersey cotton into a beautiful and timeless collared t-shirt to be worn as an alternative to a shirt. Both my friend and me were tired of the existing polo t-shirts that were out there in the market. I could tell you all the problems that we found with them but I am almost sure that you might have experienced the same thing. The elements to a great t-shirt are similar across all brands. The considerations are things like:  fit, sizing ranges, fabrication methods and sewing details, collar fabrics, sleeve fabrics, how the collar sits, the length of the sleeves, the body fabric, the branding, the packaging and so on. 

What we decided upon was to concentrate on the quality of the fabric and the make and less about branding. Of course, we love the moth we've decided upon, but it's not about the moth, it's about the quality and the construction. Initially will be offering two models in a variety of colourways. Each model will be named after a Sydney suburb with the hope that by the time we finish up we'll have covered all of Sydney! 

1. Bronte

The Bronte was designed with the view of a person walking off a Sydney beach wearing one of our t-shirts and being able to walk straight into a fine dining restaurant with the addition of a blazer. To do this we worked on creating a button-down collar that held it's structure under a blazer. We did this by looking at the construction of a shirt collar and then re-working this back to a collared t-shirt in jersey. We also allowed a much longer placket than a standard t-shirt, borrowing this concept from what is commonly known in Australian English as a 'pop-over' . This meant that the end of the placket near reached the break of a blazer jacket making it not immediately obvious as to whether you are wearing a shirt or a t-shirt. The cotton is an Italian jersey which is yarn dyed and in some instances it will be derived from pima cotton (Egyptian cotton) and in other instances we will use blends of cotton and other fibres such as silk. The models will be split up by solid colours and collar/cuff contrasts.

Light enough to see the fabric of the torso beneath but opaque against the skin. These high-quality Italian jerseys will keep you very cool and calm all day long.

Holding structure from the morning to the evening - our yarn dyed jersey cottons have been finished with a shirt styled collar that holds shape and keeps you look structured all day.

2. Watson

The Watson will be our second model an it is a classic polo styled t-shirt made of yarn-dyed pique and jersey and featuring a yarn-dyed ribbed collar and sleeve. These t-shirts are with no front branding to allow an uninterrupted solid block look with heavy concentration on the quality of the materials used and the cut of the block.

Join The Mailing List And Facebook Page

If you would like to be one of the first to own these models once they come off the bench, it's best to be on our mailing list or watch our Facebook page. The initial offer will be made to those that join first and will be delivered prior to our shopping cart going live. We will also offer a substantial discount off the RRP for those that join early and purchase packs of 3 or more t-shirts. 

If you would like to see more of the details, go to our Facebook page where we will upload more information over the coming days.

JOIN THE MAILING LIST

SEE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE

No front emboirdery on our t-shirts to allow for an uninterrupted look, more like that of a shirt. The only detail you will find is on the left sleeve head where we place our moth. 

Testimonials And A Review Of Le Noeud Papillon Bow Ties And Accessories - May, 2014

SHOP THE LATEST SILK AND VELVET BOW TIES FROM LE NOEUD PAPILLON BY CLICKING HERE:

WWW.LENOEUDPAPILLON.COM

TESTIMONIALS:

Let me commend you on your skills.  The two bow ties I got from Le Noeud Papillon are awesome: expertly made and of lush, soft, fat silk – I would recommend you without any hesitation.  

A. Oldham
Sydney, Australia

The ties are always amazing and of the highest quality. I have worn them at a number of special occasions (including my wedding) and have always been complimented on how great they look.

I always appreciate the prompt delivery, premium packaging and certainly feel I'm getting what I pay for.

S. Casimir
Sydney, Australia