A Springy tie for a Springy guy

This Good Friday, I'm feeling the Madras

Like Ahab and his white whale, I am on an eternal hunt for the Perfect Madras tie (and the Perfect Paisley, too, but that’s ‘nother story). So several years ago, my wife Kate bought me this beaut, from the groundzero of Prep toggery, J. Press. I busted it out today for a doctor’s appointment—and to celebrate the return of Spring sun to Santa Monica.

J. Press holds a very special place in my heart; when I was at Yale, their shop at 250 (?) York Street was right next door to the old Yale Record building at 254 York. (I am not 105—this photo was taken sixty years earlier.)

I don’t have a lot of J. Press gear, because it’s not cheap. Besides a bright red slicker I got on deep discount (it is not quite waterproof), my main bit of Press-wear is my beloved Davenport College scarf. Yale calls their dorms “Colleges,” because of course it does, and Davenport College, my dorm, was on the other side of The Yale Record Building.

In my student days, I was much too skint to buy this fine-looking muffler. So to celebrate adulthood, I bought myself the first of several back in 2003. Why several? Because while the wool is a tad too coarse and heavy for California’s climate, the moths in my apartment find my D-Port muffer indescribably delicious. But wearing it—sweating in it, scratchy on my throat—always makes me happy.

And so does this madras tie, full as it is of Spring and contented matrimony. I hope to add more J. Press ties to my collection. I have nearly pulled the trigger several times on this honey below, because who doesn’t want a Geese Sex Tie? But a have a lot of this shade of red, and it’s just a feather’s-breadth too pricey.

The Italians
All Ferragamo
All Gucci
All Armani
All Brioni
All Fendi
All Borrelli
All Marinella
The English/Preppies
All Brooks Brothers
All J. Press
All Chipp
All Liberty
All Turnbull & Asser
The French
All Hermes
All Dior
All Chanel
All Le Schans
…more will be added as I think of them.