Nary will you find a tie nicer than a seven-fold tie. You can search high and low, from Fort Wayne, Indiana to New York City, but the consensus will be that seven-fold ties are the crème de la crème of ties.
It is two and half yards of fabric folded in on itself seven times, so that you have a tie that needs no lining and practically knots itself. The draping is exquisite, and it doesn’t bind because there is no liner getting in the way.
The seven-fold tie came about in the early 19th century and were a popular accessory among big-wig businessmen, but then they disappeared in the 1930s—a casualty of the Great Depression and silk shortages caused by unrest in China.
Then, in the 1980s, Robert Talbott brought the seven-fold tie back to life. With the help of a retired Yugoslavian artisan, Lydia Grayson, Robert Talbott rediscovered the seven-fold, and after four years of perfecting its construction, the company launched its own seven-fold tie.
The seven-fold tie possesses as much craftsmanship as it does fabric. It is meticulously pleated and then hand-stitched to hold together. Only 12 such ties are made a day. The year’s allotment of 3,000 are quickly snapped up by retailers when they are released quarterly. Talbott caps the production of each design at 40 ties.
“The Robert Talbott seven-fold tie is luxurious, high quality, and rare,” explains Chris Lambert, owner of Christopher James Menswear. “If you are looking to project an image of sophistication and elegance, this is the tie you want. And when you wear a tie, the eye is naturally drawn to that area, so a Robert Talbott seven-fold really makes a good impression.”
Visit us at Christopher James Menswear and see one of these exquisite ties for yourself. There really is nothing quite like it.