This is the face I imagine Franco Sozzi makes when he hears you only wear crunchy silk knit ties. He’s the president of Sozzi Calze – a century-old Italian manufacturer of high-end dress socks and knitted neckwear. Crunchy silk knits, such as those from Drake’s, are often favored by men’s style enthusiasts for their unique texture and weave. As Franco shows, however, other things can look good as well.
Silk is nice for knit ties because it’s versatile. Particularly in a color such as black, you can wear one year-round with almost anything – brown tweeds, cotton sport coats, gray wool suits, etc. It’s the one tie you can rely on when you don’t want to put too much thought into your clothes, but also need something to dress down a tailored jacket. The style has been made famous by everyone from mid-century jazz musicians to the literary version of James Bond (who Ian Fleming often described as wearing a dark suit, clean white shirt, and “thin, black silk knitted tie.”)
In the last year or so, however, I’ve started to appreciate more seasonal knits. Ones made from wool or cashmere have fuzzier textures, which makes them pair well with tweeds and flannels during the winter months. I also recently picked up a cotton knit tie to go with a linen suit. Cotton tends to produce a flatter weave than silk, but sometimes you want that bit of understatement. See above, for example, where Franco is pictured wearing a patch pocketed, tan suit with a fancy shirting (monogrammed, no less) and soft, beige cotton knit. The whole ensemble just has a nice spring/ summer feel to it – more so, I think than, if he went with a crunchier silk.
You can get a good cotton knit tie through Sozzi. For other seasonal options, Stoffa has some pure silks that look like they’d pair better with a summer suit than a winter jacket. I also like these silk-blends from Isaia, although they’re on the expensive side of things. Granted, none of these will be as versatile as your basic silk knit – but knit ties are meant to be playful and there are few better ways to switch things up than by getting seasonal versions of your basics.
If you do stick with your basic silk knits, don’t tell Mr. Sozzi. From his expression above, I think he would be disappointed.
