How to Care for Your Ties

Like most things in life, with ties you get out what you put in.

A good tie can and should last you years, decades even, but they must be treated with the proper respect and care. At Drake’s, our ties are constructed by hand using traditional making techniques to give them the best possible feel, performance and shape. Indeed, the unique roll of our ties can only be achieved by delicate hand-making, but it is just that - delicate. To get to get the most out of them, there are a few simples things to keep in mind when it comes to their care.

Tying

Regardless of your knot of choice, unless the situation truly demands it, don’t pull your tie off. Loosen the knot, then undo it. Pulling your tie’s knot undone puts pressure on the slip stitching, leading to the tie’s shape distorting and often the stitching itself breaking. This is doubly true for wool and cashmere ties, which are incredibly easy to stretch. Undo the knot before taking it off. It’s worth it in the long run.

Wrinkles

• Wearing ties will inevitably end with them getting wrinkled or creased. For really tough creases, steam is generally going to be your best friend. Hang your ties in your bathroom while running a hot shower - the steam will help relax the fibres and allow the creases to fall out naturally.

• Ironing can help in the most dire of circumstances, but should be approached with a degree of caution. It’s not the heat but the moisture that will do the work here, so set to a low to medium heat but keep the steam high. Never iron directly onto a tie - use a t-shirt or tea towel as a buffer between the two. Don’t apply too much pressure either; try to gently skim the surface of your buffer fabric.

• Due to the delicate nature of most ties, dealing with stains can be tricky. If it’s a dry, surface-level mark you might have some luck with either gently brushing it off, however beyond that it’s worth seeking professional help.

• A good quality drycleaner can lift a remarkable amount of stains from ties, however ‘good quality’ here is the watchword. Ties need to be treated with a certain degree of care, especially pure silk ties, and harsh chemical treatments or over-pressing can ruin one in an instant. An upmarket dryclean is much less expensive than a new tie. If there is even a sliver of doubt about they’re going to press it, ask they don’t and gently steam the tie out yourself at home.

• Ties need to be appropriately cared for even when not being actively worn. After removing your tie, a great practice is to roll them into a coil, as mentioned above. This helps ease the wrinkles out of them, and can be effective for storing them as well as long as they are not left for months at a time in this state.

• Hanging is generally accepted to be best practice for long term storage - it lets the creases fall out of the cloth over time, gives them time to air out and prevents them from becoming too moist.

Stitching Issues

• Stitching issues, such as broken slip-stitching, can often be rectified by us at our Drake’s factory in East London. If you have any enquiries to that effect, please get in touch with us here.