By now you should have noticed a new company in our sponsor tower. Dapper Woodworks was founded by Justin Trewitt and is surely set to corner the market on tie and pocket square racks made-t0-order. Thanks to Mr. Trewitt for coming aboard, and kudos for tapping a select niche, not to mention the skills to work with his hands.
Dapper Woodworks has kindly donated a great prize to one lucky reader: choose from a custom tie rack in finish and size of your choice (value up to $200), plus a coat hook and collar-stay organizer, again both in the finish of your choice. To enter, simply leave a comment below answering the following question:
What is your favorite tie, which you would put at the front of the rack?
Winner will be chosen by random-number generator. We’ll keep the contest open for a week, so it closes at midnight Eastern time on 10/9. In the meantime, you can shop his wares and enter the code IVYSTYLE (all caps) for 10% off. — CC
To get to know Dallas-based Trewitt a little better, here’s an excerpt from an interview he did with Another White Oxford:
AWO: Did you grow up woodworking or did you develop that interest as you became older?
JT: Growing up I did not have any woodworking experience or even much experience making anything with my hands. It wasn’t until 2015 when my wife and I purchased our first house and we needed some furniture. We didn’t want to go out and buy a lot of furniture, so I went online and found plans for furniture that we liked. Then I bought a few tools and started building pieces for our house, and that’s how it all began!
AWO: Your company brings your interest in menswear together with your passion for woodworking. What gave you the idea to combine the two?
JT: In August of 2017 we decided for my wife quit teaching to stay at home with our son, and I started thinking about starting a side hustle. Two things that I am passionate about are menswear and woodworking, so I wanted to find a way to combine these two passions. At the time I had made myself a pocket square organizer for my closet because I couldn’t find a good solution to display and store pocket squares. I decided to start an Etsy store and put the pocket square organizer up for sale because surely, I wasn’t the only one with that problem. I began thinking of similar items that I could make so I made a few tie racks with some scrap wood in my garage.
AWO: Quality materials are important to you. Could you tell us a bit about where your wood and hardware come from?
JT: From the start I knew I wanted to make all my products from hardwood lumber because of its strength and natural color. I offer a wide selection of domestic and exotic hardwoods so customers can choose what fits their style. All my lumber is purchased from a local lumber supplier, and I enjoy trying unique woods. My hardware is currently purchased from a cabinet hardware manufacturer, and I offer the hardware in a variety of finishes. I hope to someday design my own hardware that can be manufactured here in the USA. All my products have a natural oil finish applied to them to bring out the natural color of the wood.
AWO: Customization is important to a lot of people today and there’s obviously a custom aspect to each piece you make, insofar as the sizes and materials they choose. What other ways can people can have their pieces customized?
JT: All my products are made to order which is nice for me because I don’t stock inventory, but it is great for the customer because each item is custom made for them. I offer a few standard products options in my best-selling sizes, woods, and hardware finishes. However, I really specialize in custom orders so a client can have the perfect product to match their style or the aesthetic of their home. I just recently launched a custom listing for my products so now clients can choose their size from 12” to 48” long, 10 wood choices, and 7 hardware finishes.
AWO: How have you seen your business change since you began? Have you noticed it evolve pretty quickly?
JT: Honestly when I started this I couldn’t have imagined where the brand is today. I thought I would be selling like one or two products a month. Things really started to take off when I began working with Kirby from The Hanger Project to sell my products on their site. From there I began focusing on working with more retailers, and I even got the chance this past January to exhibit my products at the Liberty Fairs menswear tradeshow in New York. I am already looking into doing at least one tradeshow next year to build my wholesale business, and I plan to continue growing my sales through my site too.
Not the fanciest, but my favorite: BB#3 Rep Tie. Navy with white stripe.
My favorite would be a black knit tie, but since knit ties should be folded, I will choose my second favorite: Navy wool challis.
Bravo to Justin and his wife for taking the decision to stay home with their son. The country would be far better off if more families did the same.
I would have one of my many navy and gold reps or my navy with thin white bars at the front. 48″ cherry in clear oil finish with simple silver pegs please
Will
Forest Green Grenadine from Chipp
My grandfather’s red silk challis tie. It’s been my “lucky tie” since I inherited it, and I would like for it to be proudly displayed, rather than clumped together with the masses.
Navy knit tie bought at the Perfect Suit factory in Japan for ¥900!
My favorite tie is the one that Joseph Abboud gifted me. Mr. Abboud is a creative genius but he is so underrated in the fashion industry.
A burgundy and navy block stripe.
An Argyle & Sutherland Repp stripe
That is hard since I have so many but probably a burgundy wool drakes tie with hawks and hares.
BB#1 in burgundy and gold
We should, of course, all say the Ivy Style tie (http://www.ivy-style.com/limited-time-offer-introducing-the-ivy-style-club-tie.html), which is much beloved. However, to be completely honest, my favorite would probably be a paisley ancient madder that I bought at Brooks some years ago and more recently had narrowed from nearly 4″ to 3.25; mainly navy with brown, green, burgundy and gold. That or a red, blue and gold stripe in Irish Poplin, also from BB. Either is perfect with a brown tweed coat and just thinking about it makes me wish for some seasonable weather. It’s 96 outside at the moment.
My navy grenadine Charvet tie.
I suppose my best tie, which is a nautically themed Hermes. I rarely wear these days, but it would look great prominently displayed at the front of a beautiful Draper Woodworks custom tie rack.
Cheers, BC
Thank you so much for feature, and for supporting my brand! If anyone has questions about my products please reach out to me through my website, email, or Instagram DM. I look forward to making these products for the winners!
@Charlottesville
Ha, just got off the phone. A new tie is coming soon, as part of a special set. More info soon!
JPress Yale colors rep tie.
Navy JPress tie with pigs
Christian – I am aquiver with anticipation. I do actually wear the original offering from time to time, and have it queued up to wear with a U-stripe OCBD and silk-and-wool tweed as soon as the temps dip below 90 this weekend. Hope you are well. Thank you and Mr. Trewitt for this most generally contest.
A vintage Alynn Neckwear “first class male” tie. Love the pun, my favorite tie!
J Press grenadine in bordeaux – in the original 3.5” width.
I’d put my navy golf club motif tie number one on the rack. My dear Aunt Mildred gave it to me back in the 1970’s. Still in great condition, I wear it regularly.
My first choice would be an Argyll & Sutherland block stripe knit tie, but as someone above noted, since knit ties should not be hung for storage, I’d have a repp regimental in navy and burgundy broad stripes with a repeating thin gold stripe.
@RWK, I had no idea about not hanging knit ties. How should one store them?
Maroon and navy striped tie 3″ width
@Trevor, Since knit ties are looser and more open than woven ties, hanging them will run the risk of the tie sagging and stretching out. To avoid this, it’s recommended that knit ties be rolled up or folded and stored in a drawer. Same concept as why it’s ill-advised to hang sweaters.
“Generous” rather than “generally” in my comment above. Typing on a phone with auto-correct is asking for trouble.
charcoal cashmere would be my choice.
i also really like the coat hanger!
My Brooks Brothers signature tartan bow tie.
J. Press bow would be on peg #1.
Brooks Brothers Makers burgundy foulard. Not too wide, not too skinny.
My favorite tie is a burgundy one….classic and bold.
Justin Trewitt is one of the good guys. I wish him all the success in the world with his products, products that are made the right way. My favorite tie? At the moment it is a plain, black, vintage Italian knit.
My favorite tie is a Navy Knit tie. It literally goes with everything I own.
My Rubinacci ancient madder tie. It deserves a proper tie rack.
A vintage Brooks Brothers gold and black regimental strip tie
My power red tie that I’ve worn to almost every interview I’ve been to.
Tough question. I like my skinny vintage ties the best. So, definitely hang one of those at the front of the rack.
Daniel Cremiux- Navy blue with white stripes
No question, BB signature cardinal red with rep stripes in white, black and gold accents
BB #2, red on blue.
Solid navy grenadine by Sam Hober
I would love to say Ben Silver’s British Olympic or Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s tie in the elevator scene in 500 Days of Summer, but I suppose in the end I’d choose an Ancient Madder my father bought as a youngster in the 60s and I now own after his passing away recently.
At the risk of being a sad single man remaining both sad and single, I would hang my Chipp navy jock strap club tie. 😉
Clearly, I’m not the only one who thinks that the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders pattern is ideal, so I, too, would have one of the dozen or so in my collection up front.
My Brown Daniel Cremieux with burgundy stripes and Brittany Spaniels
I’d say a navy/burgundy paisley printed tie I got from my father.
My favorite tie was a recent donation from my brother, actually. It’s a deep forest green, silk ancient madder tie from Rubinacci, and to me it represents the peak of elegance. Looks great with both navy and brown jackets and will always be classic.
And the winner is “Alexander.” Please contact me for details!