So I review True Style, by G. Bruce Boyer, which is for my money the only book you can start a wardrobe library with. The link one more time to buy it is here.
And I wind up finding Mountain & Sackett, two guys running a third generation family business making fantastic ties right here in NY. Which is in America.
Everybody loves the book, it’s Boyer, what’s not to love? In the comments, people start asking about the tie on the cover. This one:
And lo and behold, Mr. Boyer writes in the comments that he gets asked about that tie all the time, and gives us the details.
I had been emailing with a reader of the site, Jim Borkowski (great guy). He was kind enough to sketch some logo ideas, and we start talking, come to find out we live about ten minutes from each other. So we set up a coffee and come to find out we have this incredible story I will tell another time in common, kind of. Jim also mentions in passing that he loved the tie on the cover of True Style so much that he had it made, during the pandemic, by this incredible company in NY. Made in the USA, I might add. He said their customer service was flawless, the tie was flawless, and that in the supply-chain-is-down-era they actually got it to him quickly. He emails me a link to the company.
A company that makes ties in the USA that are Ivy? I’m in, right? So I call, and on the second ring Mr. William Mountain of Mountain & Sackett picks up. We spend about 40 minutes on the phone. One of the things I learn is that he and his partner Nick Sackett are third generation owners of the company, that started with Nick’s grandfather and Bill’s father. Here they are:
You can tell the real deal when you are talking to it, and Bill is the real deal. The company has been manufacturing ties, bowties, and pocket squares since 1957. They made it through the pandemic, which cannot have been easy, and are hard at it. Bill sends me some pictures. If this doesn’t make you want to buy a tie from these guys (stay with me here, don’t buy just yet, wait until I tell you how they are made):
It was a great 40 minutes on the phone, and I hate the phone. Bill talks me through how they make these ties, which are silk on both sides. And you can feel it. I am going to review them on Wednesday, but what the deal is is that most ties are made with front-facing silk and then a lining on the inside. Not these. The result is not only higher quality at still reasonable prices, but the ties… tie better. You’ll see. We talk the industry for a little, these guys have a great reputation. Not every tie they make is Ivy, for sure. But Bill does drop this line.
ha all the true tie lovers wear regimentals.
He wrote hah cause I am a funny guy.
We also cover the tie on the… cover. Okay, that is the last ellipsis, I promise. I say that people would love to buy that tie but you can’t find it, wait times are horrible, etc. A few days later, Bill emails me, they will make the tie again and you can preorder it here.
Close ups and more about their ties on Wednesday, but if you want this tie, you can preorder it and get a discount.
Pop up ads aren’t Ivy.
Sigh. – JB
M&S was in My Favorites for the longest time, until we all had to “upgrade” our “browsers”. Thanks for the links.
You bet! – JB
My kinda video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weq1FogOjf0
Right? – JB
It brightens my day to know that a company like Mountain & Sackett continues to exist and to uphold such high standards of manufacture. Their ties are quite reasonably priced. Maybe the tie isn’t dead after all!
I really like a number of their rep stripe designs, though I’m not sure how comfortable I am wearing ties for clubs or military divisions to which I don’t belong. I guess I still haven’t decided where to draw the line for myself on that.
Great article, John.
I feel like I did a public service!
You are spot on: excellent quality tie, ties beautifully, attentive customer service (no “your call is important to us, so please hold…..).
This is the kind of company you want to support, and get some beautiful ties in the bargain. IMHO, far better than Brooks Brothers, at a similar price point.
Jim
for the first time ever in my life i’m having male clothing envy.
i suppose i could wear a tie, and maybe even pull it off, though not as well as laura. but i get caught on way too many things in the course of the day to not end up with bruises, at best, on my neck. my father was an avid tie wearer, all repp, and how i wish i still had his collection.
would the internet even exist without pop up ads?
so they make this thing called a pop up blocker, easily installed, almost anyone can do it. I bet you could too.
but then i suppose one would have to find dissatisfaction elsewhere.
The brand name alone is enough for me to want one.
Nevada,
I’m not sure where I stand on school/club/regimentals (scr). They are very cool to look at. Do s/c/rs have exclusive rights to their designs? Do dealers have to be licensed? Some designs are obviously recognizable and it would be wrong for me to wear one of those; like a specific military campaign tie, or a Yale or Harvard law tie, or a scull & bones tie. But this black watch, for example, is three basic colors, and you see it everywhere. Where does one draw the line? Kinda like wearing green on St. Patrick’s day. I find that to be tiresome some years, and cool other years, just depends.
I thought I saw law school ties at Ben Silver. Now, I don’t see them.
Like.
There were a couple of military campaign ties at B.S. too. I guess they weren’t selling. A pretty limited market.
Great piece, great company. Well familiar. Pleased to see they’re receiving some attention.
Yes. Great company, very good customer service, excellent product. I’m glad they’re now featured here.
It appears from the photo that the design of the “Boyer” tie is British, i.e. the stripes slope downwards from right to left. American repp stripes slope downwards from left to right like Bill Mountain’s tie. The difference may be important to some. I prefer the Boyer’s “correct” British design.
https://mountainandsackett.com/collections/handmade-regimental-striped-ties
I’d like so see a few additions, including Fife & Forfar Yeomanry and Argyll & Sutherland. And the classic Guards (Household Division), but the low inventory suggests they’ve been selling ties (“moving product”), so bully for them.
This is a tough one! I’ve already got too many (?) neckties in the rotation. Great offings from M&S though. I might get one for my son to have in his closet (besides the Hogwarts one that is) with his khakis, navy blazer, and loafers.
Kind Regards,
Heinz-Ulrich
Agreed Hardbopper — I suppose for me it’s a grey area but like you say, I won’t wear ones that are super obvious. As Kenny mentions, the stripes of the tie pictured on Mr. Boyer’s book are oriented in the British tradition. I’d have no qualms wearing the same colors running the opposite way, just to take the real “membership” connotations out of it. That said, the Black Watch tie pattern features common colors associated with menswear and that’ll look good with almost anything. Like the Black Watch tartan, it’s probably just fine to wear stateside without the remotest risk of raising an eyebrow or a question. And I wonder how many people in the UK would even notice.
People who were not members of these regiments should not wear their ties. It is OK to wear them with the stripes diagonal down from left to right, however. This is a form of stolen valor. Those ties are hard-earned by military service.
Not to put too fine a point on this ridiculous position, but you sir, have flip flops with the flag on them. You are literally stepping on a flag all day. And you actually have a position on this issue? – JB