Instincts

As someone who owns a lot of clothing and likes to shop, I have on occasion purchased something without being sure exactly when or how I would wear it. People who give advice on this sort of thing generally say that this is not a good approach. I know this, but there are times when you have to ignore what others might say and go with your gut.

This is a cashmere tie. I never went looking for one, nor did I ever think I needed one. I found it at the original downtown Filene's Basement. I can't remember exactly when I got it, but given that the downtown store closed in 2007, it had to be at least a couple of years before that, so let's say it was 2004 or '05. It caught my eye because I liked the dark charcoal color. I've always liked wool ties, and I had a couple of them in high school, where we had a dress code. Then I felt it, and knew it was special.

At the time I had never seen a cashmere tie. I was also not in the habit of buying high-end designer clothing items, but not knowing what you might come across was one of the joys of shopping at the old Basement. If you went looking for something like this today at, say, Neiman Marcus or Saks, what you'd find would be in the range of $200. When I found this, I think it had a suggested retail of $150, while the Basement price was $25, so of course I bought it.

This shot gives a closer look at the weave and the salt-and-pepper effect. I found it before the recent vogue for narrower ties, but because it's from a fashion designer's line it was slightly narrower than average. At 3.25" it's about as narrow a tie as I like to wear, but I feel its width is just right for the fabric and styling—it makes sense that this would be a bit narrower than a dressier silk tie.

I probably wouldn't wear this with a suit, but it would be perfect with a tweed jacket and a chambray shirt.