Drakes - Bow Tidings

Wrap Yourself in a Bow this Christmas

A bow tie is the most sensible form of neckwear on Christmas day. Wear a long silk tie and its dangling in your egg nog or splattered with brandy butter before you know it.

You want to keep it relaxed and casual for your informal celebration amongst family and friends. But still smart. A woollen bow tie sounds like the answer. Why not then one of Drake's lovely tartan woollen numbers?

Tartan also provides a little festive touch that will support you right through to Hogmanay, Epiphany even. The cloth is woven in Scotland and the tie is made in England - entirely what we want to hear.

The Register of Tartans

Interested in tartan? You might want to take a look at the Scottish Register of Tartans. You can search on colours or types, such as military or clan tartans, and you can even find out about thread counts. The sort of thing we care about. Excellent resource for tartanophiles. About time The Tweed Pig had a tartan registered, by my reckoning.

Drake's Loves Mackintosh

Drake's, and the companies we feature, combine a respect for the heritage of the industry in which they work and the quality of the materials they use. They are also aware of the intangibles that give their products integrity - the story behind them, the provenance and history. Intangibles that are often lost on conglomerates that position brands globally. Chasing after new markets and the latest trends, they undermine the narrative of a brand until what attracted customers in the first place is gone. I name no names.

It's no surprise then that there is often a mutual admiration between the companies we feature, sharing as they do the same ethos. Here's Michael Hill, Managing Director of Drake's talking about his Mackintosh coat.

If the name Mackintosh just gave your heart an emotional pull, you understand what the name represents and have formed an attachment to it. Michael treasures his coat for the same reasons.