BTB Profile 02: Ticklers London

Well, the BowTieBanditz Profiler has come home to help you get to know the awesome fellas behind some of the UK's finest, freshest bow tie brands, and it starts right here with Ticklers London! These guys are fun and kind of fascinating, which we found out when we spoke to co-founder Dom James. With his business partner and friend, Arvi Luoma, they have managed to combine science, music and passion... in a bow tie. How? Through a jazz band, that's how! That's how it all started, which is just a brilliant Origin Story!

 

In fact, Dom has a day job! He's a composer and clarinettist who began playing from the age of seven and who has now toured with a New Orleans-inspired jazz sextet, the Dixie Ticklers, through Europe and beyond since 2007. They have a discography which stretches back to 2006 and an authentic sound consisting of clarinet, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, double bass, guitar, tambourine, banjo, drums and washboard. 

Dom James (L) Arvi Luoma (R)

Arvi doesn't play an instrument. But, since their childhood, he has been closely associated with the musical evolution of the Ticklers.

This was, in fact, the beginning of a close friendship, even as they both developed a parallel love of the sciences. It inspired Dom to study physics at Imperial in London, whilst Arvi studied materials, economics and management at Oxford. Arvi then returned to London for a job, allowing them to partner up a few years later, just as the band was coming together.

Dom had advanced to playing orchestrally. But, his granddad was a big fan of swing, which introduced him to Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw in his impressionable years. Not only did that lead him into his next phase of music, but the love affair with bow ties began.

 

The bow-tied Dixie Ticklers at The Workhouse,

Kennington, May 2014

DJ: We liked that image, you know. We loved the New Orleansy/jazz image and it's something that we've always associated with the band - ever since the first gig, we were like, "Shall we slip some bow ties on?" and that was before the vintage thing came around again - because then it was suddenly cool to wear bow ties... And it still is cool! It'll probably go out again at some point, but we'll still be wearing them!

 

BTB: But, how did you make that leap from wanting a bow tie to becoming the purveyor of beautiful bespoke bow ties?

 

DJ: It was very hard to find really good options. My sister bought me a bow tie, once she knew I liked wearing them, and she'd gone to fancy shops and, still, what she came back with wasn't particularly great! Oh, there are more options now, five years later - some of the big designers are now producing them.

 

BTB: So, did you know much about them as a fashion accessory or did you have to do research?

 

DJ: Well, I was quite friendly with some fashion people and they were able to help me to make up my first ties when I was just doing them on a £50 sewing machine from John Lewis... Then we had a couple of friends who, bit by bit, offered their services to, "...  make them slightly better." They were very useful because... they were able to help me come up with patterns. And now we're at a stage where we both know quite a lot about fabrics.

 

BTB: And are you sure that you both being scientists didn’t have a little bit to do with your affinity towards the bow tie?

 

DJ: Well, materials science is something Arvi 's very keen on. He’s always asking how exactly these fabrics are made. I think they didn’t have a silk module in his course at Oxford, so he’s actually just filling in the blanks of what should have been in his undergraduate course. So, he’s all about materials.

 

BTB: Well, I’m  sure that people still think of physics professors and boffins as pre-eminent bow tie wearers.

 

DJ: (laughs) Oh yeah , that’s true! We definitely weren’t out of place wondering around the physics department with a bow tie on. You got marked up, actually, for wearing a bow tie -  you got a couple of extra bonus points for wearing a self-tied. It was 2 less for a pre-tied – penalty of 2% (laughs).

When we started, we were making bow ties basically out of anything - we had some wools, some really thick sort of sacking material - just trying to work out what's really good. And it turns out there's a reason that a lot of bow ties are made out of silk and are slightly shiny. They deflect  dirt! Shiny silk is really good at that, so it keeps clean slightly better. And it's easy to tie - you know, more sort of robust! We tried some cotton bow ties - we still have a few cotton ones in our range (the Parasol) - and they're very, you know - shove it in the washing machine. So, we messed around with fabrics a little bit and now I think we know as soon as we see a fabric whether its gonna make a good one or not.

BTB: When you first started making BTs, was that to feed the band?

DJ: Yes, pretty much. The first thing we had to do was teach the band how to tie them! There's one who still can't! So, he's risking getting fired, seriously... (laughs)

 

BTB: Were you going for a uniform look and all have exactly the same ties or...?

 

DJ: No, no, no, it's all about self-expression, isn't it? See, Will (trumpet) likes the little small ones, and Tommy (bass) likes the big ones, Nick (guitar) likes the woollen ones with the cricket bat ends... We did a gig last year for some minor Dutch royalty, and we were able to all wear orange ones (... that's their national colour). So, there are a few times that we've performed in identical ones...

 

BTB: So, the July 9th launch of the website last year, was that the official launch of Ticklers London, or were you a sort of word-of-mouth bespoke service leading up to that?

 

DJ: We kind of were a word-of-mouth thing before then. We had bespoke clients, but it was the first time we'd seriously produced a range and offered a 'Collection'... We'd got our starting stockists asking, "Can you show us your '2014-15 Collection'?" And... this was a new thing, because we were like, "Well, we make a tie every now and then...!"

So, it all got a bit formal... It was good, because then we were able to actually build up some stock, so that now if anyone wants a bow tie, it can be ready in three days, whereas before that, everything was very much bespoke. Bespoke is still a big part of the business – for people who just want something really different that they can’t find anywhere else.

BTB: That’s fantastic, so, Is it yourself that consults with the client …?

 

DJ: Yes. If both Arvi and I can make it, that’s better. We’ll either go to them or we’ll meet in our club in town or something and we’ll just talk about what they want. People enjoy that... it's really nice. It’s the one time where you can be a little bit vain and no-one will say there’s a problem with that, you know.

 

BTB: And you now offer the Monogram edition in the Formal line - embroidery stitching to really individualise the ties with  names, dates, phone numbers…

 

DJ: Yes, and it looks absolutely fabulous! You know, engagements, anniversaries, that sort of stuff, they’re the common ones. We do get asked to do quite a lot of ties for weddings and it’s fairly standard that we’ll pop the anniversary date in there.

This appealed to our BTB sense of originality and fun. Instead of wracking your brain for  groomsman/usher's gifts, you can just head down to Ticklers London and order up a bespoke embroidered piece. The beauty of the modern BT renaissance means that you can do the same for bridesmaids and hens too! In fact, the potential goes as far as the phone number-embroidered BT being used as a pick up...

 

DJ: Yes! Let’s hope that's happening! Whether you’re a fashion wearer a or you wear it day-to-day, everyone goes to black tie events over the course of the year and that’s why we wanted to do this. Because it's something that everyone, at some point, has a relationship with, as a dude. At some point, you want a bow tie. And, of course, we just do the self-tied bowtie (laughs) Apparently the Queen can spot a pre-tied from the other side of the room and she won’t talk to you. So, you know, that’s why we’re here!

 

BTB: Have any of your bow ties ever been in the presence of the Queen, do you know?

 

DJ: I wonder actually. Maybe not yet. But we’ve got a few links to some possibilities. We got Boris Johnson’s neck size the other day, so he might be getting one very soon. Well, he’s gonna be the next Prime Minister isn’t he, (laughs), so he’ll go off to see the Queen!

 

BTB: So, you  were talking about the fabrics, and you do love your Duchess satin, don't you? We really like your silk grenadines. They’re unusual and quite beautiful.

 

DJ: Yes, you know that comes from one of only two mills in Italy that can weave it. We chose Seteria Bianchi, who  make the slightly finer weave. It’s really nice, because they made jackets for James Bond (and other characters) in Casino Royale. They also make Papal garments and all the cloth for churches an cathedrals.

 

BTB: But perhaps more importantly, they made jackets for Bond, who is of course, the ultimate bow tie wearer, isn’t he? That’s the connection you want to talk up!

 



DJ: Yes,  that’s the aim! When new can get a bow tie on Bond, then that’ll be it! It’s a really nice fabric, though. It's got a slight sheen to it. And because of the way its woven and there’s no lining so it’s kind of see-through and very delicate-looking as the light shines through. It’s really cool. It's very textured and has a bit of thickness to it. I mean the whole bowtie is probably about 4mm.

 

For The Love Of Grenadine



BTB: You’ve got one in the Collection (For The Love of Grenadine’ dark blue) and then you’ve got one in the Formal (‘Round Midnight’ black).

'Round Midnight

DJ: It’s essentially the same tie, just with the colour difference. We’ve got a burgundy one on the way, actually.

 

Not only is that sure to be absolutely gorgeous, it's also fashion forward. We noticed in our February Awards Watch, that burgundy/maroon is bang on trend from the awards season. That's almost certain to guarantee great sales for that line. Although, the Grammy’s highlight for us was the rapper Rick Ross, who not only wore a clip on, but who failed to notice when it malfunctioned.

 

DJ: Oh dear. Well, we had Eddie Redmayne’s agent, Dallas Smith, wearing one of ours. He’s into his bow ties. In fact, he comes from Sudbury where the silk is woven. So, he got in touch with us and wore the one with the Civil As An Orange in tribute to Eddie Redmayne.

 

BTB: So, I have to ask you about the logo – the butterfly logo. I mean, obviously that's a nod to the butterfly wing style... who came up with that particular idea?

 

DJ: Well, I was just kind of messing around... I wanted to use that London font that you get on cheap souvenirs – the way that it wraps around and gets slightly bigger towards the bottom... And I think instead of having a bow tie on there, it just made sense to have a papillon (French translation of butterfly). It’s a fun logo. And we’ve got a simpler version that can reduce to a very small size, which makes it onto the label on the bow tie.

 

Dom and Arvi have brought Ticklers London a long way in a short time. They are constantly on the lookout for people who actually wear bow ties day-to-day. Last year, they agreed a sponsorship deal for the England snooker team for the season and at the World Championships via the English Association of Snooker & Billiards (EASB).

 

DJ: The snooker chaps all wear them, all the time. So, it was a really nice thing because we were able to go along to the world snooker championship in Bangalore.

 

BTB: So, what are your plans for 2015?

 

DJ: Well, more and more. We’ve got some exciting bespoke projects on the way. We just finished one – our first ‘bone’ tie for a dog, which is good. And then, hopefully, it looks like we’re going to be providing some bow ties for the England Rugby Team. We might work on a bespoke pattern for those guys to try to reflect the oval shape of the rugby ball. That’ll be quite fun. And, there’s some talk of some camouflage bow ties for the Imperial War Museum... So, exciting times! And then we’ve got our new Collection that’s sort of waiting in the wings and that’ll go up probably in time for the summer, I think. Probably April-May, that kind of time. That’s when we’ll unleash them and let them fly.

The entire BT community will be looking forward to that, since these bow ties radiate class. We particularly wanted to speak to TicklersLondon, because they're based in London and we love London! We want to get out there and bring the UK BT community together, so we'll be reaching out more and more. The Americans have a massive BT sub-culture who know exactly who they are, so we just want to promote that same spirit in the UK and Dom, Arvi and the Dixie Ticklers are all for that!

Follow @TicklersLondon

Bow Tie Impressions: The Diamond Point Style

The Marlon Gobel Crystal got us thinking about the BowTieBanditz ethos of bow shape hinting at unspoken personal statements. So we're just gonna go ahead and open up this discussion around the unspoken, sometimes softly whispered, language of this gorgeous style.

Some of us BowTieBanditz love the DP Diamond Point bow tie style.

Characterised by the basic shape of the slim-line with added pointy wing-tips, the width of the bow tie generally doesn't extend beyond the outer edges of the collar. Note, though, that the main part of the bow (excluding the points) should still remain within the boundaries of your face to strike a balance.

The DP has been around for years – one of the earliest examples was donned by President Abraham Lincoln himself over 150 years ago.


James Bond, full

President Lincoln, slightly wilted

But, having historically lagged the bat wing and the butterfly in popularity, it has recently enjoyed a resurgence of attention along with the general profile of the bow tie accessory itself.



A coincidence with James Bond becoming a convert to the slightly broader butterfly-based version during Casino Royale (2006)?

Who can say..?

Standing at around 2¼ inches tall, but available in a slimmer (4cm) width, the DP is incredibly versatile. At the last count, it can be tied 5 different ways and, depending on the originating pattern from which it was cut, they will each tie and sit a little differently. The skinny batwing (4cm) is a great basic shape, and the narrower contour seems to have taken on the more contemporary persona. But, mid-batwing and scalloped butterfly bases also work really well. Wide bat and butterfly wing-derived DPs don’t quite work as well and, whether known or unknown to the designer, are more difficult to get right in this style. 

 

Men: Putting it Out There 

Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) from 'Suits' ALWAYS gets it right!



From a man's perspective, the DP has been variously described as a “trustworthy choice,” “a more retro look,” giving “additional pizzazz” which, “adds even more personality” and is simply, “the bow tie you can wear to just about any occasion and feel like a million bucks."
Those who wear bow ties every day will almost certainly wear the self-tied. It has also been said that if you want to recreate vintage styling in the ways of men, you must learn the art for yourself. It has been also been said that preferring the pre-tied means that you don't care to learn. But, at BTB, we feel these judgments to be overly harsh.
Sometimes, it's just about choosing the low-stress option!

The pre-tied diamond point is... balance

It has to be said that for those new to the BT Brotherhood, for occasional or Occasion wearers, or for those who need to get out of the house in a hurry, it might be the better option.

The pre-tied diamond point definitely has one thing going for it that the self-tie does not - balance. It implies 'business', in the way that Harvey Specter means business.

A man might desire the diamond-inspired angular shape, but, he might not feel comfortable with the self-tied asymmetry i.e. the forward wings might seem unbalanced by the opposing blunted and pointed ends against the reverse behind.

Traditionally, the bow tie has been associated with geeks and 'thinkers'. Nowadays, that may extend to people who required order in their lives. 
The comfort that may be taken in the more geometrically perfect self-tied DP should not be underestimated. Repetitive touching of an accessory is a common human trait at times of heightened stress and, for men, that can mean the bow tie.

That said, isn't one of the rules of modern fashion 'there are no rules in fashion''? Isn't that a strong underlying reason for the resurgence of the bow tie itself? And what does 'personal style' mean if it isn't personal to you?

Women: "Call and Response"

The woman's perspective is so very, very different! 

“People respond to how we’re dressed, so like it or not this is what you have to do [dress well].”
Harvey Specter, "Suits" 

Women may sub-consciously prefer the alternative. Far from the precision of the pre-tied, the self-tied emphasises a more natural form. In this context, its slight asymmetry, enhanced by the modern cut is peculiarly... masculine. When constructed with contrasting patterns or colours, the DP implies the exciting paradox of ‘business’ or ‘party’. The versatility of a self-tied DP means that the amount of pattern or bright colour vs block or dark colour on display can speak volumes. Depending on the woman, either can be the most intriguing in her response.  

Andre 3000

She might be sub-consciously thinking of the Diamond Point as… seduction. 

What else are the diamond tips for, if not as an enticement? The invitation is implied - that, "This tie may be loosened at will, for the right inducement," and at whatever speed the mood dictates! It most readily conjures up the vision of hanging loosely at the end of the night, signifying that the walls of polite social etiquette have come tumbling down.

DP, right
 

Rimoldi's pin up vs the DP cut

This is not to be confused with the "... brutally classless look..." described by Trunk Club sales VP Michael Barkin, when a man "... unties his bow tie during an event and wears it hanging from his neck... Just take it off!"
It is the style which, with its organic curves and precision points, are reminiscent of a 1940s Betty Grable forties pin up (right).

The choice of different Diamond Point widths allows any man to dress himself up in temptation for a night. Or during the day, come to think of it! However,



Taye Diggs, daytime-ready

The subliminal message works for men of all builds, too!We know that men with a longer, narrower neck should opt for the skinny width, and need to be careful if tempted towards the Jumbo or Southern Colonel styles. Likewise, men with a shorter, wider neck should opt for the broader width and think twice if reaching for the slim line style.
Then, of course, someone like Le Noeud Papillon comes along, who creates the Double Diamond Point:

The equivalent of the Jumbo Butterfly, Le Noeud Papillon  states, "it's hard to say whether it has a genre or whether it has a unique character of it's own which belongs to the year 2014." [LINK]


So, I suppose what we're saying is that the Diamond Point style, as the most versatile, probably matches the more complex man - especially if he is willing to mix and match the pre- and self-tied options during the day or evening. This is what makes the DP one of the more alluring and interesting styles.

 

We shall leave you with this last thought – that the Marlon Gobel Crystal could not have been any other shape and be so perfectly captivating.

It had to be a Diamond Point!

 

Quote: “Classic evolves but doesn’t age. Classic isn’t a style, yet classic is never out of style." - Mr. B's [http://bartlettstudio.com/projects/diamond-point-bow-tie/]

The Series will continue with: the Bat wing, the Butterfly wing, the Jumbo, the Club Round and the Southern Colonel.