The Sale Ends 5pm Friday AEST

The SALE which has been running on www.lenoeudpapillon.com will finish tomorrow at 5pm AEST. Then it is back to business as usual, with new silks and pocket squares being released over the coming weeks. Thanks you for your participation.

A Testimonial From A Discerning Japanese Customer

Do you ever find yourself questioning whether you made the right choices in life? I do. Less and less these days, but I still do. At the end of my university studies I might have gone on to trade gold, resources, agricultural commodities or I might have got a job in a bank. All these options were available to me or so I believed. After I failed at most of the different jobs I tried I decided that the only way I might make a crust was to try working in the obscure jobs that either nobody else wanted or didn't have the skills to do. I have managed the Sydney Comedy Store, I have managed a newsagency, I have sold compost bins and worm farms, timber floors, I have been a wedding dj, a website designer, I have worked as a building labourer and owned a nightclub. Nobody, apart from the nightclub where you can't believe anyone who slaps you on the back (fickle industry), has ever paid me a compliment for my work. Until my present vocation.... So, I think I might just stick to this trade because at least people appreciate my little papillons.

Dear Le Noeud Papillon,

Thank you very much for your kind email and most pleasant service. I sincerely appreciate it.

In fact I have received the parcel already. WOW! I am truly impressed first of all with this gorgeous package, and with the unique quality I haven't seen for a while for the bow ties!

Please accept my compliments for the great job you have done and for those amazing styles you have developed. Thanks a lot for the small present too, it is truly awesome!

I am going on a world travelling expedition and I am planning on stopping all my internet connections, but I am looking forward to being back online to choose more styles from your shop.

Thank you very much once again.

Best regards and good luck!

Nobuyuki

PS:  I have taken a glimpse of your blog, for me that's quite interesting and I wish I had more time to read it, just wanted to note, you have a great style of your own and very nice sense of fashion! :)

If you have a real shop of yours I will happily get there whilst I travel, who knows maybe will have fate to meet you there as well.

The Final Touches To Your New Suit >>> Holland & Sherry's Personalised Wool Weaving Service

When it was time to stop past Holland & Sherry's Sydney office for some new wool I took the time to go through the master books and talk to Simon about some of the wool weaves that were in the book. Part of the process was to refer back to the Mercury Textiles Dictionary which he had lying around. It is one thing to go through wool in a bunch, but to have the Mercury thing there to show you the exact weaving diagrams adds a bit more depth to your analysis. As we checked off Gaberdine for example we got the following definition from the 1954 edition.

The gaberdine is a fabric having a whipcord effect made for the worsted warp and cotton weft. It is usually woven on 11 staves as at an A, in a dobby loom with a fine reed. The warp yarns are good quality botany worsted and well spun to give uniformity of surface in the finished cloth. The weft is two-fold good quality cotton. Gaberdines are usually set with about twice as many ends as picks per inch....

 And it then follows on gaberdine:

This term was known in the 16th Century when in the Merchant of Venice Shylock reminds Antonio that he "spat upon his Jewish gabardine" which indicates a "rather long cassock" than a cloak or mantle. Blount writes: "what is gabardine"? "a rough Irish mantle", "a horseman's clock" or "a long cassock".

What a fascinating little book the Mercury is. I ended up following my nose and photographing a number of weaves which I shall talk about over the coming weeks.

At the end of my talk with Simon he showed me a lovely little bit of Holland & Sherry pride which was a special machine which allowed them to weave names, logos or text into the selvedge of the wool. According to Simon, the machine was still owned and operated by Holland & Sherry and he relayed anecdotally some of the more colourful stories of those who had used this service. The wool costs roughly $1200AUD per metre of wool at 1.4m to weave. The fabric component of a suit would therefore be in the vicinity of $4200AUD for the cloth alone but you would be joining the ranks of men such as boxing legend Evander Holyfield who is understood to have had 'World Champion' woven into his cloth, or a husband and wife who had their names woven into their white wool with a contrasting black thread. Using a service like this is not something you can do with any old tailor and Simon has said that any enquiries of this nature can go directly through to his office on +612 9267 8030. Of all the men I know in Australia, not one would dare use this super 120's worsted and cashmere wool service but I would put it to you that it would get far more attention than buying a Rolex and it would cost you half the price.

Customise your life or pimp your suit using the large number of colours on file at Holland & Sherry to create your own unique name or design to be woven into the slevedge of your wool. Not for the faint hearted, this super 120's blend of merino wool and cashmere will set you back around $1200.00 per metre.

Now this would be an absolute delight, a box check personalised. Well worth the money in my opinion.

The Barksdale Floyds, enjoying the unique offering of H & S by weaving his/her wool.

Cold Comfort For Change

There is a go-to song that really hits the mark whenever you feel you are living like a genie trapped in a lantern and it resonates as cold comfort with men struggling with change in their lives. Tonight as I drove home across the Harbour Tunnel from the North Shore it was such a soothing anecdote. You have to love Supertramp. As I once said to an Australian music artist, it is one thing to write a catchy tune, it is yet another to combine it with intuitive and emotive lyrics.

So you think you're a Romeo, playing a part in a picture-show 

We take the long way home, take the long way home 

Cos you're the joke of the neighbourhood, why should you care if you're feeling good 

Take the long way home, take the long way home 

There are times that you feel you're part of the scenery, all the greenery is comin' down boy 

Then your wife seems to think you're part of the furniture, oh it's peculiar, she used to be so nice 

Lonely days turn to lonely nights, you take a trip to the city lights 

And take the long way home, take the long way home 

You never see what you want to see, forever playing to the gallery 

You take the long way home, take the long way home 

When you're up on the stage it's so unbelievable, unforgettable, how they adore you 

But then your wife seems to think you're losing your sanity, oh calamity, well is there no way out? 

(Ooh, take the long way home) 

(Take it, take it, take it home) 

Does it feel that you life's become a catastrophe, oh it has to be for you to grow boy 

When you look through the years and see what you could have been, oh what might have been if you'd had more time 

So when the day comes to settle down, who's to blame if you're not around? 

You took the long way home....

Autumn Leaves Fall, The Creative Juices Slow And Nostalgia Sets In

The Australian winter is near as autumn leaves fall off the scarce deciduous trees which overhang some of my favourite streets of Sydney. Today as the wind swept some leaves up and I sped along my route for home, I was drawn to colder music and I felt bereft of new ideas and a nostalgia for time that had passed. It is something that you ought to let wash through you but today it had me in it's grip. Some new silks had come off the press but the usual delight I got from seeing new stock wasn't there and I held some nervous energy about whether I was changing and evolving at the same pace as everything around me. It didn't help that last night I watched old videos from my travels in 2001 and how much I had changed, no longer as fresh and bright faced as I once was. As my friends and I watched the videos we noted that one of the party guests had died when his heart had ruptured and another was now a quadriplegic. So you can imagine the effect on me when the following song randomly came up on my shuffle.

So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell,

blue skies from pain.

Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?

A smile from a veil?

Do you think you can tell?

And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts? 

Hot ashes for trees?

Hot air for a cool breeze?

Cold comfort for change?

And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?

How I wish, how I wish you were here.

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year,

Running over the same old ground. 

What have we found? The same old fears.

Wish you were here.

Meet Danish Director Sune Lykke Albinus - A New Portrait From Photographer Magnus Omme For Le Noeud Papillon

Copenhagen based Danish director, Sune Lykke Albinus was educated at Denmark’s own independent film school, Super16. He lives in Denmark at the moment so he can focus on his production company, Green Copenhagen, but his work as a director has taken him all over the world. While his talents lie primarily in telling powerful, emotionally engaging stories about everyday life through film, he is also an excellent, highly charismatic film teacher.

Website: www.greencph.com

Read Our Interview On Keikari, A Finnish Blog On Men's Sartorial Elegance

See the full article here: http://www.keikari.com/english/interview-with-nicholas-atgemis/

VR: Your age and occupation?

NA: In 2008 I held a share in an upmarket boutique nightclub where you were sent a 4 digit code to your mobile phone and then you entered that code at the door to let yourself into the nightclub. No bouncers, no attitude. When you got inside it was all ruby velvet, low level lighting and a gilded golden painting frame behind which you saw the djay. The genesis of my business started there. I was thirty and I had just mastered the art of tying a bow tie and then my doorman followed suit. After I sold my share of the nightclub I decided to try my hand at making bow ties. Now 35, I founded and own a unique bow tie company called Le Noeud Papillon in Sydney, Australia and we have an international audience of blog readers and customers who seek us out because of our unique shapes and our exclusively designed silks......

Continue reading here: http://www.keikari.com/english/interview-with-nicholas-atgemis/

The Sale Has Begun

We need to off load some of our stock as we have new silks coming and we need to clear down stock to make way for the new designs. If you like bow ties, if your friends like bow ties, tell them! At 30% off our bow ties are exceptionally good value and something you will keep for a long long time. 

Try Acting, Dear Boy

There is a story that was once relayed to me by Dr. Watts who said that on the set of the Marathon Man, Dustin Hoffman turned up tired and dishevelled. When quizzed by Sir Laurence Olivier why he was looking so tired, Hoffman responded by telling him that the character in the story was up for days on end and being a method actor, he was inclined to do the same for the role. Apparently, Sir Laurence Olivier responded:

"Try acting, dear boy.... it's so much easier"

Ooooh Weee - Someone Nailed It Right On The Head

Had Brad Pitt been younger I think he might have made a fine Jay Gatsby. What a shame that role was given to such an over-worked actor who didn't need another blockbuster film role. Had Baz Luhrmann not sold out to Brooks Brothers too, he might have also struck a deal with Tom Ford to do the clothes and then all that electricity might have flowed between them to create something like the image below, something where all the elements came together. I don't know whether Tom Ford did create the items below but it bares his signature, the wide shawl lapel, the turned back cuffs, the oversized tie-your-own black satin bow tie which has been pre-tied for your viewing pleasure. What a shot. Don't be surprised if it is remembered as one of the greatest photos of a would-be Jay Gatsby.

Another Two Tips - Fashion Trends For Australian Men In 2013

Another two things I want to note are the following. The oversized waist band on trousers seems to be coming back in. Note the first image. I think it's awesome. Especially when it acts almost like a cumerband to hold you in. There is nothing worse, as it is in my case, of having your stomach sit over your pants. You have either two choices, lose weight or widen the band so you are held in more. This problem can occur even for slim guys, so the wider the waist band on trousers, the happier I will be. Secondly, the paisley neck tie. We have been doing some paisley ties for a while, but in fairness, the best paisley ties that I have found that resemble the cool look of the chap in the second shot, can be found at Turnbull And Asser by clicking here. I would venture to say that the silk in the second shot appears to be an woven jacquard silk, however, I believe that Drakes of London would do a good job of that tie in one of their 50 Oz silks, in which case you can check their website here: 

Higher waist bands - very in

Paisley neck ties, very in.

Burgundy Shoes Trend 2013 - Guerreisms Sees It Too

Guerreisms caught my attention today when I noticed three pairs of shoes come up which were all burgundy. It coincides with a comment that a man in Sydney retail said to me the other day that whilst on a buying trip the buzz item was 'burgundy shoes' for 2013. Note the top image - the trousers-no-socks-solid-shoes look - it's something I noticed on a few fashion journalists the other night, something I note that Angelo Flaccavento was probably one of the first to get involved in. Personally, it comes back to something I wrote the other day about streetwear, in order to achieve this look you need to cut your trousers high and once you go for this look the suit can no longer be used for any other occasion. Whilst I like the look, it is an example of a commitment to a trend which costs a lot to subscribe to but which will probably last two to three seasons - kind of like Capri pants were twelve years ago.

Why I Love Fashion But Not Necessarily Fashion Types

Arty farty had a party,

and all the farts were there,

Tooty Fruity did a beauty,
and they all ran out for air

I have never been one to enjoy the Australian fashion industry per se. I love people who make fine cloth. I like a great workroom. I like to watch an artisan in the swing of things. But that's about where I call it a day. 

When you travel to the looms and workrooms in Italy you usually find that the people who work behind the front line are of a similar ilk. They are straight down the line; seldom are they la di da. That is my experience too of one of the Zegna family members that invited me to the Zegna Wool Trophy Award ceremony last night. He is refined, elegant, he seldom speaks loudly and when he does choose to speak it is with a considered authority on any given subject relating to fashion production. He once felt my scarf and then pulled away some of the fibres slowly and looked at them under the light and declared 'No, it's not cashmere'. Unfortunately I cannot tell you his name, but I will say that when I first met him he considered me to be brash and brazen and we argued over linen as a cloth as we walked the streets of Venice. 

Last night, that kind of intelligence and knowledge base was in Sydney. It was the Zegna family and the 160 journalists they had flown across the world to visit the New England farms where the Zegna family sources most of it's finest merino wool. The farms, which I have talked about in previous posts on wool production, were playing host to some of the world's most interesting fashion commentators. One of the most thrilling aspects of the evening was seeing the various styles of the international community of journalists, some of whom were dressed so brilliantly and with such poise, that it was like I was coming up for air. One thing which we don't get in Sydney is a constant flow of these types and the reason that it was so refreshing was that they finally neutralised the existing local junta of Australian fashion cognoscenti. And for this alone I will always be fantastically proud of the Zegna event. It was as though the Zegna people opened the windows and said 'here Sydney, have some fresh air, we think arty farty did a farty in your city' (feel free to use a Northern Italian accent here).

Forget the canapes. Forget the size of the production. Forget the body of work that went down the runway and all the little elements that must have gone into pulling that one collection together, from the buckles on each overcoat and the number of moulds that they would have had to developed or the volume of clothing that would have had to have been shipped. Forget the wool display and the understanding of why we were here to enjoy the night, that the Zegna family had spent decades cultivating and marketing Australian wool. Forget all of it if you want to. But don't forget the way in which they opened up those windows and let all that fresh air in. A great inspiration and I look forward to them doing more work in promoting Australian wool and if they ever have another party, I am sure I won't be invited, but I would be the first to line up.

On display, the various types of wool that Zegna uses and the countries from where they source it.

A display of silk cocoons.

New England wool, some of the most prized wool in the world, the quality of which has been guided by a process of Australian farmers working closely with companies such as the Zegna group.

I Am Going To Call This The 'Groomsman's Knot'

And the reason why I am going to call it the 'Groomsman's Knot' is that if ever you were to be given a bow tie for a wedding party, the last thing you want to be doing on the day is fooling around with your bow tie with 15 minutes to showtime. Use this knot to spend the night before preparing yourself for the big day and making sure that you don't turn up with a badly tied bow tie. It's also a great idea for when you are travelling too.

NB: There's nothing wrong with having a bit of nonchalance in the way you tie your bow tie, but you can tell the difference between nonchalance and someone who does not know how to tie bow ties.

How To Tie The Perfect Bow Tie Using Just Your Hands And A Flat Surface

Hi guys, this video is here to help you tie your Le Noeud Papillon bow ties at home without any mirrors and without having to tie it on your neck. So, if you don't want to rush on the big day, be it for a wedding or an important event, you can do this at your desk, at the dining room table or anywhere for that matter where you can find a clean flat surface.

Wishing you the best of luck in tying the perfect knot.
LNP.

Bring Back The Jazz - Add A Little Bling To Your Ensemble

www.lenoeudpapillon.com

Experiments In Bling #2

Following on from last week's work into bow ties and bling, we decided to take it to the next level and are now moving into pocket squares for formal wear with that little extra pizazz to take your next formal occasion to the next level. Exclusive to our website, www.lenoeudpapillon.com, this is a project we will continue to work on with Joseph Raskin, a young designer we are currently collaborating with.

Magnus Omme Returns With: Janus Regel – Barber & Musician - Copenhagen, Denmark.

Janus wears a Morris bow tie from our 2012 limited editions

Janus and his business partner, Jonas, run a traditional barbershop located in the older neighbourhoods of Copenhagen. The barber shop was first established in 1937.
Being a barber was always a natural fit for Janus. Now, with the times and trends falling in his favour, Janus is enjoying the renewed appreciation for his traditional craft. It’s no longer quite as it once was in the good old days, but Janus and Jonas are doing their best to re-create the memories of men being men with well groomed hair and beards. The bow tie is a must for the barber, especially one worth his salt, and the trend of wearing bow ties does not stop at the barber shop as more and more men in Copenhagen are returning to bow ties.
And what does Janus do when he is not cutting hair or clipping beards? He is a musician and is about to release his first EP with his band My French Friend.

Barbershop : http://barb.dk/

Music : https://soundcloud.com/myfrenchfriend

Video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiVrbTjcM7o

The Tuxedo At It's Best

Here is my friend Trust Bosha looking ever so relaxed and ready for an evening wearing just the absolute classics. A white pocket square from Dormeuil, a Le Noeud Papillon black satin mogador bow, a clean white shirt, and a silk satin lapel on a plain weave black wool suit. You really can't go wrong when you stick to the basics of black tie. This photo was taken on the basement floor of Claude Sebastian in Martin Place.

Our current window display at Claude Sebastian

Joseph - A Must Have For Those That Enjoy Some Subtle Bling

Our latest addition to the family is 'Joseph' named after an incredible character that came into my life two weeks ago and proposed that we find a way to place Swarovski crystals onto ties and bows. We had endeavoured to go down this path before but then stylistically I was too conservative. This time around I have tried to ensure that that we get the bling but without over-doing it. This bow tie is superb and I know about four characters in Sydney that would rock it with the kind of panache that would send reverberations across the harbour. For the moment, this is the only one we have made. Exclusive to www.lenoeudpapillon.com. Oh and by the way, we are taking the liberty of tying these before shipping as we think we know best how to present them. 

Need A Quality Hanger In Sydney?

Are you located in the Sydney CBD? 

Our coat hangers are now in stock at Claude Sebastian. At $150 AUD for 5 luxury timber coat hangers with felt trouser bars, you will not find better value anywhere else in the country. Call them on +9233 6938. Ask for Jerome or Richard. They will gladly deliver them to you on the same day for CBD customers.

The Passion Of Silk Textiles Artist Daniel Jean-Baptiste

I came across the work of Daniel Jean-Baptise a few days ago and fascinated by the work I became engrossed in his blog. Like many great artists, he shares a lot of his work and technique with the world and there were countless blog comments from people across the globe asking him to share with him some of his techniques. I wrote to Daniel and he was kind enough to answer a few questions for our readers. You can follow Daniel's work here: http://jean-baptiste.com/blog/

Can you tell us how you came to be on St. Lucia and what originally brought you to the art of silk painting? Can you tell our readers a little about St. Lucia?

I was born in the  small town of Soufriere in St. Lucia but  I grew up in  the small fishing  village of Choiseul, which had  just one street.  I lived on an estate over looking village which was  surrounded by  giant mango trees and rows of coconut palms. Painting was something I did to entertain myself as a child and in 1979 I moved to Toronto Canada with my mother, and it  was there that I was introduced to  silk painting while working for Display  Arts of Toronto http://www.displayarts.ca/
St. Lucia is possibly one of the most beautiful islands in the world.  It is so tiny that you can drive around the entire island in one day. The population are descendants of slaves and are of a mixed races, myself being part Jewish and African Carib Indian. While the island is part of the United Kingdom's Commonwealth and English is the mother tongue, most locals speak a French patios, a by-product from the 14 wars between the English and the French who wanted to lay claim to this gem of an island that came to be known as “Helen of the West”.

Click to enlarge

Inspired by natural surrounds of St Lucia - Daniel Jean-Baptise, a unique textiles artist

In terms of your palette and in terms of silk paints, what are the most effective colours that you tend to incorporate into your designs?

My most effective colours are Aqua, Turquoise, Cyan, Brown and Black.

How much of your canvas do you plan before you set out to begin a silk painting? Can you explain to people who don’t know this art, what are some of the most basic things needed to set up a silk canvas?

The most important and difficult part of creating a silk painting is in designing the line artwork which will be used as a guide for applying the water based resist (gutta). Before this can take place, I first draw up rough ideas on 8” x 10” paper. I will source as much information about the subject in the form of photos and live drawing when possible. Once  I am happy with the idea, I then  draw a larger version onto  Kraft paper.  The pencil drawing is then traced over with a black permanent marker. I then coat the drawing with a light layer of artist spray adhesive, and then mount the piece of silk onto the drawing while lying flat on a table. The final step is to hand draw the  gutta onto to the silk while following the  line artwork which can be seen through the  white silk.

In terms of man hours, how long do you roughly anticipate it will take you to finish an artwork from start to finish? 

Creating the designs of the line artwork on paper can take from one day to a week to complete. Silk painting which takes years to master, for me is the easiest and can take anywhere from 1 – 10 hours depending on the size and complexity of the piece.

You may have seen the making of this canvas on a post below. It is fascinating to see the process unfold.

Do you sell your original artworks to the public? Is there a high demand for textiles art in St. Lucia? How much do you original artworks sell for?

I do sell all of  my paintings to the world. When I lived in St. Lucia between 1995 to 2004 I did  silk  painting demonstrations at a luxury hotel  called Sandals La Toc Regency and sold a tremendous  amount of work to visitors to the island. I live in Canada now and have an estate on St. Lucia which I am slowly transforming into my art head quarters. My work sells from between $400.00 to $20,000.00. I produce limited edition multi originals and also one of a kind pieces. The demand for textile art comes from buyers outside of St. Lucia.

In my own experience of silk art, making effective gutta lines that won’t bleed has been my hardest obstacle, would you also agree that this is the most delicate part of the process or silk art?

Silk painting takes a very long time to master and this includes the gutta lines. After working with silk for over 30 years I find the entire process very easy and the gutta lines can be done flawlessly.

Creating gutta lines - an important aspect of textiles art which allows the artist to paint within confined spaces. Gutta is an Indonesian rubber tree from which is derived a viscose liquid which forms barriers on a silk canvas.

What is your favourite art work that you have produced and is there a story behind why it is so important to you?

All of my work is important, there is no one piece that stands out of the others. In fact it is because I strive to create work which has never been seen before, I create from that which has never existed before. My paintings are only about the beauty and paradise that I see every where in this world. To me the beautiful things are all that matter.

When you are no painting on silk, how do you spend the rest of your time in St. Lucia?

Time away from painting while in St. Lucia belongs to the sea and the forest. If I am not kayaking or diving, you can find me on  a 100 acre forest I inherited, watching  St. Lucian  parrots as they go about showing off their beautiful colours and singing loudly.

Silk Inspiration For A Friday

Whilst following the Silksational facebook page I stumbled upon a video posted by Sylvia Riley. The artist is Daniel Jean-Baptise. Daniel has a blog that is worth taking a tour of. Well, this should inspire you on a Friday morning! Enjoy your weekend.

Fail Better

I don't usually mention it these days because my friends got sick of the story, but years ago, in fact, it was roughly six years ago to be precise, in 2007, I decided to plonk myself in Paris after I went to a wedding in Venice. It was during this period that I struck up a friendship with the American actor Owen Wilson who was running around Paris post his break up with Kate... Goldie Hawn's daughter. The name will come to me. She was in Almost Famous.

Anyway, so poor old Owen was down and out and needed some company, so I made my most concerted effort to be there whenever he was in want of a night out. We became good friends, good enough that we exchanged some great dialogue as we cycled the streets of Paris. One night, whilst I was feigning knowledge of the history of Paris as we rode near the Jacobian church on the Boulevard St Germain after having been at the fire station at St. Sulpice, I turned to him and I said 'did you like the stories I emailed you, please be honest'. He muttered something like  'I told you what I thought of them', referencing an email where he had written 'wait, I thought Hemingway was dead'. It was tongue in cheek and the arse had managed with that small quip to shut me up. I then said to him 'it's just that, I am writing this book and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. I just give up. I am sick of failing' and at this point he said something very poignant about life which was fresh to my ears then. He said: "I always like to quote Samuel Beckett when it comes to writing. Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better".

I often wonder whether Owen ever remembers those bike rides because I know I did. I think of those words when I make another foray into anything I have turned my hand to. Tonight it was getting a finer print to screen onto my pocket squares. It was a journey of a thousand stepping stones starting with a gracious screen printer named Steve who saw that I wasn't going to give up and so he told me how to get my screen done on just the right mesh. And, I feel, we finally got it.

Fridays At Claude Sebastian, Martin Place, Sydney

Dear Customers and Blog Followers,

I am going to spend some time each Friday in store at Claude Sebastian from 1pm onwards. If you have any questions about how to look after your bow ties, tie them, if you have a special request you would like to put in, if you want a custom bow or tie to be made or if you just want to pop in and ask my advice on any matter  relating to men's clothes and accoutrements, please drop by. If you want to call ahead, you can speak to the friendly staff at Claude Sebastian on +612 9223 1928.

Portrait #9, Damien Scott, Sydney, Australia

Damien Scott of Sydney, Australia in an 'Alhambra' limited edition orange ground silk with orange geometric motif. This limited edition bow tie was very popular. www.lenoeudpapillon.com

What I absolutely adore about the portrait competitions is the number of ways in which our customers tie their bows. The very fact that no two are ever exactly the same, or that I personally always try to get the half centre knot for the website pictures, is testimony to the art of bow ties, that they bring out and speak of the individual's character more than a necktie. Thank you for submitting the photo Damien.

N.

Why I Reject Streetwear In My Thirties

Yesterday I noticed a waiter in his late twenties at my local cafe was wearing Nudie Jeans that were designed with the back pockets sitting half way down the back of his thigh instead of on his arse. They were the kind of jeans that were designed as a response to the original concept that young guys let their jeans fall below their underpants line. It was originally a sub-culture youth thing, now the product was designed to be specifically made for that application in which case it had lost all its authenticity. It looked like this waiter had no more than two years to go before he would hit 30 and this was the age I hit when I began to give up streetwear. The problem with streetwear is that it has a shelf life. It often is dictated to you from what is happening in popular culture as well as sub cultures or alternatively, perhaps it is your own sub culture that you are creating (ouch I'm so hot right now). Whatever it is, it starts off as something original or relating to a small bunch, then it is filtered into the main stream production houses until it is run into the ground and nobody wants to touch the stuff anymore. In the case where people don't give it up, that is like skateboarders who skate into their forties, often they hold onto these products as a kind of memento 'this was the best time in my life, I never want to forget it, now where are my Converse???'

A few years ago, when I was perhaps more 'trendy' that I am today, I recognised that there was a movement of pants coming through in Sydney which hung so low in the centre that it looked like someone had taken a massive dump in their wet pants and it was causing this drape effect. At the same time, there was a second wave, an addition to this look, and this was the long draping to the knee t-shirt or long sleeved t-shirt which tested the boundaries of 'is it a man's dress or a is it still a t-shirt'. On all fronts I began to squirm. I had totally lost interest in subscribing to these new looks. It was not that I was afraid of being experimental, far from that, I had always been the most outlandish, no, rather it was that I thought streetwear had strayed too far from what I wanted for myself in my thirties.

The trouble with these new fantagled streetwear lines is that the shelf life of them means you get very little use out of them other than the season they were created in. Very low cut jeans you find you can't wear with a shirt properly because you are constantly tucking yourself in. Pants which drape in the centre don't lend themselves to a starched shirt either. You are forced to make sure your top drapes like your bottoms. Then comes the shoes too. You will be forced to wear a pair of Lanvin sneakers to boot which then won't pair nicely with your more conservative jeans and your regular light blue shirts. In the end, once you commit to these street fashions, it reminds me of the old adage 'in for a penny, in for a pound'. You can't have one foot into streetwear and one out, it doesn't work like that. And, so, naturally, I had to gravitate to fashions which were more versatile and had a longer life span. Just like in politics, if you want to capture the most votes, you need to hold the centre line.

In working with a classic wardrobe I have found that whilst you can still purchase ridiculously flamboyant items based on the quality and colour of wool of fibre, the pattern of the weave; whilst you can add a tie, bow tie or braces into the mix; the beauty of this kind of dressing in your thirties is that if you want to dress up or down, the choice is ultimately yours. You can have one leg in or out depending on how you feel on the day.

That is why, for the time being, I subscribe to the classic wardrobe for style and I won't be returning any time soon to street wear. Street wear is for the young and for the innovative and those that wish to challenge the status quo. As I head into my  late thirties I no longer have the energy to take up the challenge. Fortunately, I missed the tattoo epidemic and bog pants but I have photos of keppers, Street Fighter machines and ying yangs from the 1990's that I can use to say that 'once I too was relevant to my era'.

I Believe That Is Our Mayfair Bow Tie On Angelo Flaccavento @ The Sartorialist Lunch

Horst, Another New Limited Edition Bow Tie From Le Noeud Papillon

Exclusive to www.lenoeudpapillon.com

Portrait #8: Nicholas Hugh Barry, Sydney, Australia

Nicholas Hugh Barry of Sydney, Australia, wears Churchill polka dot Le Noeud Papillon mogador silk bow tie. Very dashing. The princess on the left helps too. 

Portrait #7: Eatrend Wang, Sydney, Australia

Eatrend Wang wears Le Noeud Papillon 'Le Baron' Ruby Red Silk And Cotton Velvet Bow Tie

Says Eatrend:

"Your Le Baron bow tie and my first quality bow tie. I was trying to avoid a pre-tied, but the velvet caught my attention."

NB: Now just 3 more portraits to go until we close off submissions.

Portrait #6: Ben Pearson, Canada

Hello LNP,

I see you have another portrait event, and as before, I find myself powerless to resist... Maybe I'm more vain that I thought.

Either way, I didn't think I'd have time for anything but a quick selfie in the backyard, so if nothing else I hope it's spontaneous in spirit!

Like yourself I've put a bit of thought into rediscovering the regular old fashioned neck tie, and I'm wearing a lovely Tom Ford in this picture. I still wear a bow most days, though -- they've become a cornerstone of my wardrobe, and, dare I say, my persona.

Hope you like it,
Ben

NB: ONLY 4 MORE PORTRAITS TO GO UNTIL WE ARE CLOSED FOR SUBMISSIONS.

Portrait #5: Christopher Koh, Japan

Dear LNP,

This is my first bow tie ever. The Gaudi modified butterfly is now one of my favourites. Truly glorious. Flower courtesy of my girlfriend. Took me while to master how to actually tie a bow tie but perseverance rules.

Thanks

Chris Koh

NB: The Gaudi silk is one of my favourite silks too. I designed it after visiting the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona in 2010. I was mesmerised by the stained glass windows and the stories behind them. It is a very charming silk.

Portrait #4: Kieran Davis, Australia

Kieran wears a 'Gatsby' bow tie with teal satin silk and white piping

Hello LNP

I was waiting for you to have another competition. I really enjoy seing the variety of style from your readers.

Best of luck with the competition.

Regards,
Kieran

Then In Walked Bobby And Mani - Both Were Looking For Trouble

We have just released two new bow ties. Both are exceptional. The first, Bobby, is a silk and viscose velvet with black mogador satin silk second side. It has a kind of pornographic indulgence to it. The other, Mani, is an orange ground satin with multi-coloured stripes. It was originally designed for a major French design house ( sorry but we can't tell you who) but it was delivered too late, so it was snapped up by ourselves. www.lenoeudpapillon.com

We Wear Bow Ties!

It is nice to see yourself on a google search instead of some ridiculous search engine optimisation programme which sees twenty images of geeks wearing bow ties somewhere in middle America. Every one of these portraits is unique, every one of you has given us some of your personality and a bit of your story. Keep them coming and thank you.

LNP

Portrait Submission #3: Michael Burton Of Perth, Western Australia

Dear Le Noeud Papillon,

Please find attached a submission in response to your "Portrait Competition" email of yesterday. Additionally, while your 'Christopher' bow tie is wonderful, I think it is fair to say that the most impressive feature of this photograph is my girlfriend, Iva. All the same, I figured I would send it through to you just so that you can see how pleased I am to be able to wear your bows, the rules be damned.

As you can see in both photographs, I really enjoy wearing your bow ties! They really are terrific.

Best wishes,

Michael

NB: This is the 3rd winner of the Portraits Competition. 7 more to go! However, it is only for our email list subscribers. 

Are You Doing Something Unique?

Are you an artisan of sorts? Are you skilled in something that not many others are? We are interested in meeting and writing about artisan makers of all kinds. From shoes to leather goods, watches, menswear, silk weaving, writing instruments, custom made stationary, textiles printing, graphic design, photography, lifestyle, food, popular culture, events or anything which might interest our very unique audience.

We reach 1700 readers a day who are predominantly male. They are mostly interested in things such as bow ties, ties, custom made shoes, smoking jackets and popular culture. Our majority of readers reside in the United States, then Australia, Great Britain and France. They are educated, interested in quality items and they have a thirst for new and often obscure information.

Do you think our readers would like to meet you? Send an email to bow_at_lenoeudpapillon.com and we will be sure to return your email pronto.

If you make something unique, we want to hear from you.

Bow Tie Portraits Submission #2 - Simon Yankos

Simon Yankos of Victoria, Australia sent in this fantastic portrait of himself posing for a portrait as a child. Although strictly not what we were looking for, I have declared it a winner because it's such a great photo!

Simon said of the portrait:

My submission for your consideration. It took 3, maybe 4 sittings at the photographers to get this photo. Apparently my cheeks would just flame up a deep crimson red and ruin every shot! I still can't sit for photos 24 years later...

Bow Tie Portraits Submission #1 - David Schönstein

As part of our continued efforts to reward our loyal newsletter readers, David Schönstein is the first person to successfully submit a portrait to us and will therefore be receiving a bow tie delivered to him from Le Noeud Papillon. This competition is only available to our newsletter readers.The first ten portraits submitted will each receive a bow tie, which means we are waiting for the remaining 9 of you.

I love this portrait that David Schönstein submitted, it's full of colour and character. We welcome him to the fold. www.lenoeudpapillon.com

David Schönstein wears our Lachlan bow tie. A limited edition basket weave silk.

Portraits: Angelo Flaccavento, Ragusa, Italy

Angelo Flaccavento, one of the most photographed men of style in the world right now; here  he wears a Le Noeud Papillon 'Romeo' bow tie, half velvet, half navy blue satin bow tie

Portraits: Jonny Seymour, A Sydney Djay

Jonny is pictured wearing a Le Noeud Papillon black velvet Mayfair bow tie using Holland & Sherry Velvet