Monday, July 23, 2012

Father's Ties


I am always careful to not post things that appear to be crowing, swanning, or flaunting.  Envy/purchase/showcase blogs are miserable, and if this ever turns into that, please kill me.  In this case, Father brought me several of his ties as his hefty collection is now being thinned a bit.  I recognize and remember most of them, and it is always an honor to be thought of.  For them, they are cast-off and offered to a son or relative before being offered as donation.  For me, they are surprisingly special items, linking a father and son together, linking further to past relatives and values and aesthetics that were taught.  When I think of these ties, I think of his guidance, baseball, sailing, hiking, and everything else we did together during my childhood.  For others, they are just ties.


 Cape Cod and tennis rackets.  I have an odd history with this sport.

I remember going to these stores as a young man. 



West Hartford and coastal families had these ties in abundance.  
Horwitz - West Haven, Branford, and Madison, Connecticut.




Thank you again, Dear Father.  They will be loved.

8 comments:

  1. I think it is wonderful that you and your father can share ties and memories. My father and I shared a love of so many things and now that he is gone I value even more his collections of pipes, knives, clothes, etc. And I too shopped at the Guilford Country Store of Concord and both the Madison and Branford Horwitz, although I must say the Country Store of Concord was my favorite.

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  2. This is an altogether different sort of envy-blogging. Not the $200 necktie and $1500 bespoke shoe sort of envy-blog, rather this envokes envy over things that money cannot buy. I'd much rather skip the former in favor of the latter.

    Cheers,
    Dustin

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    1. I still shop at Puritan when we are in the area.

      My Dad gave my husband and brother-in-law the pick of his ties, when he retired. My husband doesn't wear a tie to work, but my brother-in-law wears them regularly. I snagged some beautiful old Libertys for my stepson.

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  3. Thanks for a pleasant memory that hasn't crossed my mind in a while. My high school required a jacket and tie, and I regularly wore a number of my father's ties, and even one of his jackets. His taste ran more to conservative stripes, which exactly coincided with mine. I even remember those tags from all the classic Cleveland men's shops like Halle's and Bunce Brothers.
    --Road to Parnassus

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  4. Did you mean to write, "I am always careful NOT to post things that appear to be crowing, swanning, or flaunting."

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    1. Good catch Randall. I wonder if it was a Freudian slip on my part.

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  5. I think that too many blogs have a crass commercialism to them which is overwhelming. I certainly post outfits of the day and recent acquisitions, but try to do so in a way that is authentic. I've stated before; dressing for the camera misses the point. Even better, I try to showcase what I wear in what I *do.* It is much to easy to look at posed pictures and ask, "but would they really wear that sailing/hiking/playing/studying/going to a baseball game/etc."

    This post is altogether much different than an acquisition post. It is not about the ties, but rather about what the ties mean to you because of association. If you had picked up the ties (and very nice ties they are!) at a thrift shop and then posted about them (as I might well do), that would be an acquisition post. It still would not be crowing, swanning, or flaunting. As someone who enjoys such ties and and such finds, I would appreciate the sharing.

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  6. Excellent display. Like Randall, I think you might be crowing just a bit with this collection.

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Let's keep it clean... but if you DO have to get foul, at least give it a bit of wit. Also, advertising disguised as comments will be deleted, unless it is clever.