Put This On

Christine Cariati has been close friends with my mother my entire life. When they first met, Christine taught my mother to weave, and I grew up with the sound of a loom in the room next to my bedroom. In the 80s, Christine and a friend ran a hand-woven goods company called Cariati & Wainwright that sold clothes and accessories in extremely high-end boutiques. Eventually, Christine quit weaving to pursue a career as a fine artist - several of her works hang in my home.

Recently, Christine has gone back to weaving, and she was kind enough to send me two scarves she wove from deadstock silk she had in a warehouse. They’re spectacularly beautiful, as you can see even in my lousy photograph above.

Hopefully, we’ll offer a very limited selection of the scarves for sale sometime in the next few months. Each will be hand-woven on a mechanical loom by Christine herself, and we expect a price around $150. I’m really proud we’ll get to share these pieces, which are true heirlooms.

eBay user Lulabel167 is offering cashmere scarves this year - she lists them as by a “luxury Scottish mill,” but we happen to know they’re by Begg, which is one of the finest “luxury Scottish mills” in existence.  These often go for quite reasonable prices, and the UK-based seller is willing to ship worldwide.  Check out her stock here.

It’s On eBay

Drake’s London Angora & Cashmere Scarf

Starts at $23.25, ends Thursday

I made something.

A few months ago, my wife and I decided to learn to sew.  Our ambitions, to begin, were modest.  She would maybe make a skirt, or a romper.  I would make a scarf.

Of course, the sewing classes at my local community college were all-female affairs (with the exception of yours truly), and they were dedicated to making skirts.  Luckily, I was able to pick up enough skill that when my mom found us a sewing machine at an estate sale, I achieved my dreams: a scarf.

First, I bought some Harris Tweed yardage on eBay.  The color is tough to see in the photo - it’s sort of a gunmetal gray, with a tinge of blue and flecks of green and blue-green.  Then I headed down to my local fabric superstore (Michael Levine, in downtown LA) for a lining.  I initially intended to go with silk, but was struck by a beautiful linen woven in Italy by Armani.  I’m not a huge Armani fan, myself, but the fabric was undeniable, and had the heft to stand up to the tweed, along with the softness to be next to my tender neck.

I cut the fabric (the scarf is about 6”x70”), pinned it, sewed the edges to bind them, then ran a straight stitch down three and a half sides.  Got my fingers in there, pulled it right side out, and pressed the seams flat with my iron.  Then I closed the hole I’d pulled it through with a bit of Tear Mender, and voila!

Who knows… maybe if you’re lucky I’ll start a side business.

When working with a lathe, always wear a neck scarf.  Always.

(From a beautiful film on the design process at Walter Landor & Associates in the 1960s.)

(Thanks, Conor)

Street Etiquette: Dreaming of Fall

Look, we all know that Will from A Suitable Wardrobe is balling out of control with his all-bespoke-everything.  Some of us are on a budget.  But damn, Son, this is a fine scarf.  Like whoah.  [/TenYearOldHipHopSlang]

It’s On Ebay

Cashmere scarf by Columbo

Starts at $24.99, ends Sunday

It’s On Ebay

Vintage Ski-Themed Rayon Scarf

Starts at $9.99, ends Monday

I love this scarf that Ellie’s Bowties made for a customer from tweed cut from old Harris Tweed sportcoats.  I would have lined it with silk, though - Harris Tweed seems a bit rough on the neck.