The Best Ties in the World · Real Men Real Style Community

Ahab Minhas

Jul '25 (edited) • General Discussion 💬

The Best Ties in the World

There is no definitive guide on the internet, so I put together my own. Thoughts?

🎯 Evaluation Criteria

- Craftsmanship quality.

- Fabric quality.

- Design taste.

- Consistency.

🔝 Top Tier – Master-level craftsmanship & timeless, refined design.

These are the elite. Fully or nearly fully handmade, soft construction, hand-rolled edges, artisanal interlining, top-quality silks, and consistently tasteful design sensibilities.

1. E. Marinella – ⭐️ The best all-around: Neapolitan craft, beautiful silks, incredibly wearable small patterns. Handmade in Napoli.

2. Passaggio Cravatte – ⭐️ Possibly the most handmade ties on earth. Zero machines. Vintage or custom silks, hand-stitched interlining, everything done in-house. Some designs are an acquired taste—more for connoisseurs—but the craft is untouchable.

3. Vanda Fine Clothing – Singapore-based but world-class. Fully handmade, hand-rolled edges, clean soft interlining. Designs are minimalist and timeless—perfect if you like grenadines, raw silks, and subtle patterns.

4. E.G. Cappelli – Neapolitan maker producing elegant, expressive ties by hand. Grenadines, silk jacquards, and vintage-inspired foulards are standouts. Construction is consistently high.

5. Shibumi Firenze – German-owned but made in Italy. Handmade construction with a Japanese eye for subtle elegance. Great use of Italian and English silks. Patterns are timeless and muted.

6. Sam Hober – Bespoke, made-to-order, superb finishing. Entirely handmade, but quality depends slightly on customer input (you choose fabric, construction, etc.). The craft is extremely high; design taste is in your hands.

7. Francesco Marino – Neapolitan, mostly handmade, fun and vibrant designs (more sprezzatura than conservative). Strong construction, though quality can fluctuate slightly between ties.

🥈 High Tier – Excellent construction, some variation in design or machine use.

These brands still focus heavily on handwork and use excellent fabrics, but may have slightly louder patterns, partial machine use.

8. Tie Your Tie – Famous for their hand-folded, machine-free construction. “Sette pieghe” (seven-fold) signature. Designs often lean bold or quirky—sought-after by enthusiasts.

9. Cruciani & Bella – Underrated artisanal quality, handmade, refined prints, and good finishing. Less internationally hyped but quietly excellent.

10. Charvet – Legendary Parisian maker. Beautiful silks, elegant jacquards, and house-designed patterns. Some machine finishing involved, and construction is more formal and structured compared to Neapolitans.

11. Fort Belvedere – Made to very high standards. Excellent fabrics, meticulous finishing, but slightly structured. Offers rarer materials (e.g., wool-silk-linen blends).

🧥 Mid Tier – Good quality with varying levels of handwork and design taste.

These brands offer strong value, but are either less artisanal or more fashion-forward. Some machine work typically involved.

12. Calabrese 1924 – Classic Neapolitan tie-maker. Good silks, mostly handmade, but not as refined as Marinella or Cappelli. Great for solid ties and small patterns.

13. Petronius 1926 – Milanese with flair. Stylish designs (sometimes loud), construction is decent, but not in the same tier as Neapolitan houses.

14. Turnbull & Asser – British heritage and sharpness. High-quality silks, sturdy construction, but more machine-finished and less softly constructed than Italian artisanal brands.

🧵 Style-Focused Tier – Fashion-forward or variable quality.

These brands focus more on aesthetic identity than artisanal construction. Still attractive, but less traditional in craft.

15. Viola Milano – Very fashion-aware, often beautiful designs, and some handwork. But inconsistent quality, partial machine use, and marketing often outpaces substance.

16. Drake’s – British casual elegance, good materials, handmade elements, but not fully artisanal. Grenadine and printed silks are good; knits and casual styles more prominent.

17. Nicky Milano – Mid-tier Milanese ties, some hand-finishing. Classic and office-friendly designs, but machine work is common.

18. Serà Fine Silk – Visually striking with bold silks and color, but construction is not fully artisanal. Good accessory brand, not a tie purist's go-to.

❌ Luxury Print Houses – Strong branding, low craft.

These names are prestigious and known for playful or elegant patterns, but they rely heavily on machine production.

19. Hermès – Iconic for silk screen prints, but largely machine-made ties. Edges are machine-stitched, and interlining is stiff. Designs are elegant but better suited for fashion luxury than craft appreciation.

20. Salvatore Ferragamo – Known for whimsical prints. Almost entirely machine-made. Nice silk, but little else of interest to a craftsmanship connoisseur.

Final Thoughts:

Passaggio's designs and construction are unmatched, even by Marinella or Cappelli. They're the tie equivalent of a handmade violin—masterfully built, but you have to love the tune.

Marinella’s strength is that it excels across every dimension: design, craft, tradition, and wearability.

The most “balanced” brands (like Marinella, Cappelli, Shibumi) are ideal for someone who values both the beauty and the build of a tie.

4 comments