Last Updated on January 30, 2013
FLORENCE, ITALY
I fell in love with Salvatore Ferragamo ties as a child in Florence. On my first visit to a Ferragamo store I discovered colorful silk foulards kept in sleek wooden drawers. I imagined myself wearing them years later, when I'd be grown up and a lady. We had nothing in common then, but I was sure that in the future I'd shape myself my style into something worthy of such beauty.
Below the foulards was a drawer full of their male counterparts, equally colorful ties. They were strewn with a variety of incredibly cute motifs, mostly little animals. Unlike the foulards I could connect to them immediately. They were undeniably high fashion, yet the elephants, giraffes and butterflies were parallel with my own world.
At that point I made the decision to collect Ferragamo ties.
NEW YORK, NY
It wasn't until many years later that I finally did buy a Ferragamo tie. I was at the JFK airport in New York, waiting for my flight to Munich with plenty of time to kill. The Ferragamo corner on Terminal 1 was your regular airport shop, nothing like the luxurious stores in Italy. They only had a handful of ties, but among them was the one - yellow with little blue elephants juggling stars and apples.
Along with my trusty old laptop the tie became a fellow passenger. It was almost as if it would have to have its own passport, but as it didn't, it was traveling in secret. Its life with me began in the same exciting and magical way that drew me to Ferragamo ties that summer in Florence.
I still believe the little elephants slept during the flight.
Yesterday I saw Dumbo after maaaany years... And today your post about cute little elephants :) The coincidences of life that make you smile! Love them.
The tie is simply adorable. Did you ever wore it?
No, somehow men's ties are always too long for me to incorporate into an outfit. I even tried wearing it as a belt, but it just looked bad.
And what a lovely coincidence indeed! :)
Oh, airport shops have their magic. Silk scarves have my attention, and one day, oh, one day...
I've liked Hermès scarves very much recently. Some of them tell the best stories. Like you said: one day, oh, one day ... :)
Sooo cute!
what a sweet little tie :)) even though in recent years getting stuck and waiting at the airports lost it's charm for me, a lot of things that i now find indispensable i discovered during those times, and in airport shops. isn't that strange?
i never managed to wear a tie though (at least not in public, or outside a dress-up party ;))
Me neither. All my attempts to wear it always failed. I have this tie just to admire. :)
Having time to kill at airports kills me. I like airports if I don't have to stay long (there's always that amazing feeling of possibility). Once my Sunday late evening flight from Gatwick to Ljubljana was delayed for x hours. The airport was almost empty and the shops closed, so I couldn't even look at pretty things. :O :D
What are some of the indispensable things you discovered at airports?
oh, yes, there is always that one time we get stuck that ruins it, isn't it? for me it was getting stuck in Hong Kong airport for 11 hours, but in the middle of the night. it was like a ghost town, actually could easily have been the setting for a horror or a supernatural movie. and a massage and shower at the fancy passenger lounge was 480 us dollars so instead of a revitalising nap I ended up wandering the halls in the worst footwear possible (platform boots, after a 17 hour flight from Australia to UK - talk about swollen ankles) pushing all my (excessive) luggage in a trolly, alone, hungry, in the dark. it makes me cry just to think about it now...
well, I discovered MAC makeup in the airport! again, wondering around Heathrow on my way to Copenhagen, and one of the bored Mac ladies literally dragged me into the shop so she can play make-up. I have never seen myself look that pretty so since then I use only MAC for all the basics.
Also, I found a D&G burgundy alligator leather and silver bangle, it was fantastic, so chic and pretty, but I gave it to my best friend last year as "something old" for her wedding because she coveted it for so long :)) but I wore it for 10 years and I still miss it (can't find a new one anywhere). Tie Rack pashminas and silk boxer shorts of course, and Singapore noodles (I ate them for the first time at the airport in Singapore and since then I'm hooked) :D
I love contrast in fashion and this is a perfect example. Fine fabric and couture designer with a pattern a kid can covet.
Oh my God. That's the most beautiful/adorable thing I've ever seen! I love elephants & those are the best ones ever! Please post photos or a video of an outfit you put together with this tie. It's too good!
All my outfit attempts with this tie have failed so far, but you've inspired me to try again. :) I'll post photos/video if it turns out good!
Put the tie around your neck and instead of having both sides balanced in length, pull the narrow end of the tie down so that the wider end is a shorter length before you tie it. This will give you a shorter length once it's tied as normal and then you can tuck the longer narrow end into your shirt (in between the buttons).
I think it would look gorgeous worn with a crisp white shirt with a smart denim jacket worn over the top.
Or you could wear it as a headband? Just tie it in a knot around your head and have the knot hidden behind your eye so the two ends fall to one side over your shoulder.... or tie it in a big bow !
These links might inspire you a little bit more...such a shame not to wear such an adorable tie...
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B6J6nGs6VwA/S6UeSB02jjI/AAAAAAAAoFw/dFlv1G-HvXA/s400/Sexy+Neck+Ties+this+photo+courtesy+Fashion+Whore.jpg
http://photos.posh24.com/p/1005237/z/kate_moss/annalynne_mccord_tie_white_shi.jpg
http://photos.posh24.com/p/1012352/z/ashley_greene/annalynne_mccord_blue_tie_whit.jpg
http://photos.posh24.com/p/960524/z/annalynne_mccord/annalynne_mccord_metallic_pant.jpg
http://a323.yahoofs.com/phugc/9CWQCrBFNWhO/photos/47410e0fa2bd6878928099c9f24591a2/mr_15527bfd5b7c6d.jpg?ug_____DDDzSfZ1P
http://www4.images.coolspotters.com/photos/446311/cheryl-cole-and-alice-olivia-shoshanna-jabot-blouse-with-tie-gallery.jpg
Tucking the narrow end into the shirt is a great idea that solves my problem of too long ties. Thank you so much for these suggestions Julia! :)