If " style is the expression of thought " So anyone who has worked in certain offices must have regularly noticed the absence of style, or of thought.
In business districts, I wonder how some people manage to make wearing a suit so bland? Where is the personality? Where is the creativity? Where is the style?
Why not ask yourself questions and open up to get out of your little habits? We discover, we try, we adopt and then we change. Like many of you, I had periods where I was influenced by other styles. A detour through London, a trip to Rome, a dose of English style, a dose of Italian style. A bit of preppy style found in the United States, some Latin inspirations imported from South America...
I sincerely loved them, but with hindsight and experience, I realize that all these attempts had another effect: that of giving the desire to rediscover what a slightly more French elegance is.
And just as it happened, at the turn of Rue d'Hauteville in Paris, I discovered the Cinabre brand, whose team is made up of genuine enthusiasts, true creatives and... particularly stylish people.
Cinabre or the art of giving men a twist
4 ties, 4 materials and 4 different twists. And they all fit very good looks
On a beautiful day in 2011, Alexandre Chapellier decided to leave the world of (too) large companies to change his life and realize an old dream: to design and produce beautiful accessories for elegant men.
And it was in his shared apartment that it all began: " my roommates gently made fun of my adventure until the day the boxes started piling up all over the living room ." The Cinabre brand was born from a desire to produce luxury accessories and its goal was to “ give men a twist ”.
The fruit of a long personal experience of style
Sensitized to style since childhood, Alexandre was first influenced by the English style, - through his education in a British boarding school - with its uniforms, costumes and almost folkloric accessories that are intended to be the heritage of a tradition that also borrows in part from the old French style. Alexandre even then, by his own admission, went through a genuine "Peacock" phase.
Looking back, Alexandre admits with a smile: " We always tend to overdo it at the beginning, but I don't regret it. I gained experience by trying out English and Italian styles. But once you know the rules of elegance, it's time to break free from them... with elegance and by creating your own style ."
A representative path
To return to Cinabre, Alexandre had made the following observation: " Everyone has the same ties and I wanted to offer something different. A few very large Italian companies supply the majority of the sector with the same fabrics and the same patterns. I wanted to break out of this straitjacket that was a little too convenient for me and offer other materials and a different manufacturing process ."
The nobility of materials
From materials from old English houses to converted vintage bandanas, Cinabre is very vigilant about the origin of its fabrics. " There are so many interesting materials that combine perfectly to make beautiful accessories " so why deprive yourself? I can testify to this: when I entered the store, I was able to see the variety of choices among the brand's range of materials: wool crepe, seersucker from New York, silk muslin, denim canvas intended for the merchant navy, textured matte silk with wide stripes, English wool, Harris Tweed tweed ...
Wool crepe ties were the first discovery I made at Cinabre as a customer. No need to choose a tie in a shade that would contrast with that of the suit… the quality and specificity of the material allow for a subtle contrast with finesse. De Fursac suit, Charles Tyrwhitt Black Lapel tie.
Excellence of materials and prices
All brands talk about the excellence of the materials they use in their products, but in the end, few are legitimate in claiming both the variety and the real quality of these materials. Cinabre is positioned in the luxury segment with ties from 115 to 135 euros or bow ties from 85 to 95 euros or pocket squares from 65 to 75 euros.
The quality of Cinabre accessories corresponds to their selling price even if their positioning does not necessarily put them at the height of all budgets. There are no small savings made on the quantity/quality of material used (which is the main source of costs) or on the manufacturing. Like BonneGueule and more and more new brands, Cinabre does not practice sales or private sales.
Note from Nicolò
"When Don says 'one of the best value for money for style', you should know that it is not impossible to find ties of equal or similar quality at similar or lower prices. And they do not lack style or aesthetic appeal.
On the other hand, where I agree with him is that Cinabre's style is original and has its own style, and that such originality is often more expensive, especially if the quality is preserved. And if it's a style that speaks to you, then the price paid will be more than reasonable. For my part, I would rather speak of one of the best quality/price/originality ratios."
Cinabre's specific finishes
The majority of the brand's ties are made using the double blouse fold . This is a craft that uses twice as much fabric by folding it several times on itself. If you're interested in ties, you'll be familiar with the seven-fold tie trend. .
It is time to stop fantasizing about this fashion that was launched and then popularized to the point of rhyming with good quality ties. The seven-fold tie is not systematically a sign of high quality . It is a marketing fashion that was put in the spotlight by manufacturers in order to promote their products.
The reality is that many seven-ply ties tend to tube because it is not the seven folds that will guarantee the quality of the tie but the presence of a quality interlining . The lining at Cinabre is made of wool and the materials selected for the fabrics are noble and of high quality.
Note from Nicolò
"So there, Don, once again, I want to qualify.
I agree: the seven-ply is not a guarantee of quality "in itself". Other elements come into play: as with any product, there is no ultimate finish, or "magic word" that sums up quality on its own.
On the other hand, there can be no doubt that the seven-fold method of making ties is more laborious than standard methods of making ties, takes more time and material, and is therefore more expensive, and by definition more high-end. And there are also very beautiful seven-fold ties, without lining or interlining, which are impeccable.
It all depends on what you expect from your tie, or even the fabric you choose. Because while some will say that a tie that holds its shape perfectly is preferable, others will talk about lightness, flexibility. Quality has more than one way to define itself... »
The wool interlinings used by Cinabre ensure that the ties retain their shape over time.
How to identify a quality tie?
If there is one sign that does not deceive, it is a bad lining mentioned earlier: it is very often synthetic and it is easily identifiable because it is very thick to give the impression that you are getting value for your money when this is not the case.
In a bad tie, if you notice that the interlining floats inside your tie like a " little lizard walking around ", it could be a cheap synthetic interlining. I invite you to try this method and you will see. And a very bad tie can be recognized by the little fabric used, compensated by a thick synthetic interlining.
Made in Italy is also not a guarantee of absolute quality: some use poor quality Asian fabrics and have them made in Italy. Poor quality fabric is often much smoother and flatter than real European fabrics that have mastered this " crisp " aspect. . Another quality finish present in Cinabre ties is the reserve thread .
On this Prince of Wales tie, in wool from the house of Scabal, we can see the reserve thread
(even if the color of the thread matches the color of the lining)
Historically, the presence of the reserve thread indicated that the tie had been made by hand. Today, however, there is a LIBA machine that imitates this impression of hand-made but which is in truth a trompe-l'oeil. Cinabre does not use this machine and retains the manual production of this finish.
The spare thread is not just an indicator, it has a purpose: to give flexibility to the tie while allowing it to regain its shape after wearing it all day. Finally, concerning the ties, the lining and the loop are made of red Cinabre silk twill, which are the visual and easily recognizable identities of the brand.
As for the thread used for the bridle, it is 40: (No. 40 = 40,000m / kg), thread used in light sails such as parachutes for example. It is stronger than the 60 traditionally used in clothing.
This photo of the very beautiful cosmic blue tie sums up the majority of the brand's specificities.
Note from Nicolò
"This is just my opinion, but the "handmade bridle" (or travetto as it is called in my home country) seems a bit fragile to me (only one pass of the thread). It could have done with a little extra reinforcement in my opinion. A snag with a sharp object, a zip or a button can happen so quickly, and the thread can easily be cut...
I would also like to draw attention to the need to define the expression "handmade" which is widely misused.
When we talk about handmade, we are talking about an operation carried out by a hand, a thread, and a needle. E basta!
However, if some finishes on the tie are manual, we cannot say that it is "entirely handmade" either. The lining, for example, is sewn with a sewing machine. Which is quite normal and not a guarantee of good or bad quality. The tie will not be more or less solid. It is simply a question of having an "extra soul" and tradition, or not.
Just remember that "handmade" exists in varying degrees of fidelity to the term used, and that very few products are "handmade" from start to finish (a tailor friend even sometimes speaks to me of "extremism" for tailors who do not touch the sewing machine once for a jacket. And yet he works for a large Bespoke house).
The “Golden Triangle of the beautiful tie” according to Cinabre
A high-end tie is actually a delicate balance between:
- The fabric : the quality and, depending on the materials, the thickness are determining factors and constitute the main source of costs for a tie.
- The interlining : a wool interlining and a thickness adapted to the fabric are decisive for the maintenance of the tie over time as well as its shape.
- The manufacture : at this stage, it would be a shame to spoil the quality of the fabric and the lining by a manufacture that would not be up to standard.
This balance is not based on a fixed mathematical rule: for each tie and for each material, this balance must be found, which requires multiple tests with the creation of prototypes to test and then achieve this balance which will make the tie an authentic luxury accessory.
The ties are made in Loir et Cher in the brand's workshops and the assembly is entirely done by hand. This short video gives an idea of how a Cinabre tie is made:
As for the bow ties , they are pre-tied by hand in order to give them a natural look. This is a compromise that allows for a look close to that of "authentic" bow ties, which you tie yourself, while gaining a little in ease of use. We also note the presence of an adjustable metric band, which can be useful for adjusting them to your neck size.
The photo of this burgundy silk caviar bow tie shows the metric band well. The bow tie comes pre-tied by hand, but you can of course do it yourself.
The pouches are also handmade in the Monts Lyonnais region, made from silk muslin, cashmere, linen or pique cotton.
Boutonnieres , carnations or gardenias are all handmade in a Haute Couture workshop, founded under Louis XV, and mounted on a nickel pin. The making of buttonholes is interesting for more than one reason, it should be noted that there are only three workshops in all of France that have preserved this unique know-how. A few interesting steps are necessary to make it:
After using a special coating to stiffen the silk, the petals are cut by hand using this tool that has stood the test of time.
Then, a hot molding is carried out in order to give the petals their final shape. Everything is done by hand and the molds are more than a century old. When we talk about luxury and traditions, Cinabre does not just rely on marketing and uses the best suppliers, guarantors of historical and very rare know-how.
As you can see on the right of the photo, each boutonniere actually requires several silk flowers.
The flowers are hand-assembled by a skilled and experienced flower maker.
The buttonhole gradually takes its final shape…
The boutonniere, and here it is a red silk carnation to be precise, is ready to be pinned on the jacket of an eminently elegant man.
And with a pair of cufflinks, it's even better, "Don Draper approved".
The caps , this year's new items, are radically different from those you're used to seeing: in seersucker or a lightweight, breathable wool knit, they are lined in silk, with a quilted band to ensure good support while preserving the shape of the cap over time. The brand has chosen to keep the use of picots to remain faithful to the spirit of the piece. The caps are made in a hat shop in Jurançon.
Top-notch finishes for this cap!
How to wear Cinabre accessories?
Two examples of outfits specially chosen to illustrate the use of accessories with on one side a casual look and on the other, more classic, the one adopted in a formal environment. Good humor is not an accessory but an essential bonus 😉 Striped cotton jacket bought at the flea market, custom-made shirt made in Singapore, Levi's 511 jeans.
Accessories play an essential role in an outfit. The proof? Wear only a suit, a shirt and a pair of shoes of the most classic (like most executives on Fridays…) then look at the result. Even if the suit has a beautiful material, a lining made according to the rules of the art and a good cut, an impeccable shirt and well-maintained shoes, you will have every chance of having a very ordinary outfit, not to say boring, more or less well worn depending on your physique.
You should never trust the outfits of famous actors like George Clooney or Ryan Gosling, who can wear a classic suit and shirt without the risk of looking ordinary: their faces are well-known and they are the ones that will attract the most attention.
Where accessories will play their full role is when they allow you to twist with elegance, discretion or even with a zest of subversion, depending on the occasion . And these occasions range from the casual event in which you still want to stand out from the crowd or the formal occasions that require wearing a suit. This is what we will demonstrate in the following lines.
The tie: the choice of elegance that is sometimes discreet, sometimes fun
Burgundy herringbone tie in English wool and cotton pocket square with honeycomb texture. In addition to the quality of the tie (and the categorical refusal to adopt the large symmetrical Windsor knot), the color is in a shade of burgundy that I find particularly well chosen.
Although the tie has long since moved away from its military origins - a beautiful accessory tied by riders and soldiers - it has become essential for any modern gentleman, and on this subject, I recommend that you read the BonneGueule article: How to choose, tie and wear a tie well?
Long before contributing to BonneGueule, I was a customer of Cinabre and the first piece I acquired from them was obviously a beautiful tie. Being demanding in this area, I also discovered many materials and shades, which allows me to play fully on nuances.
Just look at all the shades of blue for ties and their different patterns to get an idea.
As we will show in the following photos, we do not want to present you looks that are too Pitti Uomo, nor too folkloric like those worn by some lovers of traditional English style.
Change of style: 60s moleskin work jacket, two-tone shirt and linen Cinabre tie. Note the spare thread, highlighted in the photo. The color of the tie contrasts with the rest of the outfit to add a touch of color. Custom-made shirt, vintage jacket bought at a flea market.
Same look but we notice in hindsight that if the tie contrasts with the rest of the outfit, it serves to avoid a monochrome effect, the white not being sufficient on its own to counterbalance the predominance of blue.
The duck blue flannel tie whose color subtly balances between blue and green. It adapts to a majority of suits. It seemed interesting to me to play on the nuances of color rather than on a color that contrasts too strongly.
From a little further away, we notice less the difference between the colors chosen for the tie and the suit but the goal is precisely to play on the nuances AND on the materials with a beautiful wool flannel for the tie whose appearance and texture contrast gently with a suit, certainly in wool and with a light Prince of Wales pattern but with a much smoother appearance.
Traditional silk twill ties are also in the spotlight at Cinabre, but they are always handmade in France and with a twist that the most curious will notice. While it is generally accepted that overly humorous patterns should be banned from ties, a more subtle touch reminds us that we are not here to take ourselves too seriously. Ready for a cocktail?
As said in the previous photo, the patterned tie looks more classic from a distance.
And even further, if these two styles are different, they allow us to see how on one side and the other, accessories allow us to subtly distinguish ourselves. Campanile shoes and Savile Row glasses on the left, New Balance sneakers made in the USA on the right.
Adrien, Alexandre's partner, brings a "Heritage" touch with a double-breasted jacket that comes from the 70s and is in fact a jacket from his father that he wanted to wear again, adjusted to his morphology. A beautiful transmission that is associated with a navy blue seersucker tie and a velvet buttonhole. Wicket double-breasted blazer.
The Cinabre team is always looking for materials from which they want to offer a different twist. This tie worn by Adrien is made from vintage bandanas, the pattern is clearly retro and fits well with clothes with a more classic look that counterbalance the pattern of the bandana.
Difficult to match a Hawaiian tie? Alexandre dares and he pairs it with a more sober outfit which, instead of making the tie stand out too much, allows to balance it with the reminder of the dominant color. The Hawaiian tie brings enough originality, it is preferable in this case to do without other accessories like the buttonhole or the pocket square. Custom-made cashmere blazer made in Singapore.
Original but consistent details with this type of tie: instead of the traditional strap, some Hawaiian ties have a coconut button.
A useful juxtaposition of outfits: if the one on the left can be enriched, in addition to the beautiful duck blue flannel tie, by a pocket square, the outfit on the right does not actually need any additional accessories in order to avoid overloading it. You can begin to perceive the potential of the Hawaiian tie and how it is possible to insert it into a look without being excessively jarring. Just the right amount of originality…
In the end, does this tie seem unwearable to you? I am pleasantly surprised myself.
Advice
It is very important not to limit yourself to the close-up of a photo of a tie: this will only give you a very incomplete idea and above all it will limit you because you will focus only on the tie and its details when it must also fit into an overall look. The vast majority of people you will meet on the way or in the office will only see you from 3-5 meters away… Alexandre recommends that you see the effect of wearing the tie up close, to see the details, and then move away from the mirror to see how a tie, even a more original one, can fit very well into your look. This is where you will be able to say: " this style of tie is made for me " (or not), not before.
As you can see, a tie is not boring, it is one of the most useful accessories to not only enrich an outfit but also to give it all its fun. It is no longer a question of being for or against the tie but of seeing things from another angle and all the potential of this accessory in a casual environment or in a more formal environment.
The Subversive Bow Tie
One of my favorite pieces: the Blue Seersucker Bow Tie. As the name suggests, it's made of cotton seersucker and comes from New York. Featuring an adjustable metric band and a Cinnabar red silk twill lapel. And tastefully pre-tied by hand.
For many, it may seem difficult to wear a bow tie outside of a few rare occasions. Being a big fan of the tie myself, I saw the bow tie as an eccentricity – it was a long time ago, in a distant galaxy as Alexander (and George Lucas) would say. Stylistically interesting, but how to wear it on a daily basis? The answer is simple: with nonchalance and a little elegantly subversive side . Remember: he likes to dress stylishly but, then, during the day, he doesn't really care about what he wears.
Enjoy the subtle play on materials: the blue and texture of the seersucker go perfectly with a very classic suit and a white shirt. The Cinabre red silk twill lapel enhances the whole with a touch of color.
An anecdote to help you take the plunge
A friend of mine wore a bow tie from time to time. At one party, we made a fun bet to ditch the tie and come to the office every Friday in a bow tie, in a formal setting. Let me tell you, not only were we still as efficient at work, but we also had a lot of fun, and what's more, while other colleagues just ditched their ties on Fridays, our lovely colleagues always found a very pleasant compliment for us. And no digs from a bitter/envious/grumpy colleague. That's enough to make your Friday much more fun to experience than spending it just waiting anxiously for the weekend...
If you think for a moment that the bow tie risks looking like a "clown" in the street, look from afar at its integration with a classic suit and a simple white pocket square: the bow tie does not clash (unlike other passers-by...) and yet the red silk twill subtly distinguishes it and brings the right amount of color. It is with a confident step that one must climb the hill of a style that is neither boring nor fanciful.
Advice
My opinion has changed profoundly over the years. Now, I see in the bow tie an elegant joyfulness that brings an incomparable twist to a classic outfit. While I would not hesitate to wear it a little more often on Fridays for example, Alexandre would advise wearing it for beautiful events and special occasions (not necessarily a wedding but also to please your girlfriend by inviting her to a restaurant). The rest is in your hands. Or rather on your neck.
Or incidentally on a pile of books.
And to go into more detail about wearing a bow tie, I recommend Florian's excellent article: How to wear a bow tie?
The Art of the Pouch
Sublime white silk muslin pocket square with a red Cinabre border. For this, you can leave the tie behind and adopt a shirt with an officer collar.
A pocket square subtly enhances a jacket. Often, in our minds, we systematically associate it with a tie, but this is not necessarily an absolute rule. A pocket square can be worn separately, without a tie. The pocket square is both subtle, discreet and brings personality to a suit or blazer .
If you don't like to stand out too much with a clutch that still seems too original, a simple play on the nuances of colors is perfectly possible with a very small dose of originality in the arrangement of the clutch. This one is made of cashmere.
While some require a bit of skill to compose, this gorgeous red chiffon clutch didn't need hours of fussing to get a pretty shape... it took less than a minute, taking your time. Chiffon is now quite rare to find in clutches and has a more romantic feel due to the inherent movement of its texture.
Advice
Elegance is the key word when talking about pocket squares and the art of composing them allows you to enhance this accessory even more with finesse. On the other hand – please – if there is one rule to follow in the field of pocket squares, it is not to try to coordinate it TOO much with your tie if you wear one. It is however possible to play on a few nuances in relation to your jacket, for more discretion. And to go into more detail about the art of the pocket square, I recommend another excellent article by Florian: The guide to the costume pocket square
The smart boutonniere
"Nothing embellishes an outfit more pleasantly than a flower pinned to the side..." - Fred Astaire
Perfect combination of a red sweatshirt, a striped cotton jacket and a vintage merchant navy denim button-up.
The boutonniere is certainly the most charming accessory there is and one of the last signs of that beautiful, slightly old-fashioned elegance that comes to us from the greatest years of masculine style. Yes, masculine . Since time immemorial – long before the arrival of the tie or cufflinks – men have enriched their clothes or hats with very diverse ornaments. In the army, it was also a tradition to adorn oneself, and not just with laurels as in ancient Rome. The helmets and clothes of the First Empire were richly decorated… The flower in the buttonhole is in some way the heir to these traditions. It is one of the last ornaments that today's man can afford .
Are you afraid of the buttonhole because it's too dressy? Look how naturally it fits. When I met Alexandre again one day in this outfit, I asked him to wear it again for the shoot because it exudes balance and naturalness. The classic jeans/sweatshirt/shirt combo is enriched by the striped cotton jacket (a nod to the preppy style). The buttonhole adds a final touch that is neither stuffy nor precious.
It would come from a gallant gesture of Queen Victoria's great love, Prince Albert, who wanted to wear on his suit one of the flowers offered by his young wife. And for information, well before appearing as a symbol of English conservatism, Queen Victoria was passionately in love with her husband, the latter's disappearance causing her eternal sorrow) by making a small hole in his jacket to put it through. This is how the small seam would have been born which appears on the lapel of the jacket. It is therefore worn on the left lapel of the jacket.
Club tie, double-breasted jacket, no pocket square (no need to overload the outfit) and pretty Harris Tweed buttonhole (available in store) which subtly fits into the outfit by playing on the nuances around the blue.
The previous photo showed an outfit that was too classic? Mistake: the Cinabre seersucker cap, denim and sneakers turn the tables and are combined here with a double-breasted jacket, a two-tone shirt and a club tie without the overall look giving a weird effect. Alexandre perfectly masters the codes to better divert and twist them naturally.
Otherwise, nothing prevents you from wearing a buttonhole with a color that stands out more...
…or conversely, to calm things down by adopting more neutral tones that can be brought out slightly.
In fact, there are many possibilities to enhance simple shirts and jackets.
Advice
The boutonniere can be worn with a tie or alone. It is not forbidden to have other accessories but Alexandre recommends you for example not to overload your outfit by associating it with a pocket square for example. Try it, you will be surprised by its role as an ice-breaker 😉
The final word
Even if you have a nice suit or a good quality blazer, a perfectly tailored Egyptian cotton poplin shirt will and nice shoes, INVARIABLE something will be missing from the outfit.
The whole outfit can be perfectly mastered, you seem to have everything and yet you are missing the essential : this detail that is both subtle and yet so important. I have seen enough executives abandon the tie to pretend to be more "casual" on Friday to realize how almost mortally boring their suits are.
And even with good quality suits. Do you find it very original to see clones dressed in the same navy blue suit? This is where the accessory takes on its full importance, this is where a tie and/or a pocket square or a boutonniere show that a suit or jacket is not at all boring. Leave boring to the true conformists who are too afraid of a few masculine accessories… But for fun and elegance, go take a look at Cinabre and discover the full potential of your outfit.
Discussion at the summit around a pocket watch (watchmaking guarantee of the article ^^) with Alexandre who has fun mixing Scots Guards jacket (bought in a military surplus), cap, denim and sneakers.
