Cravatomancy

Some elephants, the first of many beasts

I worked for five years for the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, as Head of Library and Information Services. I noticed that male veterinary surgeons often affected animal-themed ties; small animal vets would have cats and dogs, the large animal chaps would go for cows and sheep and those with zoo animal practices went for the big game animals of Africa. I bought this tie from Budd, a shop in one of the arcades between Piccadilly and Jermyn Street, who probably sell most of these to people who have shot one.

I wonder about the roots of this habit. Primitive peoples wear the skin or horns of the totem animal, in the belief that they will acquire its admirable traits. I wonder if we wear animal ties for the same reasons; in other words this morning was I hoping to acquire or emulate the sagacity of the elephant?

Here be dragons

Today's tie was a gift from a friend who works at the Royal Pavilion, and is a homage to chinoiserie. Made by Fox and Chave, it is tied with a full Windsor

Stags

A tie by Holland and Holland, showing stags running left to right. Knot: full windsor, worn on Friday 30 April. Holland and Holland were originally gunmakers, then diversified into making things for people to wear while they fire them