Shades of Purple

This was the first tie I ever purchased as I was beginning my vintage tie collection. During the summer after my high school graduation, my Mom and I went into Portland to find a used typewriter for me to use during college.

Across the street from the typewriter store was an antique store of some sort, perhaps a vintage clothing store, I don't recall. At any rate, this tie was one of a pair of vintage beauties displayed in the window.

I persuaded my Mom to let me go in and buy both of them. I don't recall exactly how much they were, but I'm guessing not more than $3-$5 apiece.

The other tie, a brilliant red one, I later lost. But this one remains one of my favorites, and is almost the only vintage tie I own that comes in shades of purple. You can see that it, too, comes with a beautiful floral brocade pattern woven into the background fabric.

The labels read as follows: "Wilson's W Shirt Shop Inc. 536 Broadway at Alder Portland, Oregon. Fashion Craft SN Cravats" (the "SN" is enclosed in a diamond shape, probably indicating a logo). This is the same "makers mark" label as Dad's blue and red paisley! Most of my ties that HAVE labels, have two: one representing the venue in which the tie was sold, the other indicating the manufacturer or designer.