Hawaiian Gardens

In recognition of the summer solstice, marking the beginning of the summer season, I present this tropical tie. Like Paisley Arches from three weeks ago, this tie has its design name, "Hawaiian Gardens" prominently printed on the small end of the tie.

I've had this tie almost as long as I've been collecting. It was a gift from my academy (high school) junior and senior year roommate. He bought it at a Goodwill store in Portland, Oregon, along with another tie and a 40's era suit, as he reminded me in a recent e-mail message. The whole package cost less than $15 as he recalls it. He gave me the other tie, also, and I'll be featuring it at some unspecified future date, no doubt.

Feathers for Father's Day

This is an especially special tie for a special day. I'm posting it on father's day in honor of my father, William Glenn Stuivenga, who passed away just over a year ago, on March 23, 2005. Born on October 20, 1921, in Tillamook Oregon, he was 83 years old at the time of his death.

This is one of the ties that he had owned and worn in the 1940's and 50's and which he passed along to me when I asked him for them. I posted his blue and red paisley tie back in January when I started this vintage tie blog.

But not only is this tie especially meaningful at this time because of its having been my Dad's, it is a special tie in its own right. It is certainly one of the most vibrantly colorful and dramatically designed ties in my collection. Two bright feathers (I suppose they could possibly be leaves) rest in a swirled pattern of brilliant color on a shaded gray background.

It has always been one of my absolute favorite ties, one that I loved to show and wear. I especially like the way it flares out slightly at the base, giving it a dramatic and dashing appearance. And the colors and pattern are quite wonderful. This tie would hold a prized place in my collection even if it weren't my Dad's.

Unfortunately, I had to give up wearing it some years back, as it is just plain wearing out. If you look closely, you may be able to spot the fraying along the bottom edge of the tie, and the thin central part, where it is tied, is fraying very badly as well. You can see part of it along the edges of the narrow piece on the left. Nowadays, I generally have it mounted in a shadow box, and hung on the wall, along with two other special ties that deserve that kind of special treatment.

Here are two pictures of my Dad from the approximate era when he probably wore this tie. He is not wearing a tie in either picture, but he probably only wore ties to church, or to weddings, or other similar formal functions. In the first picture he is shown with his father, William Stuivenga, my grandfather. In the second, he is shown with my Mom, Joy nee Manley, shortly after they were married. While neither picture shows him in a tie, they do at least give an idea of his appearance back in the era when he would have presumably worn this tie.

Green & Tan Paisley on Brown

Continuing a theme from last week, I present another paisley pattern. This is the third paisley on the blog, the first being my Dad's red and blue, the other, last week's Paisley Arches. Not much else needs to be said for this tie, it pretty much speaks for itself.

The paisley patterns are made up of smaller patterns that have an almost fractal quality to them, except that they, themselves are not smaller paisleys.

The tie's two labels read:

FISHER'S
Tacoma, Wash.

and

Fashion Craft
Cravats

Paisley Arches

Not too often does a vintage tie tell us straight out the name of the design. But this one does. Right on the narrow end, plainly printed, are the words "Paisley Arches."

And once you look at the design on the tie, especially sideways, you see that yes, indeed, there are arches, and they are filled with paisley patterns. How's that for a little alliteration? Plentiful plainly printed paisley patterns produce a picturesque piece.

On occasion, when wearing this tie, upon receiving comment upon it, I have attempted to engage the commenter in the activity of guessing the name of the design, sort of in a 20-questions mode.

Q. Well, what are these patterns called?
A. Paisely

Q. Ok, that's the first word in the name. Now, what would you call this pattern, especially if you consider them sideways?

Rarely could anyone guess the "arches" part, however.

This fine tie has two labels. The first reads:

KLOPFENSTEIN'S

The second:

Champagne Crepes
by Siar