A tie is made up of many different materials – inner lining, thread, interfacing, and the silk outer shell. Each reacts differently to dry cleaning. As a result, often ties will not retain their proper shape after they have been dry cleaned. Although you can send ties to a dry cleaner, we recommend the use of a reputable stain removing product whenever possible. One that we would recommend is “Silk & Clean“. This particular stain remover is specifically designed for silk. It works on both oil and water based stains. It evaporates quickly to avoid leaving rings around the stain. The chemical agent used in the Silk & Clean solution is friendly to the fabric, human skin and to the environment.

The following are instructions on spot cleaning. Always read the instructions on a stain removing product before applying to the tie – ensure it is suitable for use on silk.

• If the mark is water based, first let it dry, then rub the stain remover over the mark in the direction of the weave of the fabric.
• If the spot is particularly difficult, we recommend that you steam the stain area before using the stain remover, as above.
• Always dry ties flat, otherwise they can lose their shape

The “Company Christmas Party” is not what it used to be. No longer are businesses hosting big splashy galas that require suits or formal attire. More and more company parties are lunches or more casual get-togethers. So what do you wear when you can no longer pull out the shirt and tie uniform? Dressing for more casual occasions can be tricky, and many people make the mistake of going too far in the casual direction. “Smart-casual” is what you should aim for. The holiday season still requires some style. Dress pants are recommended over jeans in most cases. Often the jeans-with-a-blazer look is not pulled off well enough to fit into a nicely attired crowd.  While a shirt and tie is not necessary, a beautiful sport shirt or “Flex” shirt (a shirt that can be worn with or without a tie) is the way to go. You can always wear a blazer or sport jacket with a colourful pocket square to co-ordinate with your shirt, in place of a tie. And don’t forget wonderful socks. They are always a way to get a conversation going!

If you find you are more dressed up than the rest of the crowd, it is easy to take off the jacket and blend in a bit more. But why not be the best dressed guy in the room, instead of being remembered as the rookie who looked like he rolled out of bed to attend the company holiday event.

Happy Holidays from all of us at H. HALPERN ESQ.

Do you dream of soaking in the rich green beauty of the Scottish countryside or listening to the sound of the bagpipes playing old tunes? Even for those that weren’t born Scottish, there is something about the Scottish culture that awakens their inner mystic.  Now, you can bring the rich history and deep love of life that embodies Scottish culture into your home and be fashionable as well.

The Royal Stewart Tartan  is the best known tartan of the royal House of Stewart, and is also the personal tartan of Queen Elizabeth II.  Our Royal Stewart Tartan sport shirt is historical, traditional, and royally bold and daring. Fashioned from a superfine cotton with a contrast penny-round collar and button cuffs, this beautiful shirt is sure to be a hit for the holiday season. Why, who knows?- you may be serving haggis instead of turkey this year.      Sizes M-3XL. $198.

Who would have thought that the knit tie would make a come-back! Wait long enough and EVERYTHING comes back.  But this is not your father’s knit tie. Knit ties come in a variety of solid colours, or colour combinations with stripes, polkadots and edge trim. The knit tie is a way to add a bit of style to a sport shirt without looking like you take yourself too seriously.

The Colour…Colour can add richness & interest to any wardrobe. A bit of red in a pocket square, a flash of yellow in your socks, or a beautiful regal purple shirt and tie can turn a basic suit into a wonderful outfit.

The Collar…Our focus this season is on unique collars. A white shirt is NOT just a white shirt when it has a Tab collar. Add that little bit of interest with a Penny-round collar or maybe an Eyelet. Dare to be different.

The Details…Shined shoes, cool cufflinks, trim inside your open collar…these things show that you put thought i nto your outfit. Paying attention to the small details make your overall image look polished.

At H. HALPERN ESQ. we believe that your wardrobe should reflect your personality. Most men wear dark suits – black, navy, grey or brown. Adding unique shirts, ties and accessories allows you to differentiate yourself from the rest. An interesting, yet stylish, wardrobe can make a man…unforgettable. But adding colour, interesting collar treatments and unique subtle details you can construct the perfect, and memorable, wardrobe.

Going to the New York shows is always an exciting time for us. It is a time to meet up with our suppliers from around the world, as well as see what the fashion industry is doing. While our shop focuses on shirts, ties and accessories, it is important for us to know what is happening in suits, shoes and the fashion world as a whole. We even like to visit the shows featuring more of the “Street Wear” in order to glean some ideas from the edgier clothing lines out on the market. It is always a good idea to know what the “cool kids” are wearing these days. And it is  a comfort to know that we are on the right track with respect to the choices we have made for our shop for the Fall 2011 season.

Time again for the Tab collar shirt

A few things to keep your eyes open for: Eyelet collars, tab collars, penny-round collars…unique collars in general.  Ties are getting narrower, which makes sense with trimmer suit silhouettes. Narrower ties mean tab and eyelet collars can be back in play. A shift towards printed silk ties (as opposed to woven silk ties) is starting, but is still a few seasons from really becoming an obvious part of the tie scene. But for this fall you will see more knit ties being shown. Now, there is an old thing coming back again. This really is what the “cool kids” are wearing.

And let’s not forget, our favourite accessory, SOCKS! Socks are getting wilder (wait until you see our sock collection this season!) – and can actually be seen as pant are being worn shorter!

Our fall collection is just starting to arrive, and we will keep you posted as the store turns over from Sale mode to our usual Fall splendor.

The new buying season has begun. We are heading to New York this week. In addition to visiting showrooms for some of the lines we carry, we will be attending  several menswear shows – including MRket, Vanguard, ENK and The Designer Forum. We source ties, socks, sportswear and accessories from around the world. We are going to see the future of Men’s Fashion for the coming Spring 2012 Season. I will let you know what we find on this trip!

We want to know what you love about your H. HALPERN ESQ. shirts.

Is it French cuffs? Perhaps you love the stitching details or the contrasting collars. Is the quality of the fabrics what keeps you coming back? We want to hear from you! Let us know what you love about the shirts you have purchased from us in the past so we can keep delivering to you shirts that you will love. Perhaps there is something you would LIKE to have in a shirt from H. HALPERN ESQ. Tell us that too! We are always looking for new ideas, and maybe you have one that will make our shirts even better!

Button-down collars have advantages. They stay in place when you are wearing a sweater or sport jacket. They look tidy when you are wearing your collar open, without a tie. But not everyone likes the look of the buttons. Also, they may not be so easy to find. We have found a new solution to the Button-Down Dilemma!

The newest product we have brought into the shop is Magnetic Collar stay from “Wurkin Stiffs.” This innovative product allows you to have the advantages of a button-down collar but with the look of a regular collar.

Place the Power Stays™ into your shirt’s collar stay pockets and place the super-strong magnets on the inside of the shirt… It’s that easy!

The magnets act like hidden buttons which go on the underside of the shirt. This means all you “button down” collar guys can finally wear your straight collar shirts and button them down too!

See our website for different size options and replacement magnets.