Bows for Beaux

This year marks Doyle Mueser's first gleeful leap into the hallowed domain of the bow tie. The difference in thoughtful styling between vertical and horizontal neckwear is not an insignificant one. Both types of neckwear come from the same source: Croation mercenaries visiting the French court in the 17th century caught the eye of foppish noblemen who named the rakish scarves worn by the soldiers the "cravat," after the french for Croat. But the divergent evolution between the two ties is as obscure as it is marked. These days, bow ties are made mostly in three styles (with stranger variations occasionally making an appearance): the straight, oar-like "batwing," the flaring "thistle" end, and a slightly racier breed with pointed ends. Doyle Mueser stocks the latter two in a variety of colors and patterns.

Why does Wikipedia's list of Bow Tie wearers feature the phrase "trademark bow tie" so frequently? Because the bow tie is a choice for the bolder man - a less typical choice, one which reflects the natural individuality of the wearer. Among the bow-tied icons we find men as diverse as tubby war horse Winston Churchill, inimitable genius Bill Nye the Science Guy, pretentious architect Le Corbusier, children's television star and adult film connoisseur Pee Wee Herman, dapper dancer Fred Astaire, moustachioed wiseass Groucho Marx, shotgun-weilding president Teddy Roosevelt, the newest incarnation of Doctor Who, Matt Smith (one can almost forgive his clip-on suspenders,) creepy black supremacist Louis Farrakhan, slobbering mallard Donald Duck, and, of course, the original Satanic Edwardian Pervert - Aleister Crowley. These men are iconoclasts one and all, alike only in their preferred neckwear.

When purchasing a bow tie, apart from its color and pattern, pay close attention to the spread, points, and style of your collar, the height of your suit or vest's gorge, and the size and shape of your handsome face. The most important things to remember about a bow tie are these:

1. If you wear a strap-on or clip-on variety people will think less of you and spit in your food when your back is turned.

2. If you wear anything else to a Monte Carlo casino, the other secret agents will laugh you out of the room and then spit in your champagne.

3. It is much more difficult to be strangled with your bow tie than with a typical necktie.

The Trivial Pursuits of Arthur Banks

We at Doyle Mueser are proud to announce the premiere of AMC's new online miniseries: "The Trivial Pursuits of Arthur Banks." One of the show's most striking features is its visual style: a bold, high-contrast black and white, with deep, dramatic shading. Doyle Mueser Bespoke designed and supplied the fine suits seen on-screen, and we're confident that our work compliment's the show's aesthetic appeal.

The Trivial Pursuits of Arthur Banks can be viewed on the AMC website here:

http://www.amctv.com/shows/the-trivial-pursuits-of-arthur-banks

and on Hulu here:

http://www.hulu.com/the-trivial-pursuits-of-arthur-banks

One Hella an Umbrella

One day the Count Alfred d'Orsay, the celebrated Anglo-French dandy, was performing his daily ablutions in front of the mirror; dressing, preening, and perfuming himself. A knock at the door interrupted this sacrament. A bailiff had snuck into Gore House dressed as a baker's deliveryman. The man served Lady Blessington, the Count's patron and suspected paramour, a writ saying her property was to be confiscated. The Lady and her young and handsome companion had run up a staggering amount of debt - she on her lavish house and he, naturally, at his tailors. Lady Blessington immediately sent one of her footmen to d’Orsay’s room. The Count, annoyed by the interruption, sent the footman away, but he was badly shaken and knew the time had come to flee. On that Sunday, he packed a small number of essentials and left Gore House forever. He paused to look at his scant luggage, including a prized umbrella of his. “Well,” he said, with true dandy sang-froid, “at least, if I have nothing else, I will have the best umbrella that ever was."

When I was a younger man my Uncle, a prominent Indian politician, took me aside to show me his treasured heirloom umbrellas. His father, also a politician, was nervous about assassination attempts, so he thought the best defense against both rain and would-be Gavrilo Princip-types was a concealed umbrella weapon. One was the typical black English sword umbrella of the kind made famous by John Steed of the Avengers. The other featured a flip-out hidden trigger and a chamber capable of holding a single shotgun shell. The umbrella could only be used once - the shot would tear apart the shaft and, more than likely, the user's hand. But the lesson is an important one - no gentleman should be without the protection afforded by an umbrella.

Our umbrellas are not firearms or swords, but they do feature a single solid carved piece of cherry wood as a handle and shaft, and come in a delightful variety of colors and patterns. And they are more than ideal for the traditional uses of the umbrella: rescuing attractive people cowering under awnings, poking the motionless to make sure they're still alive, and, of course, keeping one's Doyle Mueser Bespoke suit pristine and dry.

Velvet Slippers

"Oh! I didn't see you come in." That's the kind of thing you can say with confidence while turning away from your mantlepiece, snapped from your reverie - if you're wearing a pair of velvet slippers. Pipe clenched in teeth, ascot cradling chin, and toes housed in sumptuous velvet. You will be the spitting image of a Satanic Victorian pervert.

 But I can assure you, dear reader, that our new slippers (made for us by English shoe designer Jeffery West,) aren't only for such rarified specimens of humanity. One can wear them sockless with jeans to a wholesome picnic, with dress hose to play footsie with the debutante next to you at the opera, or simply taking a victim friend on a routine midnight inspection of your wine cellar wearing naught else but a fez and a lascivious leer.

The slippers are available in blue or black velvet and feature a devilish cloven heel and a Tudor rose embroidered onto the toe. They can also be used to shoo away dementia-induced hallucinatory demons.

Doyle Mueser Bespoke Tie and Pocket Square collection

Hello one and all. Here we have for you our latest collection of ties and pocket squares. Offering styles in oversized Prince of Wales plaid, micro houndstooth, classic university stripe and summer colored solids. All are made of fantastic quality British loomed silk and hand rolled to create the sharpest neck and pocket wear there is. The perfect accessory for any summer wardrobe.

Boating in style

The time of the Henley Regatta is nearly upon our friends over in olde England. Take a leaf from their book and see summer in with style in one of our latest designs, our take on a traditional boating blazer. A summer favorite of blue bloods and rock stars alike (Brian Jones, Paul Weller et el). The perfect garment to enjoy a gin and tonic in the summer's sun.  Thanks to our friends at Hendricks you can freely do this with us while getting fitted for your blazer. I strongly recommend sampling their pink g' and t', Hendricks, tonic and a dash of bitters!

Iconic keith ring

Now available at Doyle Mueser, our variation of the iconic skull ring as worn by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.  Skillfully created by Ryan Matthew.  The perfect accessory for the wardrobe of a gentleman with a dark side.