The Sensuous & The Sublime: 3-fold ties from E.G. Cappelli

I've been hearing quite a bit about EG Cappelli ties for some time now. The fabrics and patterns all look exquisite over the internet, and satisfied customers rave about the craftsmanship and the quality. So I thought I'd take the plunge and try out a few of the 3-fold ties offered for sale via Cappelli's online outlet. My understanding is that the ties aren't second or defective, but are simply ready-to-wear models which differ primarily from the main store's offerings which are all made to order.

I've read a few reviews which commented on the thickness of Cappelli's 3-folds and, since I'm not a huge fan of overly-substantive ties, that seemed like another reason to start with the 3-folds. Ties cut to "standard" measurements usually work for me, so I wasn't crying out for a bespoke offering.

There were over 35 pages of fabric offerings for the 3-fold outlet ties, but I was finally able to whittle the choices down to the offerings in the image above. The images on the site aren't the greatest, but they're relatively accurate. Of course, in person the fabrics are much more vibrant.

All-in-all, the entire ordering process was painless and actually enjoyable. I sat down and perused the site on Friday night, Signor Cappelli processed the order on Monday morning, and the shoes arrived on my desk this afternoon. From Naples to new York City in under 36 hours! Ah, the joys of global e-commerce. Of course, with the dollar doing quite well versus the Euro, it's a great time to explore some of the works of art being created by some truly amazing Italian artisans. And, at roughly USD $65.00 per tie, the 3-folds really represent great value, in my opinion, compared to what you'll pay here in New York City for comparable standard 3-fold ties from the more renowned tie-makers.

For what its worth, I would agree that the fabric on these 3-folds is definitely thicker or more substantial than what you'd find on ties of comparable construction from Charvet, Drake's or E. Marinella (at least, the 3-folds that I own), and feel about the same as my Kiton 4-folds. Whether that means a better knot remains to be seen, but I'm looking forward to finding out. I hope to sample Signor Cappelli's 5 and 7 folds in the near future, and hopefully I'll be able to report back on those soon as well.