There are faster ways of making a tie.

Our grenadine ties begin in Como, Italy, at Fermo Fossati, Italy’s oldest silk weaver and specialist in tie fabrics for generations. Here, silk is still woven on wooden looms that have been in use for the better part of a century.

The process is precise and meticulous, producing around one meter of grenadine fabric per hour. It is a traditional method that has endured because grenadine’s distinctive open structure can only be achieved through the weaving process.

The Grenadine Weave

Unlike the smooth surface of a conventional silk tie, grenadine has an open weave that gives the fabric its distinctive gauze-like structure.

The construction is clearly visible close up, yet the overall effect is subtle. The open weave catches the light, giving depth to a solid color and a subtle complexity to an otherwise simple tie.

There are two traditional variations of the weave: Garza fina, with a finer, more closely woven structure, and Garza grossa, with a larger, more pronounced texture. We favour the latter for its depth of texture and understated character.

Made Slowly in Como, Italy

Making that texture requires time.

At Fermo Fossati, the silk moves through wooden looms at a rate of around one meter per hour. The machines themselves belong to another era: mechanical, deliberate and remarkably well suited to the intricate weave they produce.

Watching the process is a useful reminder that efficiency isn't always the point.

The distinctive character of grenadine comes from the process. Speed it up, and you change the result.

Once woven, the fabric is cut and sewn into a tie by hand. From loom to finished tie, every stage comes down to the same simple idea: taking the time the material requires. All Eton’s grenadine ties are made untipped to showcase the weave and enhance the tie’s look and feel.

The Case for Grenadine

Grenadine is particularly easy to wear. Its textured surface gives a solid silk tie more character without introducing a pattern, placing it naturally between formal and relaxed. With a navy suit and a white shirt, it feels just right. And worn with an Oxford shirt and an unstructured jacket, the same tie takes on a more casual character.

It even comes with some rather good precedent. Grenadine ties were a recurring part of Sean Connery's wardrobe as James Bond, proof, if nothing else, that their appeal is hardly new.

Few ties move between formal and relaxed quite as naturally. Perhaps, that is the appeal of grenadine: a considerable amount of time and expertise goes into making something that, in the end, is remarkably easy to wear.