Gifts
Gifts for the countryman
He would rather be outside. Give him something that says so — the bird he shoots, the dog at his feet, the course he never misses.
Ties for the shooting man
Give him his own weekend
A country tie is a small picture of how a man spends his Saturdays. The trick is to give him his own: the bird he shoots, the dog at his feet, the course he never misses. A tie about something he loves gets worn; a general country design is the safe second choice.
The best of them work with a suit as well as a tweed jacket. From across a room they read as a small pattern on a wine, navy, green or gold ground; up close, they are pheasants. That is what lets him wear one to the office on a Monday.
Country need not mean a motif, either. A moss green wool-rich tie or an olive knitted silk is a country gift without a single bird on it — right for the man who likes his tweed quiet.
Who they suit
The shooting man
Game birds are the heart of it. Pheasant ties for the driven day; grouse for the man who heads north to the moor; partridge, woodcock and duck for the rest of the season. Shotgun cartridge ties are the other classic, and look as right with a grey suit as with a shooting coat. For the day itself, see what to wear to a shoot.
The farmer
Tractors and the farm yard, for the man who works the land and keeps his good suit for market day, weddings and the bank manager. Farm yard ties are cheerful without being silly, and a pair of red tractor braces is a present with a smile in it.
The racing fan
All game bird ties —
Jockeys and horses, racing colours and saddles, the final furlong. Horse racing ties suit the day out and the office on Monday, when he tells everyone how it went. Before the day, check the racecourse’s own dress code — the smarter enclosures often ask for a jacket and tie.
The fisherman
Fishing flies on a country green ground, for the man who ties his own and the man who simply likes to stand in a river. Fishing ties sit well with tweed and a check shirt, and there are country cufflinks with fishing designs to go with them.
The dog lover
Labradors and hounds — and for many men the dog is the real reason for going out at all. Dog ties such as black Labradors on wine are among the easiest country ties to wear, and there are Labrador braces to go under the jacket.
Cufflinks, tie bars and braces
Small country pieces make good gifts on their own, and better ones beside a tie. Country cufflinks come as shotgun cartridges, pheasants and fishing designs, mostly with swivel fittings for double cuffs. A pheasant or shotgun tie bar holds the tie in place and tells the story at the same time.
Braces suit the countryman better than most. They keep trousers where they belong when he is bending, lifting or climbing a stile, and they are kinder after a shoot lunch than any belt. Country braces come in 35mm elastic, with designs from flying pheasants to Labradors and tractors; for a pair made in the UK, look at Erwin & Morris.
All country cufflinks —
Cravats and scarves
For the man who goes open-necked at the weekend, a silk cravat fills the collar of a check shirt under a tweed jacket and looks entirely at home in a country pub. Our country cravats are self-tie silk twill, 15 × 120cm, and fit a 15–20 inch neck.
For a cold morning on the peg or the riverbank, a scarf. A lambswool and silk scarf with standing pheasants on a tweed ground does for the walk out what the tie does for lunch.
Country box sets
If you want the matching done for you, a country box set puts a tie and cufflinks together in a gift box — flying pheasants on forest green, shotgun cartridges on green, and more. Nothing to choose twice, and nothing to wrap but the box.
And if he already owns every pheasant going, look further afield: boxing hares, stags, foxes and ducks all have their own ties. Unworn pieces can be returned within 30 days, so a duplicate is easily put right.
All country box sets —
Questions
Anything else? Call us on +44 (0)20 3232 5900
What do you buy a man who likes shooting?
A tie, tie bar or cufflinks with the bird he shoots — pheasant, grouse or partridge — or with shotgun cartridges. A country box set gives him a tie and cufflinks together.
Can you wear a country tie with a suit?
Yes. A small country design on a dark ground reads as a pattern from a distance, so it suits a grey suit as well as tweed.
What is a good gift for a dog lover?
A tie with his breed on it — Labradors and hounds are the usual choices — or a pair of Labrador braces to go with it.
What should I buy a horse racing fan?
A horse racing tie with jockeys, racing colours or the final furlong, ready for his next day at the races. Remind him to check the racecourse’s own dress code.