Los Angeles isn't really a place for ties. Other than lawyers and bankers, we don't wear suits very often, and dressy means dark shoes. That is, unless the ties are the stylish "Ivy League Grit" designs of Hugh Simms.

"My designs mix Traditional English with dirty rough Classic American. I'm not afraid to rough up the patches. If some vary, or are slightly off, it's okay. And each tie is an original, because it's handmade."

"What I've got here," explained Simms, "Is the tie for the guy that doesn't wear the tie." He told me that, "Growing up on the East Coast, I would go to a lunch or something, and I'm the tie guy. I wear a skinny tie out, but hipster style isn't really me. You can't wear a tie during the daytime."

He said it was more "like a thin scarf you can wear casually," which means you can wear it with jeans. Even if those jeans have holes in them.

"What I wanted to build from the brand is a personal touch. All the ties are handmade. I got frustrated seeing all these bigger brands wanting American style but not touched by American hands."

The packaging emphasizes his personal stamp, even literally, with a wax seal. Simms also hand writes all of the letters that the company sends out, and did all of the graphic design work and tie patterns himself.

As for inspiration, he says that he tends to have a very wandering mind. "I usually read a lot of books, and there are a lot of obscure bookshops out here. I would get in the character's head, and think about what these people would wear. I like that better than picking stuff off of a building, or from past history."

When he isn't looking in bookshops for inspiration, he can be found at Hyde Lounge. "It really is my favorite. Somewhere that's really low-key, where everyone's cool and not really Hollywood. Or else Cabo's for Taco Tuesday. I even like to catch a game at Happy Endings. I'm in a pub or somewhere higher scale."

He also mentioned a favorite of ours, Bar Centro. "You just don't see that kind of vibe and those kinds of drinks everywhere."

You also don't see ties like these, or people like Hugh. He has a great outlook and a great vision.

Los Angeles, the time has come to bring back the ties. And we've got some for you.

More on Hugh Simms

Story by Alex Storch.
Original Publication Date: June 30, 2009