Cary Grant’s suit in North By Northwest is frequently cited as the best suit in cinema. The lightweight glen check suit perfectly takes his character Roger Thornhill through any adventure that comes his way as he tries to figure why he’s being confused for another man. The suit wouldn’t be complete without the discreet tie. The tie remains around his neck through thick and thin, proving to be as essential as the suit. Like the suit, there’s more to the tie than meets the eye.
Bobby Morelli of Matched Perfectly approached me with the idea of doing a Bond-inspired tie with tie maker Aklasu. Aklasu offer grenadine ties and had already done a Bond grenadine tie a few years ago. I put together some ideas for other Bond-inspired ties, plus the Bond-adjacent North By Northwest black and white pindot tie. It was the North By Northwest tie we ended up choosing as the inspiration for our project, and we call it the ‘Thornhill’ tie.
The North by Northwest tie gives the impression of a solid tie on screen—it’s often confused for repp or satin—but it actually has a closely spaced pindot pattern, similar to an end-on-end shirting. The tie features a white pindot on a black base, which has the effect of mid grey overall but without the flat look of a grey tie. I sent Mensah at Aklasu several screenshots and images of Cary Grant’s tie so he could find an appropriate silk from his sources in Italy. He sent me numerous silk swatches, and I chose the one I thought was the closest through comparing them to garments of my own to help narrow down the correct colour and scale. In certain lighting, the tie can be iridescent and reflect other colours, making it appear far more complex than one would expect. The silk is lightweight and gives the tie a vintage feel.
The Thornhill tie is highly versatile. It pairs well with a suit in any shade of grey or blue—or a black suit if you choose to wear one—in any pattern, and with classic shirts in white, cream or light blue. The pindots read more as a texture than a pattern, so the tie can pair well with almost any pattern. The sparkle of the pindots makes it a very formal tie, ideal for a wedding (groom or guest), a night out, or an important meeting or presentation.
The ends of the tie are untipped like the original, but they’re handsewn and hand-rolled rather than machine sewn for a more refined look and feel. A black Aklasu label is sewn into the tip at the narrow end, mimicking the style of the original brand label.
The tie is available in two sizes. We experimented with a few different widths but ultimately settled on Aklasu’s standard 3 1/4-inch width because it has the closest overall feel to the original, and it’s a versatile width that currently feels very balanced. The standard tie is 58 3/8 inches long, which is a fairly standard modern length. The tie is also available in an extra-long length at 63 inches, and the width is proportionately scaled up to 3 1/2 inches.
I tied the tie in a four-in-hand knot, just like Cary Grant used. The wool interlining makes for a good knot that retains its integrity, and it allows the tie to drape well. Untipped does not mean unlined. The tie dimples beautifully.
The tie is very reasonably priced at $125, or $130 for extra long, considering it’s made in Italy and made of silk from Como.
The tie arrives rolled in a Canister to avoid wrinkling, and it’s an excellent way to store the tie, especially for travelling. The ‘ROT’ matchbook is included, along with a special card to enhance the experience.
I am wearing this tie with a black-and-white contrast mohair suit from Anthony Sinclair, as it’s the closest thing I own to Cary Grant’s dark grey glen check suit in North By Northwest. This tie is slightly darker than my suit, which is much lighter than Cary Grant’s suit. I am also wearing a white shirt from Tom Ford, sunglasses from Ed Scarlett and a charcoal herringbone topcoat from Polo Ralph Lauren.
Get the Thornhill tie at Aklasu.
Read more about Cary Grant’s Suit in North By Northwest.
I received a few ties throughout the development process, but I do not earn money from sales of this tie.
Superb.
Iconic Alternatives first put Aklasu on my radar, and as a result I own 17 of their ties (well, 18 now that I just purchased this one…) and highly recommend them. Love their variety of grenadines. Wonderful, personable customer service, too.
Here’s hoping you all have more collabs in the future!
I’d like to be the first to state the obvious and say how wonderfully elegant that tie is, but I’d also like to the first to commend you for braving Winter in New York in a mohair suit to get those photos!
Thank you! I’m wearing a thermal layer under the suit to stay warm. Still didn’t make up for not wearing a hat.
Which brand do you recommend for a thermal layer?
I don’t have anything that I am impressed with enough that I’d recommend.
This is really nice. Seems a shame not to offer it in a more standard width of 3.75″/9.5cm
We were trying to capture the look of the original tie, which appears to be around 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 inches and also match current standards and expectations. 3 3/4 inches has not been a standard tie width now for over a decade, despite Turnbull & Asser holding onto it.
I like my wider ties too, but tend to look good in ties that width if they have a decent interlining like this one appears to. Like I said to Matt earlier, it rather reminds of my Charvet pindot tie which I got for a pittance on eBay.
Outstanding! Cary Grant, the 007 that never was. Love it.
Excellent. Really excellent. For your next choice might I suggest something more flamboyant… and something for which I’d need no persuading in acquiring… Roger Moore’s green/white vine-like floral tie from The Persuaders!; the one he often wears with his striped blazer?
Great photos. Love it
This is a gorgeous reproduction for a great price. Aklasu outdoes themselves by including the tie canister, matchbook, and card. I’ll definitely keep them on my radar if and when I start wearing ties again.
Great tie. Thanks for featuring something at a price that’s realistic. I particularly love the match book. Great detail from the movie.
Having very recently had a facsimile of Cary Grant’s suit in North by Northwest tailor made, using specifications provided on this website as a guide (including shirt and shoes), I will certainly be purchasing this tie. I have spent many hours online searching for a tie to match the suit, and had not previously found an even remotely close match. Thrilled to have discovered this tie to complete the look.
Who made your suit?
Kimmy Tailor in Hoi An. Saville Row is a little out of my price range ;).
I also say superb! You look dashing with the tie and suit in Grand Central Station. A timeless yet modern look! A well done collaboration!