NEWS

18th Febuary 2014


Harry Potter author JK Rowling is set to release her second crime novel under the pen name of Robert Galbraith.

The book, called Silkworm, will be released on June 19th, according to publishers, and will be a sequel of the number one bestseller The Cuckoo's Calling.

Her latest work will again feature private detective Cormoran Strike, a war veteran who is hired to investigate a supermodel's supposed suicide.

 

Crime novel: The book will be the second the 48-year-old author has written under the name Robert Galbraith

 

 

It will see Strike and his assistant, Robin Ellacott, unravelling the death of writer Owen Quine after they are asked to investigate his disappearance.

 

The pair then uncover a damning manuscript with the details of a number of Quine's associates, who are described in a negative way.

The publisher describes it as 'a compulsively readable crime novel with twists at every turn'.

Popular: The Cuckoo's Calling became an international best seller last year after the author's true identity was revealed

 

The new description reads: 'At first, Mrs Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days - as he has done before - and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.

'But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance than his wife realises.

'The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows.

'If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives - meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced.

'When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer.'

The 48-year-old had aimed to keep her crime writing venture a secret, but the pseudonym was made public by a solicitor.

The lawyer has since been fined and the author was paid damages, which she gave to charity.

At the time, she said: 'I had hoped to keep this secret a little longer. It has been wonderful to publish without hype or expectation, and pure pleasure to get feedback under a different name.'

It is Rowling's third novel for adults, the first being Casual Vacancy, which was released in 2012.

 

Case: Rowling received damages after her secret was unraveled, and she donated the final amount to charity

 
Cover: The novel will be released on June 19 and publishers have said the story has 'twists at every turn'


Pantone Colour Trends for Spring 2013

Soothing Neutrals and
Energizing Brights

Similar to the women's palette, the menswear colors for spring emphasize the need for balance with soothing neutrals accented by an array of energizing brights.

As the name implies, Tidal Foam is reminiscent of the sea washing onto the shore, driven by the force of the waves. With its slight hint of green, it's this spring's answer to khaki as the perfect neutral. Emerald remains a powerful and brilliant jewel tone,perfect for men's accessories like silk ties and sportswear. Grayed Jade, a subtle, hushed green, as well as Dusk Blue, reminiscent of the calming tones of an evening sky, both act as staple, yet novel neutrals.

Anchoring Monaco Blue naturally has an air of masculinity, providing stability and depth to the palette. Pair it with Grayed Jade and Emerald for a strong, classic mixture. Alloy, a reliable mid-tone gray, is a necessity for spring. An easy, lightweight alternative to Black for the warmer months, Alloy makes a strong statement without the weight. Linen, an off-white, complexion-flattering hue, pairs well with many colors. Look for it combined with Grayed Jade, Alloy or Monaco Blue for classic combinations that balance light, mid and deep tones.

Dynamic and exciting Poppy Red plays a vital role in men's fashion trends for spring and summer. Vibrant Orange, an animated, striking hue, provides vigor and enthusiasm. The robust yellow found in Sunflower offers an earthy, Dijon-like flavor, that when combined with Emerald and Monaco Blue, creates a sophisticated update to a familiar combination.

This perfectly represents what we have done for Spring 2013 bringing colour back into mens silk ties with vibrant orange and other strong tonal colours. You don't need us here at Silkworm HQ to point out yet again how strong a focal point your silk tie is when wearing it with your suit, so go on bring some colour back into your life this Spring 2013....we don't do drab and dull and we all need a lift in life with a perfect splash of colour....so go on " smile " and the whole world will smile back.


Hugh Hefner gets his Playmate at last

Playboy founder, 86, marries 'runaway bride' Crystal Harris, 26, in New Year's Eve wedding after she had change of heart in 2011

Tuesday 1 January 2013

Hugh Hefner and his third wife, Crystal Harris, after their New Year's Eve wedding
Hugh Hefner tweeted this picture of him with his third wife, Crystal Harris, after their New Year's Eve wedding.

Octogenarian Playboy founder Hugh Hefner briefly swapped his silk pajamas but sadly no silk tie for a tuxedo on New Year's Eve to marry Crystal Harris, the one-time "runaway bride" who stayed the course this time.

"Happy New Year from Mr and Mrs Hugh Hefner!" the Playboy magazine publisher tweeted early on Tuesday.

The message accompanied a photograph of Hefner, 86, wearing what appeared to be purple silk pyjamas under a black bathrobe and snuggling his bride, 26, still wearing her pale pink wedding dress. He also wore his trademark captain's hat.

An hour earlier, Hefner had posted a picture of himself in a tuxedo with his bride under an arch of pink and white flowers at the wedding ceremony in the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, California.

"Crystal & I married on New Year's Eve in the Mansion with Keith as my Best Man. Love that girl!" Hefner wrote, referring to his brother Keith Hefner, a songwriter.

The couple tied the knot more than a year after their planned 2011 wedding was scuppered when Harris got cold feet. The blonde Playboy Playmate of the Month for December 2009 had what was called a "change of heart" five days before a lavish June 2011 wedding before 300 guests.

Harris, who appeared on the July 2011 cover of the adult magazine with a "runaway bride" sticker covering her bottom half, tweeted on Monday that she was ready to commit and changed her name to "Crystal Hefner" on the site.

"Today is the day I become Mrs. Hugh Hefner," Harris, who has a psychology degree, tweeted after writing: "Feeling very happy, lucky, and blessed."

The San Diego native, whose parents are British, said she asked for Christmas ornaments rather than lingerie at her pre-Christmas bridal shower to help decorate Hefner's famed mansion.

Hefner, founder of the Playboy adult entertainment empire, has been married twice before. He and his second wife Kimberley Conrad, also a former Playmate, divorced in 2010 after a lengthy separation. His first marriage to Mildred Williams ended in divorce in 1959. He has two children from each marriage.

17th January 2013

 

 

 

 

Mr SexyBack is back! Justin Timberlake releases new single Suit and Tie

Well done !! he's putting the silk tie back on the Map !

Justin Timberlake has released his first new single since 2006 after making a highly anticipated return to music.

The star returned to his roots, as he called it, on Sunday with a new track called Suit and Tie.

In recent years, the talented 30-year-old starred in a series of high grossing films, including the award winning Facebook biopicThe Social Network; created a popular high fashion clothing line called William Rast; and married his long time girlfriend, Jessica Biel.

Classy: The upbeat jam, which features Jay Z, has disco, soul and jazz influences
 
Its people like this that will make all those sloppy office workers and presenters on TV who think fashion is an open neck shirt....well excuse me but it isn't....why wear a suit and an open neck shirt....do you eat cheese without crackers or have bacon without egg....this just isn't cricket....A suit shirt and silk tie ...now this rolls off your tongue and more to the point is CORRECT.

28th November 2012

We just have to say a huge thanks to all our customers both new and returning that have made the last four days hectic ! but also a huge delight with taking up our offer of buy two silk ties and then get one free. When things are tough we have to pull out all the stops and we cannot tell you enough that when we dispatch our silk ties with that little bit of extra love and to also treat every customer as a person and a friend that makes things all worth while and reminds us why we love manufacturing unique mens ties.....oh and just one other note....someone asked us for some plain ties the other day....sorry but thats not us ! we like to make ties that are totally different otherwise we will all end up looking like David Cameron !

27th October 2012

How Even the Great can get things Sooooo Wrong !

As a presenter dealing with the serious issues of the day, Jeremy Paxman is used to his guests tying themselves up in knots.

But it seems he cannot always be bothered to do the same when he is getting ready for work. The Newsnight host went without a tie as he fronted the flagship BBC programme this week.

In the past, Paxman has made no secret of his contempt for silk ties, describing them as 'an utterly useless part of the male wardrobe'.

 

Open necked: Jeremy Paxman went without a tie to present Newsnight

 

 

No comment: Asked why Mr Paxman had gone without a tie, the BBC had nothing to say

No comment: Asked why Mr Paxman had gone without a silk tie, the BBC had nothing to say

Pugh

But he has always donned his neckwear when appearing on Newsnight - until Monday's show. The 62-year-old wore his usual smart suit, but went tieless, with his top two buttons undone.

His attire sparked a flood of comments on Twitter, with Paxman's former Newsnight colleague Michael Crick writing: 'The BIG Newsnight story is Paxman not wearing a silk tie in studio. Beginning of the end for silk ties?'

 

Never !!

 

Viewer Mairi Coyle wondered: 'Did Jeremy Paxman forget to bring his silktie? Surely there must be a spare (old school) one in the BBC closet.'

Others questioned whether, with the pulled Newsnight investigation into Jimmy Savile topping the news agenda, it was an appropriate time to debut the less formal new look, No it is NOT !! should we then turn up for work in jeans and an old T-shirt ...we think NOT ! just one word is required Standards !!

Yesterday there was no official comment from the BBC when asked why Paxman had gone tieless.

 

 

 

MOST READ NEWS



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2222112/BBc-Newsnight-presenter-Jeremy-Paxman-opts-open-neck-look.html#ixzz2AVELndU3
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17th October 2012

Milan Fashion Week trends for next year

Yes people hold onto your hats....big and bold is on its way back Thank God ! Well news in the papers today is that unemployment has dropped by another 50,000 so lets hope and pray that we are now seeing Green shoots in this lovely land of ours...and about time as well......so anyway Milan fashion week could be the start of people wanting to shout again from the roof tops and also say " look at me " monochrome is being shown and here at Silkworm HQ this is somethiing that we have done very well in the past....black and white silk ties always score, and also Big and Bold....now hold on a mo....this is us .....We make silk ties that we want to wear and do you know that my dentist lives next door and his practice is now moving in the direction of Global brand....Dental Angel....so he asked me for some ties to look at and guess what he selected....big and bold....So lets get out there and banish those plain boring silk ties...yes thats you Mr Cameron and wear something that makes a statement and also makes us smile again.

12th October

Any body fancy helping us set up a petition to get men back into wearing silk ties for work ? Why is it that this just effects the UK ? when all men on the continent wear silk ties all the time and would never ever be seen with an open neck shirt for work.....Yet again we have David Cameron and Nick Clegg to thank for this !! one word ...SLOPPY !! I've yet to see Boris not wearing a tie with his suit. Why is it that men in the likes of Germany and Italy think they are more British in look than us ?? we need to send out a statement to them that Yes we also can look great wearing our ties and more importantly walk down the street with our heads held high !! So come on Men of this Great Land ......show the world who is BEST !

Rant Over......

8th october 2012

Wide Opening

Well its come to our notice that it seems at last that mens silk ties are getting back to the correct size and shape after diverting " off course " with this skinny tie look ! This is simply not what a gentleman would wear, so let those people in boy bands that seem to appear by the bucket load every tens minutes wear them on ITV and then let the rest of us go about our daily business with the correct attire ie a silk tie with a blade of 8cm +

24th Septemebr 2012

A huge well done from us here at Silkworm to Nick Grimshaw on his first day at Radio One and also how nice to see both him and Harry Styles dressing for the occassion !.....No plain mens ties to be seen Excellent Keep up the good work

18th September 2012

Leonardo DiCaprio on the set of his new film Wolf on Wallstreet...with his power silk tie ! and double breasted suit....make no mistake this will be what all men want very soon...as womens fashion is showing large shoulder pads at the moment then this will filter down into mens fashion and large lapel jackets. Paul Smith is already showing silk ties with a 9.5cm blade.


13th September 2012

Fantastic to see David beckham again at New York fashion week wearing a lovely brown polka dot silk tie. Not too slim in width about 8cm at the tie tip we think ? this is the best way to give that very classic English look that he can do without effort ! Well done David for flying the flag and please lets hope that this look that here in England we seem to have fallen into of wearing no tie and having an open neck shirt comes to an end Now !. This is such a lazy look !! and all we can put it down to are these young girls straight out of fashion college who have no idea on how to style people on TV and think if they see some some snotty nosed pop star who was last week on the X factor, then this is how we should all dress !! Oh no it isn't

Please take note that when wearing a suit ....just like David Bekham wears even for a date with her indoors for lunch ...a tie is always worn !

The rest of europe has not even gone near this look of open neck shirt so that must tell us something, even the Germans can walk all over us including on the football pitch ( hmm make mental note..maybe our football team should wear ties on the pitch ?? )...... So if you want to get ahead GET A SILK TIE and stand head and shoulders above the dross that thinks it Cool to be open necked ! Rant Over for this week ...I thank You ...........

5th September 2012

Printed silk ties set to overtake woven silk We have seen that in womens wear already they have moved into large printed silk patterns and Victoria Beckham being one of those people ,so it would only be a matter of time before the menswear followed. Paul Smith for Autumn 2012 has started showing alot more printed ties. The design content when you print is more or less unlimited as you are using a screen to print the colours and not setting up a machine to weave a repeated design. Silkworm ties has been pushing boundaries in printing silk for over 15years with this being the main part of our collections, but we also manufacture woven silk ties but with a more vibrant twist, people now are fed up with the sombre colours that are featured in many woven silk ties and now that we can see green shoots in our economy this then follows on that people want to start shouting from the roof tops and say " look at me "

Trend Alert for Autumn/Fall 2012 Women wearing silk ties

3rd September 2012

The battle of the sexes is currently at bay, but that doesn't mean we can't borrow from the boys from time to time. Lately, women have been adopting a menswear staple--the silk tie--and sporting them in a sophisticated way that blurs the gender gap. For us, the androgynous look is inspired by Diane Keaton's quirky Annie Hall; in the 1977 classic film directed by Woody Allen, Keaton wore an iconic vest and tie that made every girl want to raid their boyfriends and brothers' closets for his silk tie ! Now this classic men's accessory is popping up on runways and red carpets, making it an appropriate subject for today's Trend Report!

Check out style sw645 for something similar in our collection of Designer Silk Ties

Letter from New Zealand: pyjama party

The city of Gisborne debates whether its attire is on trend with Dubai and London, or if its residents are simply lazy

Tuesday 21 August 2012

letter nz pyjamas
Fashion leader ... a man dressed in pyjamas rides his bicycle past a limousine in Beijing, China. Photograph: Cancan Chu/Getty

The north-eastern city of Gisborneis divided and people are angry. It's not the issue of water ownership that threatens the peace of this normally unflappable community, or whether local farms should be flogged to Chinese dairy giants. Even escalating rate bills hardly raise a sweat, let alone the imminent commencement of frackingoperations in nearby hills. The cause of the fury is the latest craze for wearing pyjamas in public, especially noticeable in the supermarkets. The fashion has been initiated by women but bets are on as to how long it will be before men sew up their flies and join in.

Letters to the local paper, mostly unsigned, are split between "Disgusted" and "I Love my PJs". In favour of parading their nightwear in public are shoppers who plan to go back to bed as soon as the supermarket shop is done, and others who say they can't afford dry cleaning so they live in their night clothes. Then there those who admit to being more comfortable in pyjamas and don't care about the opinions of others. "I am not ashamed", said one woman, hitching up her slipping trousers as she bent over to unload her trolley.

Angry pronouncements against public PJ wearing include accusations of laziness and unhygienic behaviour. One writer suggested that pyjamas will bring lice and bed bugs into food shops. Someone else argued that if people wanted to wear pyjamas in publicthey should go to Dubai or London. Another person fumed that even in Nepal people dress nicely. "Where is your pride?" the writer asked.

The district council is being urged to issue a ban on the wearing of pyjamas in public, day or night, and for offenders to be fined. Whether this would lead to pyjama police patrolling the streets is unclear.

Has Gisborne, a geographically remote city, set a new benchmark in fashion? Imagine my surprise therefore when, the other morning in the city I saw a man wearing a dark grey, bespoke suit, a silk tie and black polished Oxfords. Perhaps he was a visiting lawyer or a stockbroker selling shares in a fracking company. The point is he stood out among the informal crowds and was easily outnumbered by pyjamas.

I realised then how fickle fashion is. Suits could be back tomorrow. I've decided to hold off sewing up my PJ flies, just in case.

Grey silk ties are flying off the shelves as wives take inspiration from X-rated bondage novel to dress up their men

The erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey has made grey silk ties a fashion must for men hoping to emulate the sexy entrepreneur who wears them in the book.

It seems that after reading the BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, masochism) novel women in New York have been keen to get their men a silver grey silk tie - just like the one Christian Grey wears in the book.

The erotic novel, the first in a trilogy, is currently topping the New York Times bestseller list for e-books and is topping Amazon and Barnes & Noble charts.


Hot and steamy: The Fifty Shades trilogy has becomes a New York Times best-seller and is making Upper East Side wives rush to buy grey ties


A bondage-loving billionaire is gripping the attention of New York moms

A blogger who recommended the book before it became popular confirmed that the 'mommy porn' is setting sartorial trends too.

'Hundreds of women write to me every day asking where they can buy grey ties,' Lyss Stern of Divamoms.com told ABC news.

'The books are really making people want to have sex again. They're a Band-Aid for marriages that maybe weren't falling apart, but were getting stale.'

And the trilogy has now been snapped out by a paperback division of Random House Inc.

Vintage Books announced yesterday that it had acquired the three books, Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. E-book editions will be out Monday and paperbacks are expected in early April.

It's been topping conversation topics on school runs, on well-heeled Caribbean holiday beaches and on the sidelines of Saturday morning sports practice, according to theNew York Post.


Love letters: E L James, a TV executive from West London, is enjoying the cult success of her raunchy first novel

The raunchy novel has created a buzz among Upper East Side housewives who are devouring the book's blue contents and fiendishly recommending it to friends.

Publicist Alison Brod told the newspaper that the novel is 'the new Kabbalah for female bonding in this city' - and is spreading its X-rated charms. 'I found myself explaining what BDSM was to some of the moms at Saturday morning basketball.'

Having started posting BDSM fiction online, author EL James piqued the interest of small Australian publisher, The Writers' Coffee Shop, who took a leap of faith by publishing Fifty Shades of Grey in May 2011, followed by Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, on sale since January.

The newspaper likens the story to Twilight for grown-ups, suggesting it has become something of a cult tome among mothers, who, according to New Jersey mom, Alyssa Goldman, call it simply 'The Book'.

Mr Grey, a 27-year-old billionaire, seduces young graduate, Anastasia Steele. He has a penchant for bondage and soon envelops her in a world of kinky sex, S&M and XXX-rated bedroom 'contract' games that make for solid post-watershed reading only. Love, inevitably, is not omitted from the romance.

X-RATED: EXCERPT FROM FIFTY SHADES OF GREY

'Christian is standing over me grasping a plaited, leather riding crop.

'He's wearing old, faded, ripped Levis and that's all. He flicks the crop slowly into his palm as he gazes down at me. He's smiling, triumphant. I cannot move. I am BLEEP and BLEEP, BLEEP on a large four-poster bed.

'Reaching forward, he trails the tip of the crop from my forehead down the length of my nose, so I can smell leather, and over my BLEEP, BLEEP lips. He pushes the BLEEP, BLEEP BLEEP, BLEEP, BLEEP etc...'

Readers at Amazon froth over Mr Grey's 'brooding', 'masterful', 'intimidating' character. Ms Steele is clumsy, inexperienced but crucially, 'not naive'.

But it's not the brilliant literature than has people's tongues wagging - and cheeks flushing.

Pam, another Upper East Side mother, told the Post that Fifty Shades 'totally makes you horny ... I think everyone has totally admitted to that.'

That 'everyone' includes Dawn, a 27-year-old who lives in New York's Financial District. She told the newspaper that the book is blush-inducing.

'Every time I pick up this book,' she explained, 'within five minutes of reading it, I'm already tingling below the belt.'

The Upper East Side local said: 'The person who recommended it to me said, "It will make you want to have sex with your husband." And it did!'

The piece of erotic fiction is no convenient handbag read - its 1,200 pages, an armful in itself, is laden with steamy writing that makes it far from easy to read in public places.

Fans, mostly women, are getting around the issue by buying the Kindle edition, and 90 per cent of the trilogy's 100,000 sales are e-books.

Ms James - who says she is 'gobsmacked'




Strange Things Happen in Iran !

19th June 2012

When the French first embraced the knotted neckerchiefs worn by seventeenth century Croatian mercenaries, few would have guessed its descendant - the tie - would one day be worn as standard business attire the world over.

Everywhere, that is, except the clerical establishment of Iran, which banned the sale of the garment after the 1979 Islamic revolution after deeming it a symbol of western decadence and has this week moved again to reassert its sartorial will.

Ties had returned to boutiques and shops in the major cities under the reformist former president Mohammad Khatami, who relaxed many old restrictions. However, according to the semi-official Isna news agency, the religious police are now to enforce the often ignored ban.

"Shops were banned from selling ties after the victory of the Islamic revolution but in recent years some vendors have once again started to sell them despite warnings by the responsible authorities in the police," Isna said. "The ban has never been pursued seriously and that's why ties sales have increased significantly in the clothes shops."

Despite the ban on selling ties, wearing them is not an offence. While it is not considered acceptable for agovernment employees to wear the garment an increasing number of people dress with ties when working for private sector companies or going to formal parties. Some universities allow students to wear them and bridegrooms, including men who have never worn one in the past, will often wear a tie for their wedding. Unlike Iran's current clerically-influenced dresscode, ties were popular before the Islamic revolution.

A seller told Isna that all shops have been notified by the police to take their ties off display and that those who break the ban risk having their shops closed down. Javad Doroodian, the head of Iran's clothes's sellers and weavers union, told Isna it had been asked to change its logo because it contained an image of a tie.

The tie may even have Iranian origins. Although there are many theories, the Netherlands-based Radiozamanehcited the British historian Noel Malcolm who said the knotted neckerchief was first imported to Europe, and the Croatian mercenaries, from Iran during the Sassanid Empire.

Each summer, as the heat bears down and makes it difficult for women and men in Iran to stick to their forced Is