As the man credited with the introduction of the tie into the male wardrobe, Beau Brummell might wonder at what seems to have happened to this important accessory over the past decade or so. In short, for reasons that I cannot understand, the choice of material for smart neckwear appears now to be confined almost entirely to silk or (yuk) polyester. Woollen ties seem to exist only in ‘chunky’ country styles.

A couple of weeks ago in London’s Jermyn Street I set out in search of an attractive woollen tie of the sort I was wearing at the time. I reasoned that if this centre for quality menswear could not come up with what I wanted, then nowhere could. (I encountered Mr Brummell at the start of the hunt, in the shape of Irena Sedlecka’s sculpture, which was placed in the street six years ago.) I am sorry to say that my search through such stores as Hilditch and Key, Thomas Pink, Charles Tyrwhitt and Hawes & Curtis produced no results. The choice was silk, silk or more silk.

Let me offer a tip to anyone out to make a few bucks during this period of recession. Come up with a range of smart light-weight woollen ties of the sort that Tootal used to make (and I used to wear as a boy). The tie I am wearing above is a snazzy red and green job from Austin Reed, 1960s or thereabouts.

I like wool, by the way, because the knot always stays tight, without slipping.