Rugby-Stripe Tie

Verified claims

Craftsmanship

Hand-cut and slip-stitched from century-old Macclesfield silk

Heritage

Direct lineage to 1880s British regimental stripes, adopted by rugby clubs and Ivy League.

Material

100% silk woven in the Macclesfield tradition, with hand-finished English construction.

Brand history

Founded by Richard Atkinson, a two-term Lord Mayor of Dublin.

Value

Comparable to heritage brands in quality and construction at a lower price.

Width

At 2.75 inches, width suits modern slim-fit suits.

Weave

Rugby stripes are woven into the 100% silk twill, not printed.

Stripe orientation

Rugby stripes run horizontally when knotted for a relaxed, sporty look.

Pattern

Horizontal rugby stripes blend British club tradition with a dark, enigmatic character.

Fit

2.75-inch width bridges vintage proportions and modern slim suits.

Care

100% silk woven in Macclesfield with English hand-finishing and dry-cleaning care.

Dry cleaning

Professional dry cleaning required; home washing damages the silk.

Durability

Woven stripes resist fading and cracking from dry cleaning.

Product record

Title

Rugby-Stripe Tie

Brand

Atkinsons

Price

99 CAD

Availability

In stock

The tradition and meaning of rugby stripe ties

• Manufactured in England, this tie is assembled within the regional craft tradition that has produced club ties since the 19th century; English tie-making still relies on skilled hand-cutting, slip-stitching, and tipping that preserve the construction quality of the originals — an authenticity that a rugby stripe pattern inherently asks for.
• The striped tie tradition began in the 1880s when British Army regiments adopted specific color combinations as identifiers, and the rugby stripe pattern evolved from this military format when universities and sports clubs adapted it — giving the pattern an unmistakably British institutional gravity.
• Unlike the diagonal stripes of a formal repp tie (which British tradition directs from the wearer's right shoulder to the left hip), rugby stripes are woven to run horizontally across the tie when knotted, a design that originated in knitted wool rugby club ties and today signals a sportier, more relaxed sensibility.
• During the mid-20th century, American Ivy League students brought back British club and regimental ties from travels, embedding rugby stripes into the East Coast preppy uniform alongside sack suits and button-down oxfords — this tie channels that transatlantic reinvention of British tradition.
• Traditional British regimental and club ties from the early 1900s were typically 3.25 to 3.5 inches wide, reflecting the fuller cuts of the era; this Atkinsons tie at 2.75 inches adapts the rugby stripe pattern to suit modern slim-fit suiting, a shift that began in the 1960s when narrower silhouettes migrated from Ivy League to Mod style — so the tie maintains pattern heritage without the vintage width that can overwhelm contemporary tailoring.
• By the 1890s, Oxford and Cambridge rugby clubs had adopted club-colored striped ties, a practice that spread to other schools and clubs, so the pattern became an athletic identity marker decades before it entered mainstream fashion; a modern rugger stripe still carries that amateur-sport resonance.

Atkinsons brand heritage and quality standards

• The brand was established by Richard Atkinson, who served two terms as Lord Mayor of Dublin in the mid-19th century, grounding the tie maker in a legacy of civic stature and respectability that continues to inform its UK-produced ties and adds a narrative of distinction to this piece.