Reviewed: Accessories from Amidé Hadelin
Disclaimer: These ties and pocket squares were provided to me at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
Amidé Hadelin
Instagram is a place I go in search of, and to share inspiration. Something unlooked for that I’ve found is a genuine community of menswear enthusiasts. I’ve also been exposed to lots of new brands, and Amidé Hadelin is one of them. I’d actually stumbled across a giveaway post of theirs, and decided to enter. The post featured a really nice looking, smaller scale patterned tie that I could see myself wearing. I ended up chatting a bit with Amidé (the owner), and well, here we are! Perusing their site, one thing is immediately apparent: the accessories are selected by an experienced eye, tuned for versatility, quality and just enough personality – an enthusiast!
My Amidé Hadelin Choices
We decided to have a little fun with the selections. I provided a list of the accessories I was interested in, and Amidé Hadelin made the final selections. The twist was that I didn’t know which pieces I’d be reviewing until they showed up. It was a nice way to add some extra anticipation to this process. In the end, here’s what I received:
- Ties
- Pocket Squares
Shipping and Packaging
A single box contained all of the accessories from Amidé Hadelin. Individually packaged pieces have a nice presentation, but don’t add any real value after the fact. Except for my kids, I guess. There are tie and pocket square boxes strewn about the toy room – mostly holding Hot Wheels and tiny dinosaurs now. Within the box, each item was packaged in plastic to protect each of the items, and I’m happy to report they were all in excellent condition upon opening.
Quality and Construction
Let’s start with a look at the ties. The two silk pieces are excellent. Crisp, nicely weighted silk is the base for navy tie that features a beautifully hand printed floral design. The clarity of the print is especially apparent considering the scale of the pattern, and the fact that is is yellow. Hand-rolled edges are tight and round. The jacquard has greater weight to it, and the flowers are very neatly embroidered. As with the previous tie, everything is well finished. Both of these ties produce a nicely shaped and sized knot, and hold a deep dimple. The shape of the tie is well proportioned. Note how it flares out nicely below the knot. This is a detail I appreciate, especially on a tie that is 8cm wide, which is slightly narrower than my usual width at 9cm.
I was surprised at how thin the grenadine felt when first handling it. My only reference is the chunkier grenadine weave ties that I already own, all of which are tipped. Because this one from Amidé Hadelin is a 3-fold un-tipped, the gauziness of the weave was extra prevalent. Once I put it around my neck, looped my usual four-in-hand, I was pleased with the knot it made.
Next up from Amidé Hadelin are the pocket squares. The silk has a nice weight to it, and the hand-rolled edges are just as nicely finished as the ties. With regards to sizing, the light blue/brown multi-pattern and the Vintage Flowers are both 32cm x 32cm. It’s a familiar size to me, but I much prefer the burgundy paisley at 42cm x 42cm. Having that little bit of extra material helps to prevent the pocket square slipping down into your pocket.
Design and Styling
The first outfit in this section features the Vintage Flowers square. I used it to pull together the deep green of the tweed jacket and the blue striped OCBD. Purple and pink pair well with the green as well, and that leaves the blue to play the neutral.
In the next outfit, I combined the Jacquard Silk tie and the multi-patterned blue and brown pocket square over a simple base of light blue shirt and navy sport coat. Admittedly, this was a bit of an unusual combination for me to have the same colours in both pieces, with the dominant colours reversed. In the end, I think it worked, but I likely wouldn’t pair these two pieces again. Having said that, I think both are individually versatile and will see lots of wear.
The third outfit features one of my favourite colour combos: brown and burdundy. Prior to snapping the photo, I didn’t notice the odd arrangement of the pocket square. This is an example of the stiffness in the silk in action. The colours are fantastic though – vibrant but deep. The hints of yellow, blue and green really add a nice touch of variety.
Fourth, my take on using the primary colours. Burdundy jacket, navy micro-floral print tie, ecru shirt and navy/cream based pocket square. Just look at that dimple!
Lastly, the eggplant grenadine carries the visual weight in this camel and grey outfit. The light blue striped shirt adds some lightness, and I used the Vintage Flowers pocket square to pull the blues and purples together. Up close, this tie has a wonderful bi-colour look. Notice the slightly shorter knot. Then also notice that I tied this tie a little bit long, which may have also impacted the knot shape.
Amidé Hadelin Accessories
I am very happy to have had the opportunity to check out these items from Amidé Hadelin. All the pieces are of high quality, and any enthusiast should have a look at their offerings. They offer some really versatile colours and patterns, and I think the ones I have will see a lot of wear. They carry a great selection of braces, as well as sunglasses, socks, umbrellas and some beautiful looking gloves (the peccary are particularly tasty). Take a look at www.amidehadelin.com and let me know what you think! Which ties or pocket squares would you choose?
-Colin
