The recent Styleforum trunk show in New York City brought together many different vendors from all over the globe; most of them were people I recognized immediately, even though I had never met them in person – that’s the power of the internet, I suppose. One of those men was Rob Rossicone, a styleforum regular and creator of Yellow Hook Necktie Co.
Although many of you may have not heard the name Rob Rossicone, I’d bet that you have seen him in one of his other online personalities – Put This On’s Rob from Brooklyn, Styleforum’s well-known NewYorkIslander, or even as a contestant in Esquire’s 2010 “Best Dressed Real Man” competition. Throughout all of these, it is clear that Rob is a man who is comfortable in his own sense of style and has an eye for fit, texture, and color. 
Rob and his wife Courtney, both teachers in Brooklyn, launched Yellow Hook Neckties about a year ago. They started it in part as way way to begin a creative hobby outside of the classroom, and to bring a truly hand-crafted item to an audience outside of the “bespoke” circle. Like with many menswear words tossed around, “hand-made” can mean a lot of different things; in this case, it means that each tie is made by a single craftswoman in Brooklyn, one by one. Rob says, “The process is incredibly time consuming, but we feel the end product is something entirely different than a factory “hand made” tie. A Yellow Hook Necktie has a certain feel and drape to it that simply can’t be made by machine. A softness, if you will, that usually is saved for only the finest bespoke houses around the world, but at a cost. With us, you get that old world experience, an old world item with old world charm, at a price that we think is fair for everyone, from the consumer to our crafters.“
At first, all ties were made by Rob and Courtney, but as business has grown they have put the manufacturing in someone else’s hands, while making sure that they were staying local and using the best of the best. According to Rob, “Maria’s ties are perfect, and if they’re not, she starts over again – not because I say so, but because she’s old-school and she really believes that everything, from the lining to the stitching to the drape, needs to be perfect. I think it shows in our product.”
All ties feature six-fold, lightly lined, untipped construction, except for the denim and “woolly mammoth” ties, which are three-fold due to their significant heft. Substantial handwork can be seen along their sumptuous rolled edges.
To me, the style of Yellow Hook ties mirror Rob’s own, in a sense. Like Rob’s outfits, his ties are textured and attractive; utilitarian and practical. In his own words: “Brooklyn has a kind of edge to it. I grew up in a blue-collar family, so I dress a little rough around the edges, but I still put it all together well.” Rob picks lovely fabrics that range from soft, light cashmeres and silks to heavy wools and denim. He finds fabrics all over the place, but loves to look in the back rooms of tailor’s shops and other secret spots for his tie’s material. He explains, “New York was the garment making center of the world for over a hundred years, and there’s still plenty of interesting stuff laying around. All you need to do is know where to look.”
if you’re looking for ties that are unique, handsome, and hand-made, I strongly suggest that you look into Yellow Hook Neckties. They have a sense of old-world construction about them, paired with beautiful fabrics from around the world. Rob and Courtney are clearly dedicated to making small batches of wonderful items, and that passion definitely shows in their products.
