With a heritage stretching back to 1850, The Tie & Scarf Company brings together family tradition, schoolwear expertise and responsive service for retailers navigating today’s uniform market.
In schoolwear, where trust, reliability and product knowledge are paramount, longevity matters. For The Tie & Scarf Company, based in Greater Manchester, those qualities are rooted in a family story that spans five generations. With origins dating back to 1850, the business is believed to be one of the oldest family-owned textile related companies in the world, and its connection with schoolwear remains central to its identity today.
The company’s story began with Alexander, the great grandfather of current owner Barry Chaytow, who manufactured men’s caps as well as school caps. As the education market advanced, so too did the company. Barry’s grandfather, Jack, joined the business and continued the manufacture of school caps before adding school blazers from the family’s factory in the Strangeways area of Manchester.
By the 1950s, Chaytow’s father, Moss, had moved the operation to a new factory in Middleton, Manchester, and expanded the offer further to include skirts, school scarves, school ties, knitwear and scout and guide uniforms. It was a period that helped establish the business as a specialist supplier with deep experience of the schoolwear trade. At the time, school ties were being sold for the equivalent of around 10p in today’s money, with blazers at approximately £1.10 and school skirts at £1.
While the business has diversified over the decades, its original product category still has a place in the range. The company continues to supply honours caps to players representing county or country, with customers including The Football Association, The Football Association of Wales and The Irish Football Association, as well as academy players at Manchester City and Leicester City, plus local football and rugby clubs.
For Chaytow, the strength of the company lies in maintaining family traditions while adapting to the needs of modern retailers. “It has always been important to keep the family tradition,” he says. “Because of these traditions, we know what our customers need and what they expect from our company.”
Export expertise
Although schoolwear remains a key focus, export is also an important part of the business. The Tie & Scarf Company sells a variety of products in more than 30 countries, with Japan among its most significant overseas markets. College and university scarves are supplied to prestigious retailers there, while the company has also produced sports scarves for clubs across the J League.
Language can be a major barrier for exporters entering Japan, but Chaytow’s ability to speak Japanese has provided an important commercial advantage, particularly when exhibiting in Tokyo and Osaka. The business has also seen success in the US, supplying scarves to well-known retailers and brands including Polo Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie, Saks Fifth Avenue, Banana Republic and Kate Spade, under its popular English Tradition label.
For schoolwear customers, export also reflects the continuing global appeal of traditional uniform. School ties and accessories are supplied to markets around the world where children still wear formal school uniform, allowing the company to combine British textile heritage with an international customer base.
Product focus
The Tie & Scarf Company’s schoolwear range centres on school ties, girls’ scarves, scrunchies and bows, alongside university and college scarves made in fine Saxony wool. Its school ties are available with stripes or crests and are produced in 100% polyester, as well as 100% recycled polyester for customers seeking a more sustainable option.
The fabric used to produce the company’s ties also carries Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification, supporting retailers, embroiderers and printers who are looking to offer more environmentally conscious choices within their uniform ranges. The business’s complete eco school tie option, made using 100% recycled polyester, is designed to give stockists a practical route into sustainability without compromising on the core requirements of durability, appearance and price.
Choice is another important part of the offer. Ties are available in lengths from 39in to 54in and can be supplied as traditional ties, clip-ons, Velcro finishes or elastic styles. Scrunchies are also available, helping retailers build coordinated accessories around school colours and house systems.
Stock ties now play a particularly important role, with almost 80 colour combinations and various styles available, customers can order online or directly through the company’s sales team, with stock items despatched the same day for next-day delivery. For retailers managing peak-season pressure, this speed and flexibility can be a key operational advantage.
Customers can design bespoke ties via the company’s website too, selecting colours, stripe combinations and crests where required. This customisation service enables stockists to support school identity while offering consistency across orders, an important consideration for schools looking to maintain uniform standards over time.
Beyond schoolwear, The Tie & Scarf Company also produces corporate and club ties in 100% polyester or 100% silk. Over the years, it has supplied organisations including British Aerospace, The Premier League, Manchester United, Kellogg’s, NatWest Bank, RAC, Jaguar and Ford Motor Company. While these projects sit outside schoolwear, they underline the company’s broader manufacturing experience and ability to work across different sectors.
Among the company’s standout moments was a visit to the factory by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. The Princess toured the site and spoke to every member of staff, making it a memorable day for the family business. Following the visit, she wrote to say she was impressed with what the company had achieved and delighted to visit a flourishing family concern.
Sevice during peak season
For schoolwear retailers, the Back to School period remains the defining test of any supplier relationship. The Tie & Scarf Company places customer support at the centre of its approach during this crucial trading window, encouraging customers to order as early as possible, so that made-to-order products can be produced and then held in stock until the required delivery date.
This process is designed to give retailers confidence that orders will arrive exactly when needed, helping them maintain availability and avoid disruption during the busiest weeks of the year. Regular feedback from customers highlights personal service, on-time deliveries, quality and pricing as key reasons for working with the business. One recent customer described dealing with the company as “like a breath of fresh air.”
Looking ahead, the firm’s strategy is focused rather than expansive. The priority is to continue building the business’s school tie market and expanding the stock tie range. For retailers, that clarity of direction may prove reassuring: a specialist supplier concentrating on what it knows best.
Looking forward
Today, The Tie & Scarf Company remains a proud member of The Schoolwear Association and will once again exhibit at The Schoolwear Show on 11-12 October, where it looks forward to meeting both long-standing customers and new contacts. For a business built on relationships as much as product, the show continues to be an important opportunity to connect with the trade face-to-face.
As the schoolwear sector continues to balance heritage, value, service and sustainability, The Tie & Scarf Company’s proposition is clear. Its future is rooted in the same foundations that have carried it through five generations: specialist knowledge, reliable supply, personal service, and a commitment to customers who have supported the business over many years. “We are looking forward to the future, which is looking bright,” says Chaytow. “The family business will continue to grow, and we are grateful to all our loyal customers who have stood by us.”
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