So now that you have a great suit, let’s talk ties. The tie allows you creativity in your wardrobe as you can combine a wide array of colours and patterns with your dress shirt and suit.
The first thing which must be said, is do not wear novelty ties or clip on ties. Novelty ties probably shouldn’t even be worn at the office Christmas or Hallowe’en party, and clip on ties just look bad no matter what. These will make you look like you don’t know how to dress or that you don’t care about the person you are meeting or the event you are attending. Other than clip on ties, there are special ties which go around the collar and have the knot tied for you using a zipper to allow you to tighten it. These sometimes achieve a good look, and are better than a clip on, but the best option is to tie your own necktie.
The best fabric for a necktie is 100% silk. There are other fabrics and blends, but full silk looks the best and is the easiest to tie making the best knot.
The knot can seem daunting at first, but once you get the hang of it, it will become second nature to you. You can learn to tie one knot and stick with it, or master different knots for different occasions and shirts. There are many different knots which you can wear, though the most known and prominent today are the four-in-hand, the half Windsor and the full Windsor knot. Personally, this author prefers the full Windsor knot, as it does not look asymmetrical or crooked, as with the others, and though some will say it makes a very large knot, if you are using silk and know how to make this knot properly, it only looks too large when paired with a narrow shirt collar. Both the four-in-hand and the half Windsor knot can look professional with a suit, when tied correctly, but often they look casual and sometimes even as though the man dressed in a hurry. Even the full Windsor knot can appear this way if it is a loose knot, so no matter what your choice of knot, make sure it is tight. Some men say they don’t like to wear ties because they are too tight around the neck. Just because the knot is tight doesn’t mean the loop around your neck should be so tight as to cut off your air and choke you. These men probably are not wearing the correct size collar for their necks and it is that, not the tie, which is making them uncomfortable. When you tie any knot, make sure you don’t have a hangnail or any rough spots on you hands, as you do not want them to snag on a silk tie, pulling threads which will essentially ruin it. Always button the top button to your shirt and flip up the collar when making your knot, and when knotted, the bottom should reach to the middle of your belt. There are many resources, online and otherwise, to teach you how to tie your necktie. No matter if you read how or have someone show you, make sure to practice your knot so that you achieve a sharp look. Getting the proper length for your body will also take practice, and if you are a tall man, about 6’3” or taller, you may need to have extra long ties. Many shops do not have these in abundance, though there are many places online with wide varieties of colours and fabrics for the tall gentleman.
If you have mastered the perfect knot, you will want colours which complement you and your suit and shirt. If choosing colours is difficult for you, you can always use a colour wheel to help. Find the dominant colour of the suit and a tie which matches this colour; alternatively, find a less dominant colour in the suit and match that with your tie. The colours can be almost the same as the shirt or suit, or contrast to make the tie pop. Always harmonize tones and colours, but never clash. Solid coloured ties are great with patterned shirts and vice versa. If you want to wear both the shirt and tie patterned, make sure the sizes of the patterns are different. For example, if you wear a striped shirt, wear a dot or box patterned tie. If you want to wear both shirt and tie striped, wear a tie with its stripes twice as large as the shirt. The purpose of the tie is to complement or offset the colours you are wearing, not to distract people from your face. Even if you are trying to make your tie pop, it should still not make people focus on it so that they remember your tie rather than you. Bold colours can be seen as confidence, but choose carefully. Chances are if you think the tie may be too loud for the occasion, it probably is. It will be easier for you to decide which colours are appropriate for which events once you are comfortable in your suits, and if they become daily wear, you will want to be able to express yourself even if you work in a conservative environment. Remember, black ties are formal, and white ties are the height of formality.
To keep your ties always looking good, it is obviously best to never stain them, but in the real world, spills are bound to happen. It is extremely difficult to get stains out of ties, so any method you use to try and clean them should be executed carefully or when you are ready to throw the stained tie away. Before anything happens to it, you can spray it with a stain resistant spray, though these will not be completely effective in keeping all stains off. The best time to keep a stain from setting is when it first occurs. It would be handy to keep clothing wipes or stain remover pens in your pocket just in case. Always blot and don’t wipe as this will simply spread the mess around making it even more difficult to clean. Never iron a tie or throw it in the wash as the lining inside will become warped and it will no longer be able to be tied properly. Washing makes the lining and the outside fabric shrink and stretch differently from each other. Using a white cotton cloth and some rubbing alcohol might work for stains, and if all else fails, take it to the dry-cleaner. You might wonder why you shouldn’t have taken it to the dry-cleaner in the first place. They often use harsh chemicals and cleaning methods which will ruin your ties. There are some dry-cleaners which will take special care of your ties and not ruin them, but ask them about it before assuming your ties will come back to you as if they were new. Avoid wrinkles and creases by untying your tie after each wear and hanging them up or rolling them with the face side out. You likely spent a lot of money on them, so don’t just throw them around to settle anywhere when you get home. Ties should be taken care of, just like your good suits.
A great accessory for the necktie is the tie clip. This will hold your tie in place keeping it from flapping in your face or from wandering around in front of your shirt. A tie clip matching your cufflinks and belt buckle looks crisp and neat, and is great for office, party or meeting.
Like any item of clothing, neckties come in a variety of qualities. You don’t have to buy the most expensive to look good, but cheap ties can make you appear cheap. Again, like any item of clothing, you can find good quality ties for better prices by looking for bargains and sales, and just because something isn’t a name brand doesn’t mean it is cheap.
Neckties are a great investment since they do not wear out like other parts of your wardrobe, and if you like to follow trends, you can keep those out of fashion ties as they will probably come back in fashion later. Basically, it is just a good idea to have many styles and colours for your own individuality and creativity.
The first thing which must be said, is do not wear novelty ties or clip on ties. Novelty ties probably shouldn’t even be worn at the office Christmas or Hallowe’en party, and clip on ties just look bad no matter what. These will make you look like you don’t know how to dress or that you don’t care about the person you are meeting or the event you are attending. Other than clip on ties, there are special ties which go around the collar and have the knot tied for you using a zipper to allow you to tighten it. These sometimes achieve a good look, and are better than a clip on, but the best option is to tie your own necktie.
The best fabric for a necktie is 100% silk. There are other fabrics and blends, but full silk looks the best and is the easiest to tie making the best knot.
The knot can seem daunting at first, but once you get the hang of it, it will become second nature to you. You can learn to tie one knot and stick with it, or master different knots for different occasions and shirts. There are many different knots which you can wear, though the most known and prominent today are the four-in-hand, the half Windsor and the full Windsor knot. Personally, this author prefers the full Windsor knot, as it does not look asymmetrical or crooked, as with the others, and though some will say it makes a very large knot, if you are using silk and know how to make this knot properly, it only looks too large when paired with a narrow shirt collar. Both the four-in-hand and the half Windsor knot can look professional with a suit, when tied correctly, but often they look casual and sometimes even as though the man dressed in a hurry. Even the full Windsor knot can appear this way if it is a loose knot, so no matter what your choice of knot, make sure it is tight. Some men say they don’t like to wear ties because they are too tight around the neck. Just because the knot is tight doesn’t mean the loop around your neck should be so tight as to cut off your air and choke you. These men probably are not wearing the correct size collar for their necks and it is that, not the tie, which is making them uncomfortable. When you tie any knot, make sure you don’t have a hangnail or any rough spots on you hands, as you do not want them to snag on a silk tie, pulling threads which will essentially ruin it. Always button the top button to your shirt and flip up the collar when making your knot, and when knotted, the bottom should reach to the middle of your belt. There are many resources, online and otherwise, to teach you how to tie your necktie. No matter if you read how or have someone show you, make sure to practice your knot so that you achieve a sharp look. Getting the proper length for your body will also take practice, and if you are a tall man, about 6’3” or taller, you may need to have extra long ties. Many shops do not have these in abundance, though there are many places online with wide varieties of colours and fabrics for the tall gentleman.
If you have mastered the perfect knot, you will want colours which complement you and your suit and shirt. If choosing colours is difficult for you, you can always use a colour wheel to help. Find the dominant colour of the suit and a tie which matches this colour; alternatively, find a less dominant colour in the suit and match that with your tie. The colours can be almost the same as the shirt or suit, or contrast to make the tie pop. Always harmonize tones and colours, but never clash. Solid coloured ties are great with patterned shirts and vice versa. If you want to wear both the shirt and tie patterned, make sure the sizes of the patterns are different. For example, if you wear a striped shirt, wear a dot or box patterned tie. If you want to wear both shirt and tie striped, wear a tie with its stripes twice as large as the shirt. The purpose of the tie is to complement or offset the colours you are wearing, not to distract people from your face. Even if you are trying to make your tie pop, it should still not make people focus on it so that they remember your tie rather than you. Bold colours can be seen as confidence, but choose carefully. Chances are if you think the tie may be too loud for the occasion, it probably is. It will be easier for you to decide which colours are appropriate for which events once you are comfortable in your suits, and if they become daily wear, you will want to be able to express yourself even if you work in a conservative environment. Remember, black ties are formal, and white ties are the height of formality.
To keep your ties always looking good, it is obviously best to never stain them, but in the real world, spills are bound to happen. It is extremely difficult to get stains out of ties, so any method you use to try and clean them should be executed carefully or when you are ready to throw the stained tie away. Before anything happens to it, you can spray it with a stain resistant spray, though these will not be completely effective in keeping all stains off. The best time to keep a stain from setting is when it first occurs. It would be handy to keep clothing wipes or stain remover pens in your pocket just in case. Always blot and don’t wipe as this will simply spread the mess around making it even more difficult to clean. Never iron a tie or throw it in the wash as the lining inside will become warped and it will no longer be able to be tied properly. Washing makes the lining and the outside fabric shrink and stretch differently from each other. Using a white cotton cloth and some rubbing alcohol might work for stains, and if all else fails, take it to the dry-cleaner. You might wonder why you shouldn’t have taken it to the dry-cleaner in the first place. They often use harsh chemicals and cleaning methods which will ruin your ties. There are some dry-cleaners which will take special care of your ties and not ruin them, but ask them about it before assuming your ties will come back to you as if they were new. Avoid wrinkles and creases by untying your tie after each wear and hanging them up or rolling them with the face side out. You likely spent a lot of money on them, so don’t just throw them around to settle anywhere when you get home. Ties should be taken care of, just like your good suits.
A great accessory for the necktie is the tie clip. This will hold your tie in place keeping it from flapping in your face or from wandering around in front of your shirt. A tie clip matching your cufflinks and belt buckle looks crisp and neat, and is great for office, party or meeting.
Like any item of clothing, neckties come in a variety of qualities. You don’t have to buy the most expensive to look good, but cheap ties can make you appear cheap. Again, like any item of clothing, you can find good quality ties for better prices by looking for bargains and sales, and just because something isn’t a name brand doesn’t mean it is cheap.
Neckties are a great investment since they do not wear out like other parts of your wardrobe, and if you like to follow trends, you can keep those out of fashion ties as they will probably come back in fashion later. Basically, it is just a good idea to have many styles and colours for your own individuality and creativity.
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