Choosing a Tie

In the business world a tie is a must because it’s an indication of trust, but choosing the right one can be a challenge for some men. The tie says more about your personal style as well as your personality than anything else in your wardrobe.

The first rule of thumb when picking a tie, always choose silk or wool, no polyester. While there are many patterns to choose from, some should be avoided no matter if your wife thinks it’s cute or not. Novelty ties, such as Christmas or cartoon ties, are a no-no, even at the company’s party. Stick will diagonal stripes, subtle paisley, dots, repp stripes or solid patterns. Solids are striking especially when made of high quality woven silk. A solid tie is black, navy, burgundy or gray with a crisp white dress shirt demands respect.

The width of a tie is just as important as the pattern you choose. The standard width of a tie is around 3 inches. However, slim ties measuring 2 inches are back in vogue as are wider ties measuring 4 inches. Anything skinnier or wider is not recommended.

Matching a tie with a shirt and suit is not as tricky as it might sound. Blue suits are most versatile as you can wear almost every tie and shirt combination. Examples would be blue and yellow or burgundy and blue. Another striking color combination is monochrome. Black on black and grey on grey are two great examples.
Tying a tie properly is a must. There are four basic knots.
• The Four in Hand knot is an asymmetrical knot which is best for button down shirts.
• The Pratt knot is fairly wide and is suited for most dress shirts.
• The Half Windsor is a symmetrical knot that can go with any shirt collar.
• The Windsor knot is wide and triangular knot which is a great option for the spread collar shirt.

Depending on the weight of the tie and the collar of your shirt, every man should master all four.



Written for the Miles David - Mens Custom Clothier website.