Neckties, knit ties, bowties, oh my! How will you ever decide wading through this sea of neckwear? Well that’s what we’re here for. Possessing the same effect as bows have on presents, a tie wraps together whatever outfit you’re wearing into a tidy package. Women say they love a man in a suit, but a suit loses its professional aura without a tie. Sure, you can try the new playboy millionaire look with an open collar, but most will think you just forgot your tie at home today.
A decline in public formalwear has relegated ties almost exclusively to business and formal situations, which makes wearing a tie in public all the more eye-catching due to its rarity. Dress shirts with cardigans, sport shirts, even polos (if you’re daring enough) can be prepped up with the welcome addition of a tie. Now for the style of tie, that depends on the occasion that you’re attending so we’re going to help you with that. Time to tie the knot.
Neckties
The most recognizable tie out of the list, neckties have been associated with royalty and formal affairs since their birth in the 1600s. Learning how to tie a tie was the most stressful and often forgotten lesson in childhood, but it’s the most valuable teaching you’ll ever receive, next to “find someone nice and settle down.” They are the only real choice for businesswear, yet they can still be worn in just about any social setting. Quality ties are made of fine silk whereas cheaper options are made of polyester. Don’t even think about buying the latter, it would be an unforgivable sin.
The way your daddy taught you how to tie is called the Four-In-Hand, which results in a standard, slimmer knot. The best knot for a standard necktie would be a Half-Windsor: Not too wide, not too narrow, and fills out the middle of your collar quite well. The know looks fantastic with argyle patterned ties as well because the width of the knot accentuates the weave pattern. The Full Windsor should is the trickiest conventional tying method and results in the widest knot, which also looks great with patterned ties as well.
Skinny Ties
“Enough with everything skinny! Skinny lattes, skinny jeans, has the world gone mad?!” Apparently so, though skinny ties have been popular well before hipsters colonized your local coffee shops. They rose to prominence in the 1950s and 60s with British rock bands like the Beatles. Oh those Brits, always so attentive to fashion trends. The slimmer structure of the tie calls for a more streamlined torso in the accompanying suit/shirt/sweater that it will be paired with. If it is with a suit, the lapels should be as narrow as the midsection of the tie itself. Skinny ties are usually around two-thirds of the width of a regular necktie, and it’s best to use a smaller, simple knot with a skinny tie in order to avoid overpowering the structure of the tie with a large knot at top. Skinny ties are ideally more suited for casual get-togethers, but not for serious business handlings. Skinny ties are associated with youth and that could inadvertently be associated with inexperience.
Knit Ties
If a knit tie was ever someone in the workplace, it’d be the young cool guy in marketing. Creative, modern, and fun, many will try this look, few will pull it off properly. Perhaps it’s the unique texture that’s sewn into them, or how patterns stand out in the up and down arches of the knit. Whatever it is, it’s cool. Introduced in the 1920s, knit ties are commonly associated with the Ivy League that came to popularity in the 1950s. Due to the tie’s texture, they can be paired with just about any jacket pattern from tweed to seersucker. Knit ties are still made of silk due to the lustre that the material gives off, though we recommend you choose wool or cashmere during the colder months for a more authentic feel. A bit of advice: For some reason, knit ties look fantastic with tie bars. We don’t know if it’s the contrast in textures or the seesaw between formal and playful, but it works. And to add a personal statement, leave the back part of the tie hanging out to give off the nonchalant, “I do what I want” flair.
Flat bottom ties
“Ew” was my initial reaction when I first laid eyes on a flat bottom tie. It was like witnessing someone drop a cake on the ground, pick it up and say “we can still eat it.” No, you can’t, just like how I thought you can’t wear a tie with the bottom peak chopped off. However, they’ve grown on me, especially the knit versions due to the ease of its casual appearance. The new kid on the tie scene, flat bottom ties have taken trendsetters by storm with their unconventional look and immediate effect to dress down an outfit. Because of their laid-back look, flat bottom ties are usually composed of knit or woven material and host a slew of designs from horizontal pinstripes, to pink spots to animal prints. Some will accept them with open arms, others will reluctantly admit they actually exist, but make no mistake: flat ties are here to stay.
Bow Ties
The ever-eccentric bow-tie finishes this list off with a bang. Only acceptable for fancy events or if you have massive cojones, the bow tie tend to scare off most suitors due to the loudness of its reputation as a regal accessory and ill-perceived complexity on how to tie it. In truth, it’s not that difficult to tie but the myth has yet to be fully busted. In regards to its reputation, a bow tie is like sushi: Either you love it or you hate it, there is no in between. They can appear fun and exciting to one person while being considered tacky and pretentious to another. The traditional bow tie is composed of black silk, looks best with a wing collar shirt, and self-tied. Self-tied bow ties look a lot fuller and ironically not as uniform (almost a bit messy) as pre-tied, which makes the former all the more authentic. There are also narrow bow ties that look like a regular bowtie got crushed into sandwich form and was left there. These look best with a regular point or spread collar shirt. In regards to patterned bow ties, the more daring the better: Polka dots, paisley, gingham checks, just absolutely go to town. These patterned bow-ties are meant for the more social settings and since the bow tie itself will get you spotted anywhere, might as well make the most of it with a lavish pattern.
Kinowear Starter Pack
Get this free guide, and look better tomorrow!
