Shirts, Ties & Life

For a while, the solid-colored shirt with a tie of the same (or slightly-off) color was seen everywhere. Some called this look monochromatic (I called it silly - but I digress). This was made wildly popular by Regis Philbin while he hosted "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" and is now a somewhat dated look. Try mixing things up a little and experiment with colors. Ties are great way to express yourself, but keeping it tasteful is your best bet. You can't go wrong with diagonal stripes, modern polka-dots, plaids and subtle patterns. Just make sure your tie compliments your shirt, suit, sweater or whatever you will be wearing it with. Novelty ties are best avoided since the novelty is short lived.

The width of neckties has always seemed to change with the fashion trend of the moment. However, traditional style lends itself to neckties which are in balance with the size of the jacket lapels. A traditional American or British garment or any finely made European garment requires a necktie 3¼" to 3½" in width. A good tie is cut to 3½", with exceptions for larger men who require a slightly wider blade (the outer, visible portion of the necktie.) This is a size that will never be affected by the vicissitudes of fashion. The length should be approximately 56 to 57 inches. A longer tie, for taller men, is generally 60 to 61 inches. The measurement of the widest parts of good butterfly bow ties is 2¾".

Fine neckwear is entirely handmade. Originally all four-in-hand neckties were cut from a single large square of silk, which was folded over 7 times to give it body and fullness. Only a few ties are made in this way today, because of the high cost of silk and the absence of many remaining artisans. However, every finely made necktie is still cut on this bias, to assure that it falls straight after being tied, without curling to a side.

The silk for a necktie is cut into 3 pieces to include the back, the front, and the neck, allowing it to conform to your neck; it should have a stitch joining the two sides on the back, called a bar tack, and applied by hand. It should have a slip-stitch, whose end, knotted, can be found loose under the bar tacked area. This stitch gives resilience to the tie and assures that it will fall out to return to its original shape when hung in your closet. All ties, except 7 fold neckties, are lined. The object of the lining is to provide the proper weight for the tie, so that it knots perfectly. With some silk, a heavier lining is needed to accomplish this; with other silks, it is quite the opposite. In fact, sometimes makers of lesser ties will attempt to pass them off as quality materials by adding a thick lining, as an uneducated consumer might think the thickness of the tie indicates the quality of the outer silk. Fine linings today are made of wool, whose weight is denoted by gold bars.

Ties should be tied in whatever style most strikes your fancy. You should know that there are many different ways to knot your tie, and different knots say different things. A necktie should be tied so that there is no collar space showing at the knot. The tip of the tie should end at the belt, not above it. Bow ties are always to-be-tied, and come in adjustable neck sizes. Nevertheless, regardless of the neck size, the bow itself must finish within the contours of the wearer's face, and inside the collar edges, to look trim and avoid buffoonery. I prefer the Windsor or the four-in-hand, but I do suggest that you explore a little just for kicks. As for clip on ties--just say no. Period.