As a tie connoisseur I sometimes forget that the term “7-fold” in regards to neckties may be a bit confusing to most tie wearers. In fact most men don’t pay too much attention to the way their neckties are made. Instead it is the color, pattern, width, and designer brand that usually gets the most attention. Keep in mind however that even expensive designer ties can be poorly made. I have seen $80 ties made from cheap synthetic polyester for instance. So instead of just using these four shopping criteria, I also suggest you add the tie’s fabric and the tie’s construction to the list.

What is a 7-Fold Tie?


The term 7-fold refers to how the necktie is constructed. Instead of sewing an inlay into the tie for thickness, the tie is made out of a single piece of fabric that is folded 7 times (see image left). The result: A thicker feel, incomparable drape, a larger looking tie knot, and a more hefty weight – all things you will immediately notice the first time you hold a 7-fold tie in your hand.

How to Make a Seven Fold Tie?

Yes, you can indeed make your own seven fold tie. What you will need is a suitable fabric (woven or printed silk is best), a sewing machine, a good pattern (see image), as well as lots of patience.

First, print out this free 7-fold necktie pattern which will make a necktie that has a standard width of 3 1/4 inches. I had a difficult time finding a free pattern online. Thus, I decided to create this one myself. You can be sure this pattern works, because I created it by taking apart one of my 7-fold ties and tracing all the folds.

Because this pattern is quite large, you will need to print it on several 8.5 x 11 inch pages and tape them together. Simply open this PDF File. Then in your printer setting make sure that “print to actual size” is selected. That’s all you have to do. Once you printed the pattern, you can double check the dimension by measuring the test square that I have put on the file. The test square should measure 4″ x 4″.

After you have printed your pattern, and have selected your fabric, you can follow these excellent instructions on making your own 7-fold necktie. The instructions worked great for me and I am sure they will for you as well.

My Favorite Brands

If you rather buy a 7-fold tie than trying to make one of your own, then be prepared to spend some money. Most seven fold ties will cost between $150 – $300 each. Some of my favorite brands are Borelli ($150-$200) which makes beautiful stripes and foulard patterns, Marinella ($250+) an Italian boutique designer that has apparently dressed many men in the oval office including Bill Clinton and Bush, Turnbull & Asser ($100-$150) the famous men’s clothier located at London’s Saville Row, and last but not least the Italian brand Kiton ($200 – $300).

Thanks for Reading my Blog.

Hendrik

Who Was Better Dressed Last Night, Obama or Biden?

Although Obama and Biden are running mates during the upcoming election and are not in competition with one another in terms of their jobs, there is indeed a bit of rivalry when it comes to who dresses better. While Obama typically dresses in a plain, simple, and conservative fashion, it is Joe Biden who usually decides to bring more color to his wardrobe. In the past we have seen Biden wear brightly colored ties in purple, pink, and orange – something that is quite unusual for the common blue and ruby red tie choices politicians typically make. This difference in style was also apparent during last night’s Democratic National Convention. Now the questions comes, who was the better dressed of the two?

Suit Fit: Biden Takes the Lead
Fit is everything when it comes to a man’s suit, and properly tailored piece can even make a cheaper model look better than a more expensive designer piece. Both, Biden and Obama, wear a very similar cut suit: single breasted, classic standard width notch lapels, and solid black in color. Although the suits are almost identical it is the fit that makes them stand apart. Biden’s suit is perfectly tailored while Obama’s suit looks a bit too baggy. It is apparent that Obama has lost some weight since he stepped into office. Without doubt, being President of the United States must be stressful and time consuming, but that’s not an excuse to skip a trip to a tailor. Hopefully Obama get’s his classic suits altered before he starts looking like Ron Paul.

Shirt Fit: Obama Redeems Himself
While the suit looks better on Biden, Obama redeems himself with his shirt fit. The collar fits tight without causing discomfort, the sleeves are at the right length, and the cuffs are proportionate to Obama’s thinner wrist. Biden’s shirt also fits well for the most part, but it is the poorly fitted cuffs (pictured), that cause a bit of a disconnect to his well tailored suit.

The Necktie: Points to Obama
In a recent Huffington Post article fashion critic Willow Lindley points out that Obama’s favorite tie color is blue. In her article she points out that Obama wore a blue tie 42% during his first 50 days in office, compared to red at 30%, and gray and black both at about 13%. Regardless of Obama’s monotonous tie choice, I still think Obama did a much better job at picking his blue and gray striped tie than Biden did with his somewhat clashing pink and bright blue accessory. Should you like Obama’s tie, then I actually found it on our sister site Bows-N-Ties for just $18.90 (see, and/or click on the image for details).

Collar Spread & Tie Knot: Kudos to Biden
Both are wearing the white dress shirts, and although both shirts appear to be similar, it the collar spread that sets them apart. Obama picks a narrow spread collar that is well balanced with a narrow Four in Hand knot. Biden on the other hand picked out a slightly wider spread collar that gets proportionally accessorized with a wider half Windsor knot. Even though both men did a good job in pairing the tie knot to the shirt collar, it is Biden’s shirt that is a bit more attractive. The reason: His wider collar spread looks better in proportion to the somewhat wider suit lapels.

Accessories: Obama Takes This One
Unfortunately, politicians tend to dress in a somewhat boring fashion these days. Gone are the days when the president (think JFK) dressed in 3-piece suit, decorated with an elegant white pocket square and paired with a dapper skinny tie and matching tie bar. Instead outfits are conservative and, what some may call, even boring. Obama’s and Biden’s outfits are the perfect example. Both keep their accessories at an absolute minimum: No cufflinks, no tie bars, no pocket square, and Joe Biden doesn’t even appear to be wearing a wristwatch. The simple fact that Obama wore a sleek black leather band wrist watch gives him the lead when it comes to accessorizing.

Verdict: Obama Wins 3:2
As a fashion critic and tie aficionado I would have liked to see both men dress a bit more fashionable. Why the solid, boxy cut black suit? Obama would have done well with a slimmer fitting narrow lapeled suit in midnight blue for instance. Also, I would have liked to see a bit more color on the neckties. Yes, blue and red are the #1 tie choices in politics, but that is not to say that another color is a Faux Pas. My tip for Obama: wear a persimmon colored tie! It is perfect for the fall season, it is trendy but not over-the-top, and when it comes to swaying the voter, the color psychology of persimmon couldn’t be better! Persimmon pairs the maturity of brown with the passion and excitement of red. Now that is a president-worthy combination!
Thanks for reading my blog!

Hendrik

How To Tie a Necktie with the Christensen Knot

Indeed, most tie knots look quite similar to one another. Typically it is only the size of the knot, and its symmetry that differentiates one from another. But, there is in fact one knot that will stand out in many more ways than simply size and proportion. I am talking about the so-called “Christensen”. It is considered an “experts” knot. It will be perfect if you have been looking for a completely new way to tie, and wear your neckties. When tied with a normal width tie (3 – 3.5 inches in width) the Christensen will stand out because of its larger size, and when tied with a skinny tie (2.25 to 2.75 inches in width) it will stand out because of the cross-patten on the knot. Here are the detailed instructions that will help you master one of the most difficult, and also most unique ways to tie your necktie:

Step #1:
Just like you would with most other tie knots, flip up your collar and lay your necktie around your neck so that the stitching faces towards you. Because the “Christensen” takes much more of the tie’s length, you want to have the wider end hang much further down then when tying other tie knots. My tip: Men taller than 6 foot should consider wearing a longer length tie made for taller men (usually 62-63 inches long). Now wrap the wide end around the narrow end.

Step #2:
Pull the first wrapping (step 1) tight slightly. Then wrap around the neck opening as show in my illustration on the left.

Step #3:
Pull tight slightly and wrap the wide end around the front of the narrow end. Do not pull tight.

Step #4:
Repeat step #3. This second wrapping makes the Christensen different from all other tie knots. it is also the reason why you need much more of the tie’s length to tie this knot. Once again, do not pull these two wrapping tight yet.

Step #5:
Now that both wrappings are in place it is time to finish the knot. To do so, pull the wide end through the neck opening.

Step #6:
Then take the wide end and pull it through both wrappings you created in step 4 and step 5 above.

Step #7:
Make sure that both wrappings align. When tying this knot with a skinny tie, the wrappings cross each other (see image 8), and when wearing a normal width tie, the first wrapping will hide behind the second one.

Step #8:
Last but not least, pull the knot tight. You will almost always have a natural dimple when tying this knot (especially when wearing a normal width tie).

Other Fashionable Tie Knots You May Like:
How to Tie a Windsor
Tie a Cavendish Knot

Thanks for Reading.