Three Must Have Ties for Fall & Winter 2012

As a tie aficionado I get excited every-time my favorite tie shops here in San Francisco receive their new seasonal collections. This is exactly what happened a few days ago when I stopped by some of my favorite men’s clothiers here in the city, where I was greeting with a wide collection of new tie colors and designs. I then went on to a few larger department stores that are known to carry a larger tie assortment of many well known brands and labels. After several hours of tie shopping I found three ties which, I believe, should be in every man’s collection for the coming Fall and Winter season.

Spice Colored Necktie
Be it high-end designer Brioni or the more mass-produced tie collection of Banana Republic, one thing almost all designs and labels share is the presence of so-called “Spice” colors. A look at the spice section of your local Whole Foods is enough to give you a good idea of what to expect. Ties in saffron, cinnamon, cayenne, and oregano could be found in any designer’s current collection. These colors look excellent when paired with all fall and winter suits. They also look great with heavier fabrics such as tweed, worsted wool, flannel, and cashmere. The tie I picked was a solid saffron tie Tom Ford that is slightly slimmer in width at about 3 inches. Although not the tie I purchased, the tie pictured on the left is quite similar, and at just $18.90, cost a fraction of what I paid. Click on the image to purchase the tie at our affiliate site: Bows-n-Ties.com

Tie Made from Worsted Wool or Cashmere
Woolen ties were already in style last year, a trend that appears to stick around for yet another Fall and Winter season. Personally I like the combination of the rugged texture of worsted wool most when paired with a more modern skinny cut. My suggestion, look for a tie made from a coarser worsted wool that is about 2.25 to 2.5 inches in width. Keep the design subtle and the colors dark and muted. Think grays, midnight blue, olive, and maroon. Tie this tie with a more casual Four in Hand knot and your are set to go!

Knitted, Dark Colored, Skinny Tie
Another trendy that stuck around from last Winter are knitted ties. My tip: look for a solid colored tie that is skinny in width (2-2.5 inches), knitted using silk, and featuring a flat (squared) tip. The tie on the left, by Banana Republic, is a perfect example. Pair this tie with a narrow spread collar, slim fit suit, and tied with a loosely tied four in Hand for most dapper results. For more matching tips on these pieces, check out my guide on Wearing Knitted Ties

Thanks for Visiting My Blog.

Hendrik

How to Tie a Cavendish Knot

If you like the asymmetric look of the half Windsor, but also want a slightly longer shaped, and a little bigger sized knot, then the Cavendish is a perfect choice. It was “invented” by two Cambridge University professors (Thomas Fink and Yong Mao) that are most well known for their research on necktie knots, and for publishing the book titled “85 Ways to Tie a Tie“. The Cavendish knot is named after the Cavendish Laboratories – the Department of Physics at Cambridge where Frank and Mao studied and taught.

Tie a Cavendish Knot Instructions:

Flip up your shirt collar and lay your tie around your neck. The stitching should be facing towards you and should not be visible. Also, because the Cavendish takes extra length of the tie, keep the wide end hanging much lower than the narrow end. I suggest that the wide end hangs down about 2/3 to 3/4 of the total length of the tie.

Just like with every tie knot, lay the wide end of the tie behind the narrow end (like shown in the illustration).

Wrap the wide end all the way around the narrow end, and pull tight slightly.

Now pull the wide end in between shirt collar and necktie, and wrap around (see illustration).

Take the wide end, and wrap it behind and around the narrow end of the tie. Do not pull tight, but create a loop (needed to finish the knot in the next step). Then re-do the wrapping you did in the previous step. This gives the tie more size and more asymmetry.

As a final step pull the wide end through the loop you created in the previous step and pull tight. (Tip: Give the knot a little pinch right before tightening it. This creates the dimpled tie-knot look that will set you apart from all the other tie wearers). Last but not least, center the knot and flip down your short collar.

I hope these instructions were helpful.

Hendrik

Should a Man Ever Wear a Clip-on Tie?

Clip-on ties: Not just a myth in men’s fashion, but an actual reality. Who wears them? From a sartorialist’s point of view, are they an acceptable fashion accessory? What are the benefits of these pre-tied neckties? In this brief article I am exploring the pros and cons of the pre-tied clip on neckties.

The Pros & Cons
Because I enjoy styling my neckties with different tie knots, I would never consider even wearing a clip-on tie. But there are some benefits to these pre-tied pieces. First of all, they may be considered to be more convenient since no tie a tie knowledge is needed. They always end at the same length, the knot always looks the same, and the clip-on tie attaches quickly and easily onto the collar. Another, and maybe even more important benefit is comfort and safety. Clip-on ties are not worn around the neck which reduces any risk of choking accidents when operating dangerous machinery for instance – just think about the picture of getting your necktie stuck in a paper shredder… =)

Speaking against using clip-on ties is their tacky reputation. In short, fashion and tie aficionados would never opt for a pre-tied necktie or bow tie. In fact, tying your own tie offers many benefits. First of all you can adjust the length of the tie to compliment your height and neck size. Second, tying your own tie is fun and it allows for personal styling. You can choose knots to match your shirt collar and tie design, and you can even dimple your tie knot to add more volume and a better drape. Last but not least, the selection of clip-on ties is very limited. Designer ties and brand name ties for instance are simply not available as a clip-on.

When Acceptable & When Considered a Faux Pas
Now that you have read the pros and cons of clip-on ties, you will most likely think that clip-on ties don’t have a place in a man’s wardrobe. Well, you may be surprised to hear me say that they still do! Some men are unable to tie a tie. Men that have suffered a severe stroke for instance often loose movement in their left arm, making it almost impossible to tie a necktie. Also, clip-on ties are popular in certain industries. Security companies for instance often outfit their staff with clip-on ties. They are perfect for a consistent “uniform look” (all the knots look to be tied the same), they are convenient, and most importantly they eliminate choking accidents.

Another popular event where clip-on bow ties are worn are school proms and (unfortunately so) also weddings. Although commonly worn, I suggest you don’t wear a pre-tied bow tie past the years of high school. Learn to tie your own bow tie. A self tied bow tie is instantly noticeable and a sign for a man’s good taste, sophistication, and undisputed elegance. Don’t know how to tie a bow tie? Then check out my tutorial on tying a bow tie.

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Hendrik