Yesterday I featured a more exotic fold called the “Mountain Path” fold, and today I decided to feature one of the most classic and elegant ways to wear your pocket square. I am talking about the so-called “Presidential Fold” – a fold that made especially famous by JFK. It is sometimes also called “flat fold”. It is a perfect fold for solid colored pocket squares. It looks nice with classic suit as well as tux. It is my go to fold when wearing a solid pocket square. Above I am wearing a white linen pocket square with red bordering. Here is how to create this fold:

Lay your pocket squares flat. Make sure it is free of wrinkles.

Fold one side over at the center to create a long shaped rectangle.

Now fold the long side over so that it ends about a 1/2″ short of the other side.

Now tug the pocket square into your breast pocket so that only a quarter to half inch are showing.

If the 5 classic pocket square folds are a bit too ordinary for you, then here is a fold that will add just the right amount of “new” without being overly flashy or loud. A fantastic fold that is especially well suited for patterned pocket squares in bright summer colors worn with casual sports coats or classic blazers. It is a fold that is best suited for softer squares made from silk. Here are the steps:

Scallop Fold Step-by-Step Instructions:

Lay the pocket square flat. Make sure it is free of wrinkles.

Create a double fold by folding a part of the lower triangle up, then back down.

Now fold the backside under so that about 1/2 inch is still showing.

Now flip the pocket square over.

Next, fold in one of the ends of the triangle.

Do the same with the opposite side.

This is what the completed fold looks like before tugging it into your breast pocket.

Once placed in your breast pocket, it will look like this. That’s all!

Tying a Bow Tie

If you are one of my regular readers, then chances are you already know how to tie a bow tie. If you don’t, then stop procrastinating, and learn to master this gentlemanly skill. If you prefer classic illustrations then check out my bow tie tying guide. For those of you who don’t like to read, HERE are some awesome GIFs on tying different types of ties – including a bow tie.

Some Notes on Proper Bow Tie Fit

Dressing well is all about mastering proportions correctly. Just like your tie width and collar depth should be in proportion to your lapel size, the width of the bow tie should be in proportion to the width of your face. Ideally the end of the bow tie is in line with the width of your face. It should not extend past your ears, and should not be narrower than the outer point of your eyes.

Finding a Pattern that Suits the Occasion

Bow ties are no longer solely worn at formal, aka “Black Tie“, functions. In fact, bow ties have become hugely popular in the past few year. Bow tie sales in the US have grown 4x faster than the sale of neckties – making up 7% of the total neckwear sales in the US in 2013 (source: Bloomberg)

Because bow ties are now common for everyday wear, they are easy to find in any pattern, shape, fabric, and color combination. When it comes to finding the right pattern, use the general rule that “less is more” as a guidance. The less embellished the pattern, the more formal it will look. For example: If you want a casual bow tie to wear with your seersucker suit and boat shoes, then by all means have fun and sport a bold madras plaid. For more information on neckwear formality, check out this visual guide here

What Days are the Most Bow Ties Worn?

It always surprises me what type of date is available when looking at keyword search traffic on major search engines. When looking at the popular keyword “how to tie a bow tie” it is instantly clear that there are some days that have huge search traffic spikes. The #1 day that has most men dressed in bow ties is New Years Eve, followed by Christmas and Halloween (apparently Pee Wee Herman remains a popular Halloween Costume). National Bow Tie Day, which falls on August 28th, comes in at #5 on the list.

I hope you enjoyed this “bow tie 101” post. As always, your input, comments, and feedback is appreciated. Simply write a comment below and I will do my best to respond within a day or two.

Thanks for reading!

Hendrik

Seriously, who cares about the name of the stripe on your tie? It is true, while the name may not matter a whole lot, and knowing such probably won’t make for a good pick up line either, knowing how to wear a particular stripe does indeed matter. It matters a whole lot in fact simply because certain stripes are better suited for certain occasions and look better with a certain type of dress shirt. To understand when and when not to wear a certain striped tie, here is all you need to know:

Regimental Striped Ties

Key: Ribbed Texture, “Regimental” Colors, Stripe runs bottom left to top right
Best for: Navy Blazers, Tweed Sport Coats, Button Down Collar Shirts
Avoid: When too skinny (under 2.5″), avoid non traditional colors

Repp Striped Ties

Key: Ribbed Texture, Matte Sheen, Stripe runs top left to bottom right
Best for: narrow ties (2.5″ – 3.1″ in width), worn with a tie bar/clip
Avoid: More than 3 colors are present in design

Horizontal Stripes

Key: Stripe runs vertically
Best for: Knitted Ties, Ties with Square Tip
Avoid: Ties wider than 3″

Pencil Stripes

Key: Narrow diagonal stripes, stripes narrower than 1/8″
Best for: Always a great pick
Avoid: When worn with pin striped shirt, more than 2 colors present on the tie

Bar Code Stripe

Key: Lots of narrow stripes in various sizes and colors
Best for: Colorful combinations in Summer and Spring
Avoid: When wearing a striped shirt

Awning Stripes

Key: Stripes spaced evenly apart 1/2 – 1 inch wide
Best for: Summer colors, Pair with narrow striped or tattersall check shirts
Avoid: For formal evening dress

Candy Cane Stripes

Key: 2 colors, stripes 1/8″ – 1/4″ wide and spaced evenly apart
Best for: Strong contrasting color combination on the tie (light and dark)
Avoid: When wearing a striped shirt

Club Striped Ties

Key: Repp stripes with woven crests in between
Best for: Skinny ties and preppy outfits
Avoid: When too bright in color

Monochromatic Striped Ties

Key: Stripe design all in one single color
Best for: Formal events, easy to match to any shirt pattern
Avoid: When not wearing a suit

Other Suggested Articles:
Guide to Check Patterns
Learn the History of the Necktie

Thanks for reading!

Hendrik
Tie Aficionado
Owner of Tie-a-Tie.net

Black tie is one of the most misunderstood dress codes in menswear. In a nutshell it is made up from a black tux, formal shirt, waistcoat or a cummerbund (never both), and a black bow tie. (CLCK HERE for a detailed instructions on dressing for men’s black tie attire.)

However, black tie does allow you to personalize your look. In this post I am discussing different jacket styles that stand out thanks to a unique cut, color or tailoring detail.

#1 Single Breasted (w/ peak lapels)
The single-breasted tux is the most common style. Almost always this is the style that is available to you at tuxedo rentals. It is a timeless look that makes up the “Gold Standard” of classic black tie dress.

#2: Double Breasted (w/ peak lapels)
The double-breasted tux is one of my favorite looks. To me it has a very unique, gentlemanly, and masculine elegance. The key to a good looking double-breasted tux is in the tailoring. The jacket needs to fit perfectly at your shoulders, taper at the waist, and be cut to the right length. Because most double-breasted tuxes feature wider lapels these jackets look excellent with a larger butterfly bow tie (read about different bow tie styles here). Two great examples where this is done just right, can be seen on Tom Hanks as well as Tom Ford.

#3: Single Breasted (w/ notch lapels)
If you are looking for a modern cut tux that is tailored with a slimmer silhouette, then this is the style for you. Because of the narrow notch lapels these tuxes look best with standard butterfly or narrow batwing bow ties. Also, they look fantastic with solid skinny black neckties – creating a more modern, trendy, and slightly more casual black tie look. That being said, it is a perfect look for “black tie optional”, or “black tie preferred” invitations.

#4: Single Breasted (w/ shawl collar)
Another excellent pick for the fashion forward and modern man is the single breasted tux featuring a narrow shawl collar. It can be worn with standard black bow ties as well as slim black neckties. Lapel flowers are not suited for this jacket style. Instead choose a solid white pocket square.

$5: Double Breasted (w/ shawl collar)
Chances are you will be one of the only men wearing a double breasted shawl collar tux at the event! If you want to stand out with your impeccable sartorial wardrobe choices, while perfectly adhering to a strict black tie dress code, then this is the jacket for you. It is best worn with cummerbund, formal un-pleated dress shirt, and a white pocket square.

$6: The White Dinner Jacket
The white tuxedo jacket is worn for so-called “Warm Weather Black Tie”. As the name suggests, it is a formal black tie event taking place in warmer climate during the day. The white dinner jacket comes in single and double breasted cuts, as well as any lapel style. It is considered a faux pas to wear it with a waistcoat. Instead it is paired with black pleated cummerbund, white formal shirt with onyx studs, black tuxedo pants, and patent leather dress shoes.

Remember last week’s post that featured a simple cheat sheet on the most common dress shirt collars, cuffs, as well as lapels found in menswear today? Well, since not all collar styles are suited for all types of neckwear, I thought another simple infographic would be in order to showcase what type of tie you can wear with which type of collar. As always, your comments below are appreciated.

More often than not, the difference between great and good style is archived by paying attention to the little details in menswear. Take your dress shirts for instance. Chances are that a large majority of your shirts are either solid white, or light blue in color. Not surprisingly, the same are found in the wardrobe of the guy sitting in the cubicle next to you. Now, how do you set yourself apart while still adhering to a strict, navy suit and solid shirt, office dress code? The answer, my friend, lies in the details – particularly your collars, cuffs, and lapels. Above are the most common styles for dress shirt collars, cuffs, as well as suit lapels. So, the next time you shop for a shirt, pay attention to these details! It will set yourself apart from most other suit & tie wearers. Stay tuned for next week’s tutorial on how to pair your ties to different shirt collars.

Did you know that a Swedish team of mathematicians calculated that you can tie a tie in 177,147 different ways? Despite this astonishing number most men struggle with mastering just a single tie knot. In fact, each day 15,000 men in the US search the internet for “how to tie a tie”. Despite this, it is actually less than 1% of adult men who know how to tie their own bow ties. These are just 3 of the 10 fun facts that inspired me to create this fun necktie infographic:

The tie bar is a perfect menswear accessory that will add both style and function to your wardrobe. If worn correctly, it will add subtle, sophisticated elegance. If worn incorrectly, however, it can quickly turn into a noticeable style Faux Pas that can throw off your entire ensemble. To make sure you wear your tie bars correctly, here the three basic “tie bar rules” you need to know. Besides proper tie bar placing and tie bar length, I will also give you some tips on finding the perfect color, material, and design.

The sweet-spot for the tie bar is between the 3rd and 4th dress shirt button. Typically a slightly higher placing has a more modern look.

The tie bar should reach about 3/4 of the width of your tie. A little shorter is fine, but the tie bar should never be wider than the necktie. That being said, you will need different tie bar length depending on the width of your tie. Tie bars that are 1.75″ – 2.25″ in width are great for regular width ties (about 3.25″ wide), tie bars that are about 1.5″ wide are excellent for narrow neckties ranging from 2.35″ – 2.9″ in width, and very narrow tie bars that are 1″ – 1.25″ wide are great for very skinny ties that are narrower than 2″ wide.

The tie bar is designed to attach your necktie to your dress shirt. Thus, make sure to clip both ends of the tie onto your shirt (see left image). Don’t just clip both end of the necktie together (shown in right picture) which completely defeats the purpose of the tie bar.

Today tie bars are no longer just plain silver or gold in color. While gold and silver tie bars are the most elegant choice, some occasions are perfect to have some fun with some bold colored pieces. When wearing a silver or gold tie bar make sure that the color matches other metals on your ensemble such as your belt buckle, watch, and cufflinks. When wearing a colored tie bar make sure the color coordinates with your outfit and the occasion.

Further Reading Suggestions:
How to Wear a Skinny Tie
Basic Overview of Common Necktie Accessories