Guys and Ties
Many men don't like to think too hard about ties: but they should. Next to shoes and watches, ties are the most visible of the very few accessories that men wear. Ties that are good quality and suit your personality, proportion and skin tone help to establish your professional image. Whether your style is elegant, creative, or classic, these tips should help:
Quality
- Look for ties that are good quality silk (best choice: 100% silk) and muslin lined.
- Silk is very durable and holds color well, so it can withstand years of dry cleaning.
- Quality lining helps a tie retain its shape over time.
Fit
- The end of the tie should come to the middle or bottom of the waistband of your pants.
- Ties should hang straight (no buckling).
Knots
- The Four-in-hand is one of the most popular knots because of its simplicity.
- The Half-windsor is also very popular (a medium triangular knot).
- The Windsor is a wider triangle and best for cut-away (wider spaced) collars—it is also considered more formal.
- Here’s a link to an easy-to-follow tutorial link - https://www.ties.com/how-to-ti....
Proportions
- If you’re tall and thin, try ties with diagonal stripes, which help to visually widen. You can do a wider knot (example: Windsor) to take up more visual space.
- If you’re on the shorter side, the knot should be small (example: half-windsor).
- If you are heavy-set or on the large/athletic side, ties should be proportional to your size (example: Choose a wider tie versus a skinnier tie).
- If you are large or "fashion forward," you are more likely able to wear a large patterned tie.
- Default to a more traditional look if your office environment is more conservative.
Skin tone
- Men with warm skin tones (ivory, peach, caramel, copper or golden undertones) look great in warm or yellow-based colors.
- Your best tie colors are scarlet, orange-red, coral, olive green, lime, ginger, bronze, chestnut.
- Men with cool skin tones (pink, violet or blue tones in your skin,) look great in blue-based colors. Your best tie colors are burgundy, blue red, pink, teal, forest green, white accents, light and medium blue, navy, pink-brown (taupe), purple.
