Tie it together

I was in a local department store the other day, passing by the dress shirts and ties, and noticed a man with several shirts in his hand.  He was looking at ties, picking one up, laying it on the shirt, and then putting it back.  I thought of asking him if he needed some help.  But since I didn't work there and didn't look like I did (I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, not super stylish), I thought I would seem a little creepy.  Now, if I was looking for ties myself it may have been easier to strike up a conversation and help him out. So I thought I should post a few tips about ties.


First off, a tie instantly dresses up a man's outfit. They are not just for suits anymore.  A shirt and tie with a pair or jeans is a great look.  Secondly, it can date an outfit just as easily.  To keep your look classic and put together, there a few things to considering when choosing your tie: width, pattern, and color.  If you haven't bought a tie since the '80's, you're in luck, because skinny ties are back in style, sort of. The trend now is about 2 inches wide. To be safe, buy ties in the 2-3 inch range.  

Now for the fun part, choosing the colors and pattern.  Most suits and sport coats are black, grey, navy, or brown, which are neutral colors.  Most shirts will coordinate with these neutrals.  A  navy coat with a white shirt and red tie are perfectly acceptable and look fine.  But a mix of patterns and colors will look more "high end".  I found two internet examples of what I mean. Notice how the blues, oranges, and browns all tie together. Blue and orange are complimentary while the brown remains neutral. The pinstripe in the coat relates to the orange stripe in the tie, and the tie's blue relate to the shirt. The patterns are a lesson in scale; one large, one medium, and one small.  The pinstripes are thin and far enough apart and subtle in color that the suit appears almost solid. The medium grid pattern becomes the background for the larger striped tie. If all the patterns were the same size it would be visually confusing.

In this second example, there are four patterns --  plaid, a stripe, a pin dot, and polka dot. The scarf and jacket are roughly the same size but the jacket reads as solid due to its more subtle colors. (This outfit would look just as good without the scarf.)  This time the tie is the smaller pattern on the medium striped shirt.  The polka dots of the pocket square are slightly larger and then the plaids.  There are several shades of purple with fairly equal tones and values but they all work in this basically monochromatic outfit. And, then the coat is the neutral background for your eye to rest. 

Believe it or not, but most colors go together.  Think back to the color wheel with its primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. When in doubt, think of colors that you see together in nature and trust your instincts.  If you really want to delve into color theory, here is a link to help:  color theory

If you don't know how to tie a tie, there are plenty of knots to try and online videos to help you out.  And make sure you tie it so the tip  hits the top of your belt.  Any longer, and your pants look high waisted, any shorter and you start to look, well, ridiculous.

Men's fashion is not that complicated, but that does not mean you cannot make it sophisticated.  Go ahead and experiment with your ties.  And if you really get stuck, ask the sales associate, most can help you out.  Or, I'd be happy to go with you.