How a Tie Can Really Tie It All Together
It seems like such a simple thing on the surface – a length of eye-catching, high-quality patterned silk, worn around the collar of a shirt. There’s not much to it, right? The impact that a tie has on your overall look, however, should never be underestimated. The right tie is as essential to your style as any other part of your outfit, and your tie choice and manner of wearing it can send a message about your confidence and level of authority. It’s important, therefore, that you not only choose the right tie for the occasion and for your suit, but that you wear it in a way that reflects the image you want to project.
There’s more to selecting a tie than you might think. You want to choose the best width and length for your body type and proportions. Then there’s the matter of finding the colors and patterns that best align with your personal style. Finally, you’ll want to coordinate your tie selections with a variety of looks already in your closet, or choose some to go with any new looks you’re cultivating.
If you’re already overwhelmed just by the vast array of tie types available, here’s a short video to help you understand the different patterns of ties, and the context in which each of them is most appropriate.
Once you’ve chosen some ties to integrate into your wardrobe, the next step is learning what to do with them. How many types of dress tie knots do you know? Most people learn one way to tie a tie, and stop there, but there are several types of tie knots you can choose from. In this quick video, you can see an overview of four types of tie knots, what fabric to wear them with, which occasions, and what body types they work best for.
If you’re ready to expand your knot repertoire and would like to learn how to create these knots yourself, we’ve got some handy video tutorials that can help you out. You can easily learn how to tie a Pratt or Shelby knot, a Half Windsor, a Full Windsor, or a Four in Hand Knot.
As you can see, when it comes to choosing ties and wearing them, you’ve got some options. Taking the time to learn about this important element of your wardrobe, though, is a small investment that yields great returns. Wearing a good tie correctly shows that you care about how you look and how you present yourself to the world. It gives people confidence in you, but more importantly, it gives you confidence in yourself. Ties draw attention, command respect, and can make a bold statement about who you are.
All that said, choosing ties and trying them in different ways can also be quite enjoyable, so don’t be afraid to experiment, and have some fun transforming your look into something new!