Ties have been the finishing touch to a perfect ensemble since the days of the Thirty Years’ War; however, back then it was commonly referred to as a cravat. Over the centuries and after the prideful application of Edward VII (The Duke of Windsor’s grandfather), the most common sophisticated knots we use are the Full or Half-Windsor knots when tying ties.
There are other popular types, such as the bowtie, but for the sake of sanity, I’ll be addressing the idea of neckwear in general. So, with the history lesson behind us, let’s delve into some tips for tie-wearing.
The most important thing, more so than anything else I might mention, is that you must pay attention to the tie’s colors. Ties must compliment the shirt (and vest if you are wearing one). If you are wearing a navy dress shirt, it would be futile to wear a tie of the same shade — a tie should stand out.
However, you don’t want it to be too explosive or contradictory; a bright yellow tie with the navy shirt might be too much.
Remember, the tie is one of the pieces of clothing others notice the most; the tie is right in the face of whomever you are conversing with, so it will most certainly be something stared at for some periods of time.
The second most important category for wearing a tie involves the actual tying of the tie. Occasionally, if a tie is either too short to begin with or is tied hurriedly, the tie will come up short on the stomach.
A tie should never be above the belly button; preferably, it should descend to the belt/waist. The easiest ways to ensure enough length are to check the overall length of the tie before you purchase it, and when tying, to make sure the wide end is long enough to be the correct length once the knot has been tied. If you happen to only have a tie that is too short, you could wear a sport jacket to cover the tie, but try not to rely on this all the time; as mentioned in my last article, you might get warm and want to remove the jacket.
Another thing to pay attention to is the knot itself. The Full Windsor is hard to pull off unless you have a thick enough tie to maintain the knot. I’ve noticed that most of my ties deviate to the Half-Windsor, which is smaller and seems a tad askew. I’ve personally found one tie that I’ve managed the Full Windsor on, but to my chagrin, that’s it. It’s best to stick with simpler knots; although I did not mention it because I don’t find it too sophisticated, the most common knot is the four-in-hand knot.
There are countless other knots; each has a different meaning to express. One knot I find interesting but have never worn is the Ediety, or Atlantic knot, which is noticeably tied backwards.
What about pattern? I find any pattern looks good. There are far too many to mention entirely, but my favorite are paisley ties. I like ties with swirls, sheen and style. Symmetry is nice, but not required. I also lean toward blue ties. One pattern I don’t care for is geometric-dot neat ties, which have dots or studs evenly placed on the tie.
They don’t have enough “going on” for my tastes. Silk is definitely the best material for a tie; just don’t get food on it. The sheen is an added perk and is something else that attracts the eye to the tie. I asked a few female friends what they notice most in ties, and sheen came up quite frequently. Take note, gentlemen.
There are several accessories that accompany ties. One is the tie clip. These can be simplistic or extravagant, but either way, they help keep the tie ends together and give the attire’s finishing touch a finishing touch of its own.
The second item is a pocket square. This applies only to suit jackets and blazers, but it represents a whole other level of class. The pocket square follows two rules: it complements the tie and matches the vest (if applicable). Silk pocket squares are a must, otherwise you might as well take a handkerchief, sneeze into it, and then stuff it into your breast pocket.
It’s time to talk about tie prices. They can be very expensive, but can be frequently found on sale at major department stores. When new designs come out, the old designs go on sale for as much as 80 percent off. A cheap quality tie goes for a regular price of twenty dollars or more; thirty being the best of the cheapies.
Don’t get me wrong though, these are still very nice ties; Stafford Essentials and Arrow are two of my favorite brands within this price range. Jerry Garcia ties also fall into this range; I mention them only because they are very vibrant in color and design, but too much to be worn well (or safely) with colored dress shirts. I find that they look better as works of art than pieces of attire. You can buy these ties on sale in the cheap range, but be sure that you have something they go with first.
It saddens me that the Hopkins Barnes and Noble doesn’t have a tie with the Hopkins seal on it. I can picture a Carolina Blue or Black tie with the Hopkins seal in the center of the wide end of the tie.
The only tie that looks nice on the bookstore website is the silk tie with repeating “Johns Hopkins” side-by-side all over it.
The others seem too lackluster, or are sports-related (Hopkins Football tie). I don’t like how the book store, or whoever supplies them, focuses primarily on sports apparel (excluding the sweatshirts).
When I graduate, retire and (hopefully) have money to donate to Hopkins, I’d like to be able to buy a nice tie to wear on formal occasions. Maybe I’d have to see what the patrons at the Hopkins Club have. Oh, well.
It’s about that time, gang! Pop quiz — what are the things women look for in ties?
This was a trick question, I asked female friends about all of these topics, and I found that they notice almost all the highlighted attributes in ties; in fact, I added the tie clip part to this article only because it was brought up so much.
So, as I said, take note. But even if you aren’t trying to impress a lady friend, you can always know you are looking neat and trim with the right tie and the way you wear it.
