I have a confession to make. I love wearing ties and bow-ties. I know some of you may think I’m crazy but I think a man looks more fashionable and complete when wearing neckwear. I’m sure some of you wear a tie to the office every day while others only wear a tie to weddings or other special occasions. And that’s ok. But I wanted to share some thoughts on the types of neckwear available and give you options on when and how to wear neckwear.

Ties

Ties are the most common form of neckwear. Silk remains the popular choice for tie fabrics. In spring and summer you also have the option of cotton or linen ties and in the fall and winter you can also wear wool ties. As for tie widths (a common question I often get asked) it’s fairly simple. A good rule of thumb is to judge the tie width with suit lapels. If your lapels are slimmer, your tie should also be slimmer. If your lapels are a bit wider, your tie should be too.

Now, what styles should you wear? For starters, add solid ties to your wardrobe. Solid ties are versatile and you don’t have to worry about matching patterns. Polka dot ties are also a great addition – look for very fine, wide-spaced dots. I also recommend adding paisley ties to your wardrobe. If you’re new to wearing paisley I suggest tone on tone. Last but not least, pick up some striped ties; they too are a staple in your wardrobe. To help you coordinate your ties, I encourage you to read our blog on how to coordinate your wardrobe.

Bow-Ties

Bow-ties. My favourite. If you’ve always wanted to wear a bow-tie but weren’t sure where to start, let me help you. There are two types of bow-ties: self-tie and pre-tied. With a self-tie bow-tie you basically tie the bow-tie every time you wear it. A pre-tied bow-tie comes with an adjustable neck strap so you simply adjust it to the size of your shirt collar. If you’ve never worn a bow-tie before I recommend you start with a pre-tied and if you like wearing a bow-tie you can graduate to a self-tie. Learn to tie a bow-tie with this easy to follow video. The most common fabrics for bow-ties are silk and satin although cotton is great for spring and summer when you are more casually dressed. There are four shapes of bow-ties to choose from: the butterfly, the semi- butterfly, the straight end, and pointed. When should you wear a bow-tie? If you’re attending a formal event such as black tie or white tie, all you need is a simple black bow-tie or white bow-tie. For semi-formal or casual events you can have as much fun as you like with the vast variety of colours and patterns that are readily available.

Ascots

If you want to really change it up consider wearing an ascot instead of a tie or bow-tie. An ascot is a cross between a tie and a scarf. You wear it around your neck like a tie but tuck it into your shirt leaving the top button opened. Ascots are usually made of silk and come in a variety of solid colours and patterns. If you’re wearing a solid colour shirt and jacket you can go bold and wear a colourful ascot. If you have a pattern on your shirt make sure you choose a different pattern on the ascot and also pick up on a colour in your shirt or jacket. I do have to say that we have customers who really enjoy wearing ascots and they look dapper wearing them.

Alla prossima – until next time. Arrivederci.