What you need to know about ties

What you need to know about ties

As a staple of most men’s wardrobes, ties come in plenty of shapes, sizes, patterns and colours. Still the most popular Father’s Day present to date, a well-cut lining is the essence of a good necktie. Ties are often the difference between two dress codes, and can smarten up any outfit. The average man owns about 7.2 ties. How do you keep all these ties in place? With a stylish tie clip of course! A grabatologist (tie collector) in his nature habitat Cravats, popularised by Croatian soldiers in the 17th century, are acknowledged as the origin of the tie. In modern times, ties have overtaken cravats in popularity, so much so that cravats are usually associated with eccentric men with bold taste. Like the Master Chef Australia guy. He likes cravats so much he even named his book Cravat-a-licious The bolo tie is another type of neckwear, favoured by cowboys and grandpa from The Simpsons. And lastly, there's the bow tie. It may not be as popular as the tie, but it's a trusty alternative that pairs well with a tuxedo.
While there are approximately 177,147 different ways to knot a tie, the three most common knots are:

The Four-in-Hand

As the easiest method, it makes sense that it would be the most common too. This slender and versatile knot is asymmetrical, and therefore it doesn’t convey an overly formal appearance. This knot is best for dressy occasions such as social activities. It pairs well with button down collared shirts, and is best achieved with skinny or medium width ties.

The Half Windsor

Fancier than the Four-in-Hand, this knot takes 9 steps and is a lot more complicated. It is a likely choice for formal events such as job interviews and business meetings. This knot is symmetrical, and looks like an inverted triangle.

The Windsor

The Windsor is as fancy as it gets and is best suited for events such as weddings and corporate business meetings. Requiring 9 steps, it’s much thicker than the Half Windsor, and is ideal for very formal events. The Windsor knot goes best longer and wider ties. The full-Windsor is larger than the half-Windsor usually requiring a tie that is a longer and thicker in length.

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*Cover image courtesy of meninstyles  
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