No matter whether you work in an office building, have an exam or maybe you are just trying to impress your significant other’s parents, sooner or later you will have to wear clothes that fit the formal setting. Now with this comes the choice: should I, or should I not wear a tie? The short answer is, absolutely you should, just make sure you do it right.
When it comes to formal clothing the golden rule of quality over quantity is an undisputable truth. Do not make the mistake of all mistakes and do not wear that cheap polyester rubbish. If you are trying to make a good impression, it will not help that you wear a tie that is comparable to a plastic bag. It is way better to invest into one or two silk beauties that will both look great and last for ages, than to have an ugly tie for every day of the week.
So you went to the store and picked out a couple of ties. One with a humorous beer mug design, a suave design depicting a bunch of 100 dollar bills, and an amazing tie with a bunch of footballs, since it works so well with FIFA World Cup going on. Well no, the latter might look ok now, however a couple of months from now it will not look anything close to dapper. However, you do not have to go to the other extreme and pick up a unicoloured tie. Go for a design that is timeless like you can see in the photo above. A tie pattern like that does not go out of fashion or seem off, but still provides an extra layer to your outfit. Same thing for the colour, make sure it complements the outfit and does not make you seem like you dressed up in the dark.
Great so we found ourselves a tie, have we not. Try it on. If this is your first tie, chances are you will not be wearing waistcoat and when it comes to ties, size does matter. Your tie should hang roughly just above the belt buckle. You can definitely get away with wearing a shorter one, as long as it is hidden between the shirt and your waistcoat. However if you only wear a jacket and the tip of the tie hangs above your bellybutton, you will most likely be known as someone who still uses old childhood accessories.
Hooray! We finally found ourselves a tie. Now comes the fun part, you have to tie it. The Windsor, Double Windsor or even Triple Windsor knots are the most famous and recognizable tie knots on the planet. They are elegant and quite easy to learn and tie properly. But here, dear Reader, I would like to give you a small recommendation. A tie on its own is a beautiful accessory, however most people neglect the part that has all the potential in the world – the knot. Windsor is very nice for another reason, you only need to tie it once, loosen the tie and you will probably never have to tie it again. Take your time and learn a couple of easy knots that really make that tie pop and are not overly hard to achieve. One of my personal favourites are the Butterfly knot, though it might be a bit hard to tie, but everyone should be able to manage knots like Cobra or Trinity with a bit of practice.
Lastly wear your tie with confidence and renew that knot every time you plan on wearing. Also iron that silky work of art every time before wearing it, or make sure it does not become creasy to make sure you wear nothing less than you deserve – pure perfection.