Tie help

[gaseousclay]

1. As a general rule, do NOT let women pick out your business clothes. Although many do have better fashion sense than men, that fashion sense is focused on women's fashions. Most don't know or understand the rules/guidelines of traditional men's dress.

agreed. my wife doesn't know how to dress herself, so I definitely wouldn't let her pick my clothes.

2. You've told us that you are unsure of what ties to wear--don't make the mistake of emulating someone who may not understand the guidelines. Copy someone who you're sure knows what he's doing. Go to a good conservative store, like Brooks Bros., look at the displays and talk to a good salesperson (perhaps an older gentleman).

a good starting point for sure, but it's essential he tries to understand the guidelines before trying to copy someone. after all, if he doesn't understand them himself how will he know who does or doesn't follow sartorial guidelines to begin with?

my two cents: check out the Ask Andy About Clothes site. I believe he has a FAQ section that gives explanations on color coordination, whether it be for dress shirts, ties, shoes or suits. Understanding a color chart and color relationships will help you to better visualize what works and what doesn't. I'm still learning myself but I think i've gotten better at it over the last year or two. it sounds like you've got the basic shirt/suit colors covered - white/blue dress shirts are very versatile as well as navy/charcoal suits. white dress shirts can be worn with practically any tie color just like a charcoal suit (they're both neutral colors). another thing to keep in mind are the seasons. some colors are better suited for certain times of year. For example, I might wear lavender/mauve/pink in the Spring or Summer but not Fall or Winter. Although, there are other colors that can be worn year-round.

As for tie suggestions, the world is your oyster. a lot of people are brand specific, so this might be something you'll have to experiment with on your own.

 

[Doc4]

I respectfully disagree with some of the advice here:
1. As a general rule, do NOT let women pick out your business clothes.

I respectfully disagree with this advice.




















You should have broadened it to include all clothes, not just business clothes. If her husband thinks he can wear white tube socks with his suit, then yes, she should be his style guru. Otherwise, they're just as clueless as the vast majority of men about proper style.

 

[gaseousclay]

Also if you were to suggest two ties for me what would they be? I dont mind looking at buying a Zegna or Hugo Boss tie.

this largely depends on your budget. both Boss and Zegna ties can be expensive, but Zegna even more so. Hugo Boss is generally regarded as cheap and not worth the prices they charge for retail, however, I do like some of their ties. I would say never to pay full retail price for any Boss stuff, whether it be a suit, dress shirt or tie. A lot of times you can find this stuff at 50-60% off at Nordstrom Rack, or you can occasionally find good tie deals on Boss from places like Macy's. I only own one Zegna tie and this was one I found used at a thrift store. in fact, I've scored a wide variety of ties at thrift stores ranging from Zegna, Boss & DKNY to Brooks Brothers, Christian Dior & CK. So, my ties range from cheap to decent and they make up a wide variety of colors. don't be afraid to try your hand at color matching when you're at the store. take a dress shirt off the shelf and drape different ties over the shirt and see how they look visually. For example, a light blue dress shirt might look well with dark blue, burgundy or other similar mixed color ties.