The tie thread

[gaseousclay]

I love ties, especially if I can get one for a bargain at the thrift store. However, there are always those upper-tier ties I see at stores like Nordstroms, Saks Fifth and Neiman Marcus that are a little out of my budget.

which brings me to my next question, what do you look for when buying a tie? Are you brand specific? Do you look at craftsmanship and quality of materials? Do you lean towards a certain tie pattern? I'm a little bit of both. I prefer Italian made ties but a nice pattern and color combo are essential. I think all tie patterns have their purpose but I try to go for the more muted, toned down colors/patterns. I guess it really depends on the occasion and time of year for me.

what about you? Oh, where do you buy your ties? I'm always up for new tie sources so links are welcome

 

[Jacob Robertson]

I look for good quality, a nice hang, medium thickness (for easy tyeing), an easy to wear pattern, and a good color scheme. I am partial to vintage ties, Oscar De Larenta is one of my faves.

 

[NexlevMM]

^^Oscar De Larenta is great stuff.

Me, i look for a solid tie with minimal pattern, that i can take home and match to a few shirts. Variety is the spice of life!

 

[Doc4]

The tie has to look good, feel good, and work good.


... er, "work well", says the 5th-grade grammar teacher. So it needs good material, and material that has 'interest'. The material has to have a good colour/design; of late, I've been into more 'conservative' patterns and plain colours. It has to be the right shape and length. It has to have good construction quality, and 'feel' right in the hand (not too thick or thin) so it ties and hangs well.

 

[maxman]

I like ties with a conservative pattern.
Not a fan of ones that are loud and wacky.
I do have a Christmas tie (everyone should have one) but by and large mine are simple.

I've come to like the Donald Trump ties and find them on sale at Winners (or TJ Maxx when i'm in the USA).
I've got one silver/grey one that always gets compliments from a company called Apt. 9.
It's not high end, but it looks nice and others seem to like it.

 

[mayhem]

I won't buy a tie without tying it on first, then taking it off to see how the fabric looks - if it wrinkles, put it down and walk away, no matter how inexpensive it is.

If you fold the tie's fabric back a little and look at the (usually white cloth) inner lining of the tie, you will see some stripes. I was told once (by someone who should know) that the more stripes, the better the quality of the tie. 1 or 2 tie is ok, 3-4 is very good, more than that is a great tie. YMMV.

 

[Stevew443]

I tend to dress quite conservatively but when it comes to ties, I go for the wildest I can find. There is nothing quite like a good black or charcoal suit with a good white shirt and the loudest flowered tie you could imagine. In fact my taste in ties has helped me get jobs that I wanted. I really like a good silk tie.

 

[cb91710]

One word


Jerry Garcia



Oh, that's two words.

 

[Krona Kruiser]

I've got close to a 100 ties and each one has its place. Silk, cashmere, knit, madras, square tip, skinny, wide, I have them all. From Brionni to vintage Yves St. Laurent.
During Spring and Summer I like my novely J.Crew or Polo ties and Brooks Brothers are versatile for most occasions.

 

[cb91710]

One of my store managers at Radio Shack back in the 80s was a Texan and he LOVED wide ties.
Now, he was a big guy and they looked good on him.

At a meeting, the district manager commented on him wearing ties as wide as Interstate-5.

Next meeting he showed up with a black tie with two thin yellow strips down the middle

 

[vitalMyth]

color and pattern are hands-down the most important things i look for and it's not even close. if i find the perfect shade of tangerine spotted tie to match a lime green windowpane shirt, i'm going to get it even if it's the wrong thickness and possibly even if it's poorly made. after that, i am looking for thinner and lighter materials with quality stitching, so that i can easily work in a beautiful dimpled knot and the tie will retain its straightness without twisting or curling as some cheaper ties are wont to do. and then i buy a bowtie and a knitted tie as well, after which i come home and buy something from the B/S/T forum and order a new soap as well because WOW i have a problem.

 

[Cannata]

IMHO silk ties are the best. A tie should feel substantial in the hand. The very best ties are 7 fold ties. They are constructed from a single piece of silk and are folded 7 times to make the tie. Unfortunately they are very expensive and not worth the extra cost. A Talbot 7 fold tie will run you about $200. The wrinkles in a good tie shlould fall out. I also have a suit or jacket that I am going to wear it with in mind when buying a tie. I will try to buy ties I can wear with different outfits. Especially considering the cost.

 

[packersfan117]

I look for the weight (how easy it is to tie,) material (silk is my fave), size (I prefer wider ties; I'm stocky, so I can't pull off the skinny tie), and colors. I don't go by designers, as a college kid it'd be fiscally foolish for me to do so. I like solid color ties, solid colors with textured patterns, and the "Rep Tie" style of diagonal stripes. Occasionally, other patterns speak to me, such as my Green Bay Packers tie or my collection of Peanuts cartoon ties. I wish I could afford a 7-folder, but all of mine have stitching in them.

 

[cluelessdude]

Kent Wang ties are great! Im wearing the burgundy grenadine in my avatar. $75 bucks for a made in Italy tie of exceptional quality IMO. I have it in the slim size. These ties are highly recommended on styleforum.

http://www.kentwang.com/ties

 

[john parker]

Another source for ties = http://www.samhober.com/

 

[mattnick]

I look for a nice thick well made silk Tie with a color and pattern that I like. I figure that I have enough shirts that if I like the tie I'll have no problem finding a shirt to match. I like the seven folds, but won't even consider it at full retail, so I guess the first thing I'm looking at is the percentage off high enough.

 

[avsmusic1]

Pattern/Colors
Fabric
Price

I consider price third but it is one of the heavier weighted criteria. I don't know that I've ever spent more than $30 on a tie and I see very little reason to

 

[Cuttingboard]

I really like the quality ties from Sam Hober, Drake's, Kent Wang, Panta, Sette and Vanda.