I consider myself to be a sort of tie aficionado. I absolutely love wearing ties. From bow ties to long ties, Windsor knots to Trinity knots, the tie spectrum is quite wide and impressive. The right tie can lead to a life of happiness. A good tie can win you the girl or win you the job. The power of the tie is never-ending. It seems, however, that I always come across instances where people don't know how to correctly wear their ties. Thus, I decided to write this article about how one should wear his tie, and when he should wear his tie.
Bow ties are usually solid choices.
Bows are vibrant, fun and versatile. They can be worn with almost anything in almost any setting. Whether you're going to a fraternity meeting, a formal event or just a casual outing, bow ties are always great picks. However, there are a few instances when a bow tie isn't the right decision. For the most part, bow ties shouldn't be worn for job interviews or corporate meetings; stick to the long ties for those.
Skinny ties are for skinny guys.
This one is going to hurt feelings, but it has to be said. If you don't have a slim neck, you should leave this one alone. I'll be the first to admit that I can't wear skinny ties. I'm not slender enough for them. However, most skinny ties are too small for good knots, so you're not missing out.
Great ties require great knots.
If you plan on showing up with a sloppy knot, you might as well not show up at all. You could have the greatest tie in the world, and a poor knot would ruin it. On a personal note, I love the Full Windsor and the Eldredge knot. Always remember, the larger the knot, the more respect you'll garner.
If you can't make a decent knot, your tie is too skinny.
I foreshadowed to this earlier. Believe it or not, some ties are too skinny. I've seen people struggle with even the simplest of knots because it's like tying a piece of string. Quick tip, you usually can't do a Full Windsor with a skinny tie. Stick with a Half Windsor or something simpler.
All knit ties are garbage. Don't wear them.
I get it. There are some nice looking knit ties on the market. But in all honesty, they're awful. If you plan on wearing a knit tie to a meeting or a job interview, you need to reevaluate your life decisions.
Never wear clip-on ties.
Never, under any circumstance, wear a clip-on. I don't care if it's a clip-on bow tie or a clip-on long tie, don't do it. I distinctly remember the last time I wore a clip-on tie; I was 6-years-old and I was the ring bearer in a wedding. General rule of thumb, if you're old enough to tie your shoes, you're too old for a clip-on.
Don't overdo it with the patterns.
This one can be tough to follow, and rightly so. It's difficult to know just when your pattern scheme is too much. If you're wearing a checkered shirt, you generally shouldn't wear a checkered or striped tie. However, some stripes can work well with checks, and therefore this is not a hard-pressed rule. Just as a tip, if you get dizzy looking at your shirt-tie combo, you messed up somewhere.
Your tie should not go above your belt buckle.
Ever worry if your tie is too short? Usually ties should not go above the belt buckle. However, I see a lot of instances when ties go above the bellybutton. That's unacceptable.
Don't let your ties get too frayed.
Ties can easily get frayed around the knot-area, and these require some care before they get too out of hand. You can usually just use a small pair of scissor to handle the frays, but you don't want to wait too long. If you let the frays continue to get worse, eventually the tie will be no longer be salvageable, and we don't want that.
Know how to wear your tie bar.
My biggest pet peeve is when someone clips their tie bar to their tie, but not to their shirt. This is the sole purpose of wearing a tie bar -- to prevent your tie from flopping around all day. Also, tie bars should not extend over the tie, or be too short for the tie. The end of the tie bar should fall just slightly past the center of the tie.
Don't choke yourself.
Your tie should never be tied so closely to your neck that it feels like you could pass out at any second. Ties are supposed to be comfortable and natural. If it is your shirt collar that is choking you, look into purchasing collar extenders for $5. They work wonders, I'm telling you.
