Tie Theory...
Well hello there again ,
Feel the difference? It's a small thing, but small things are the point. When you're sporting a tie, you can pretty much stroll in anywhere you want; it's like an Admirals Club card that you wear on the outside. Whether you're suiting up for the office or laying out a look for the evening, a tie allows you to pull together the disparate elements of your wardrobe with a touch of texture or complementary color. If you learn to do it correctly—balance the width of the tie against your lapels and shirt collar, find a knot that fits your face—you'll have dressing right all tied up.
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At GQ, we like a narrow— but not superskinny—tie, about two and a quarter to two and three-quarter inches at its widest point. Much wider than that and you start to look like a congressman. This thinner width works both at the office and on the town, syncing up with any modern-cut suit. |
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"Nice tie!" That's always what people say. Their eyes can't help but go there. So while you do want a tie that looks great all on its own, remember, it shouldn't be a novelty piece. It's meant to speak to the rest of your outfit, not stand apart from or clash with it. |
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Whether you're six feet four or five feet six, the tip of the tie should hit right at your beltline— not three inches below it, not two inches above it. That is, unless you're doing the whole short-suit thing. And then, yes, let the tie hang tight above the navel. |
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Do you want a knot the size of a P'Zone, like Stuart Scott on ESPN? No, you don't. So go ahead and ignore the half Windsor, the Prince Albert, the Super-duper Double Elliott, and all those other knots you find in sartorial guidebooks.
You really need to know only one knot—the four-in-hand. It's neither too big nor too small nor too perfectly triangular. It's natural and elegant, and it works with every collar, from a spread to a point. Learn it, never forget it, always use it.
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Love Your Dimple: The Secret Tie Weapon
"Yes, a snugly knotted tie will look perfectly fine without one," says GQsenior fashion editor Lisa Cohen. "But the dimple's the finishing touch that pulls it all together. We consider it essential." Here's how to take your look from passable to polished.
1. When you're almost done tying your tie, press your thumb against your index finger just beneath the knot, so the fabric forms a crease.
2. Pull down the narrow end of the tie to tighten the dimple, and slide up the knot.
3. Finesse either side of the dimple to accentuate the fold and set it in place.
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At GQ, we love a vibrantly striped repp tie or a boldly patterned club tie. But you're not going to see much in the way of dizzying paisleys or loud wallpaper prints. We're not into ties as conversation pieces. We like a tie that anchors an outfit. When we assemble one of our suit-and-tie stories, we almost always find ourselves reaching for solid or subtly patterned ties. They ground a busy shirt like a plaid or a gingham, and they stand strong against a crisp white or pale pink. They're fail-safe. |
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We're not saying you shouldn't own more than five ties, but if you owned only these, you'd be set for every outfit and every occasion.
From left to right:
Wool
In the middle of winter, you'll want a tie to pair with your heavier-weight suits.
Solid Black
For formalwear occasions, for a gray suit with a white shirt, or for a leather or jean jacket. Exceptionally versatile.
Pin-Dot
Like a polka-dot, but much smarter and more subtle.
Club
Any tie with a repeating logo. Once just for the Ivy League set, now for anyone with serious style.
Repp
Still a Capitol Hill staple, but now cut skinny for the cool kids, too. |
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Seems like half the covers we shoot, our guy has his tie undone. It's one of those not-trying-at-all looks that actually take some trying.
• You don't want to resemble some broker who just lost a million bucks in the last twenty minutes. So stick with a slim, cool-guy tie—not a honking power tie.
• A little scruff always helps. It's the grooming equivalent of a loosened knot.
• And get the shirt right. A washed and worn oxford is your easiest option. But if you do go with a pressed shirt, keep it understated. Avoid those Euro ones with the stiff oversize collars; there's nothing easy and relaxed about them.
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The man who rebirthed the skinny tie makes his case
"A skinnier tie just feels of-the-moment right now. It's not too mainstream and not too traditional. And there's less material, so there's less potential for a color or pattern to feel garish or offensive. Plus, the way people dress is cyclical. What's rebellion and what's conformity flip-flop back and forth. For a long time, rebellion was a T-shirt and a trucker hat. Then, suddenly, that mess became conformity, and dressing up a little bit became a way to differentiate yourself. Take the Mad Men era: Back then, looking really fantastic was the way to conform, and rebellion was the beatnik in the T-shirt. And then it just flips. So right now, a well-tailored suit and skinny tie is cool. Right now, that's the mark of an individual."—Scott Sternberg, designer, Band of Outsiders
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"There are very few ties that would work as well on Cary Grant as they would on the Beatles. But the black silk knit does, because it's both dressy and casual. It's always appropriate, whether you're dressing up in a gray wool suit with a crisp white dress shirt or going for a more sporty-stylish vibe and wearing it over a chambray denim shirt. We consider it the go-to seasonless tie; it adds lift to whatever you're wearing, no matter who you are."—Lisa Cohen, GQsenior fashion editor |
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You should think of your tie as a way to fit in with the seasons— you know, like wearing white jeans in the summer. So if you're sporting a khaki or seersucker suit, pair it with a cotton tie. And come fall, if you're wearing tweed or flannel, reach for a woolly tie. Tiemakers these days are offering a ton of options on both sides of the seasonal spectrum. These ties provide instant personality without feeling gimmicky. |
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There are plenty of times in a man's life—most of them the result of an invitation that includes the word attire—when a bow tie is appropriate. For those occasions, we suggest a tie-it-yourself version in black. However, there's a new breed of bow tie—by labels like Band of Outsiders, Black Fleece by Brooks Brothers, and Alexander Olch—that's much more versatile, much more...wearable. Trim yet dashing, it's the dapper man's version of the skinny straight tie.You can tie one on with almost anything, be it an easy cotton suit, a cardigan, or an oxford with the sleeves rolled up. Maybe you'll end up looking like André 3000 or some discriminating mixologist at a speakeasy cocktail joint. The point is, it's not about looking like a poindexter; it's about looking cool. |
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Three ways to knot up with attitude
There's a difference between wearing a tie because you want to and because you have to. Here's how to have some fun—and look sharp—while tying one on.
Twist It
In Milan, a rakish gent will twist the skinny length of his tie at the knot so that it runs alongside (instead of behind) the wider length.
Reverse It
You can also try tying the skinny length longer than the wider length. Yes, it's affected. That's the whole point.
Tuck It
If you're feeling more military than Milan, tuck your tie between your third and fourth buttons. Think Sinatra and Clift in From Here to Eternity. |
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Tom Ford on why thin isn't always in
"I've always preferred wider lapels and wider ties, as they seem more elegant and flattering to me. There is something a bit meager and uptight about a skinny tie and jacket. After so many seasons of jackets becoming smaller and smaller, they really could not get any narrower, and it seemed time to me to start making the shoulder stronger while still fitting the waist. I think that accentuating the natural V of a man's body makes men look more masculine, less boyish, and in general more powerful."
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If you haven't noticed, we're big fans of the tie bar here at GQ. And while we've been thrilled to see an uptick in real guys wearing them on the street, we've gotta say, some of you just aren't doing it right. So we askedGQ creative director Jim Moore to break down exactly how it's done
• "We see guys wearing their tie bar too high or too low all the time. The rule is simple: It goes between the third and fourth buttons of your dress shirt."
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| • "It may sound obvious, but a tie bar doesn't just clip the front end of your tie to the back end. It fastens both ends to the placket of your shirt." |
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| • "Finally, never wear a tie bar that's wider than your tie. That's the worst! Keep things narrow." |
Well try it on your own and do leave comments .....
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