10 Tie Rules All Men Need to Know

They say “behind every great man there must be an even greater woman”, well, the statement may be true in life, but when it pertains to men’s style or the world of the necktie, I would say “behind every great tie is a greater man”. Let’s look at the tie rules for men.

A tie is a powerful accessory, it is one of the first things people notice when you dress up or suit up. A nice tie sets you apart from others and can easily distinguish you as a classy man.

As you all know, working professionals all over the world wear a suit and one major accessory that is meant to complete a suit look is the Neck Tie. Sadly, it is one accessory that most men don’t understand how to incorporate well in their dressing. Here are common mistakes that men make with neckties.

1.     Buying ONLY plain colored ties – usually basic colors like black, navy blue and red
2.    Repeating the same tie multiple times within a week
3.    Maintaining the same tie knot their entire lives, never untying the knot and would never experiment with different types of knots
4.    Not washing their tie throughout its lifetime in their wardrobe, but don’t treat their clothes same way.
5.    Never shopping for new neckties and keep wearing the same old ones for so many years
6.    Not adding a touch of elegance to their ties using either a Tie Bar/Tie Pin [Many don’t even know what these accessories are]
7.    They don’t pay attention to the tie width or tie length and feel any length or width goes.

The list goes on…

Source: kickstarter.com

Today I decided to write this post to help you understand a few important things about necktie, various types and how to knot them, when to wear each type, how to incorporate your tie into your workwear and suit look, how to combine them with tie accessories like Tie Pin/Bar.

Before we go further, let me make a general rule about Ties clear to you, alright – “YOUR TIE SHOULD ALWAYS BE DARKER THAN YOUR DRESS SHIRT“. 

Now that I’ve made this one single rule clear, here are 10 other Tie Rules You Need To Know…Enjoy!

Also Read: How to Match Ties to Pocket Squares

 

TIE RULES FOR MEN: 10 THINGS EVERY MODERN GENTLEMAN NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT TIES

1. WEAR THE RIGHT TIE FOR THE RIGHT OCCASION

There is time for everything and this is so true when it comes to wearing ties as well. For serious business, there are basically two options you have – (a) and (b)

1. First is to go for the plain solid ties with deep rich color such as dark blue, burgundy, dark green. You should choose these types for Monday or Tuesday business meetings.
2. The second option is to go for the “Power Tie”. Power ties are classy and powerful and will always get you the attention you desire.  Power colors for ties include blue, nice shades of yellow and any shade of red this includes bright high gloss or solid red, dark red, cherry red and other shades of red. This is recommended when you want to make a statement with your tie.
3. For less serious business days such as Wednesdays and Thursdays at the office, you may wear Polka dot, Knit or Paisley ties.
4. For smart casual – choose plaid, colorful and striped ties. These types are the best for such an occasion.

2. INVEST IN QUALITY TIES

A high-quality necktie will always stand out from a cheap tie in any number of ways. First of all, they are made in 100% silk. To confirm if it’s original silk, feel the fabric across your skin by running through it with the back of your hand. If it moves smoothly, then it means it’s original. High-quality ties are also resilient, so to test this, gently tug at both ends of the tie to see if it returns to its original shape.

A quality tie also has the Tie’s Bar Tack, how do you check for this – Turn the tie over. Look for a small horizontal stitch at the back of the broader end of the tie. This stitch is what holds the two sides of the tie together and prevents the tie from pulling open. A quality tie also has the Tie’s Slip Stitch, this helps the tie return to its original shape when removed from your neck and is located at the back of the necktie at the upper part. Gently pull the slip-stitch, and the tie fabric should shift up and down.

Also Read: 25 Suit Rules All Men Need to Know

3. AVOID IMPROPER TIE LENGTH

A man’s tie should always end at the center of his belt buckle when he stands upright. A simple touch overlooked by many. Whether you are tall or short, ensure your tie length doesn’t extend more than your belt buckle.

4. AVOID IMPROPER TIE WIDTH

Avoid Big, Fat, Wide Ties. The general rule for the right tie width is – not too wide, not too narrow? However, I would say your tie width should be proportional to your body type, your dress shirt, and your suit lapel width. Simple.

5. FOR A CLASSIC LOOK, DON’T FORGET THE NECKTIE DIMPLE

Simply put, the necktie dimple is the telltale sign of a professional who knows how to wear a tie. A well-dimpled necktie can make a great first impression in business situations as well as social occasions.

6. FOR YOUR CASUAL OUTFIT, GO FOR A SLIM TIE.

If you’re wearing a tie as part of your casual outfit, go for a slimmer tie instead of the wider ones. Keep the wider ones for the office, but still, the width of the tie should be the same as the width of the lapel of your suit. You’ll look much more fashionable this way.

7. FOR YOUR BUSINESS ATTIRE, AVOID WEARING A SHORT SLEEVE SHIRT WITH A TIE

If you want to stay looking professional and confident, stick to long-sleeve shirts when wearing ties. Avoid wearing a short sleeve shirt with a tie, unless are a student and it’s part of your day wear a uniform.

8. AVOID TOO MANY PRINTS

Avoid mixing too many patterns or prints together when it comes to your suit, shirt, and tie combination. If you’re wearing a suit, a good rule of thumb is to keep it to a max of two patterns. If you’re wearing a patterned suit, wear a solid shirt and a patterned tie, or if you’re wearing a solid suit, you can wear a patterned shirt and a patterned tie. But having a patterned tie, a patterned shirt, and a patterned suit is not acceptable.

If you’re wearing a patterned suit, wear a solid shirt and a patterned tie, or if you’re wearing a solid suit, you can wear a patterned shirt and a patterned tie. But having a patterned tie, a patterned shirt, and a patterned suit is not acceptable.

9. WEAR A TIE BAR

Now when it comes to wearing Tie Bar two (2) things are important namely, the position of the tie bar and the length of the tie bar.

As for the position, the tie bar should go between the third and fourth buttons of your dress shirt. It should clip the tie to the placket of your shirt. In addition to that, the tie bar should never extend beyond the width of your tie, it should instead extend 3/4 of the way across the width of your tie. See image below

ALSO READ: HOW TO WEAR A TIE BAR

 

10. CHANGE YOUR TIES THE WAY YOU WOULD CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES

Buy more ties. Change your ties the way you would change your clothes [which should be often], for those that are worn out, please discard. Keep on exploring by trying out different styles, using tie pins, tie bars and always stand out.

Recommended: How to Match Ties to Pocket Squares

CONCLUSION

If this article has revealed a bunch of things you didn’t know before, please leave a reply below as I’d love to hear from you. Don’t hesitate to share the story as well to people that might need the information. You would also love 25 Suit Rules All Men Need to Know

If you will like to contact us, send me an email services@kobikoachman.com. You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and Facebook. Feel free to join/follow us on any of the channels you frequently use as we continuously inspire you on how to dress well and live well.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Until next time gentlemen … Continue to Do Well. Live Well and Dress Really Well. Be Classy.

Yours in Style,

Kobi O. Mbagwu (Mr. Kobi)
Founder, KOBI KOACHMAN
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Mr. Kobi

My name is Kobi O. Mbagwu, a professional image consultant, menswear style expert, and entrepreneur who uses fashion, style and clothing as key tools in transforming ordinary men into extraordinary classy gentlemen. My personal goal is to help gentlemen dress better, live well, do well and develop a unique personal style that matches their lifestyle and goals. I believe that success can be built through style. I believe that fashion is a tool that can be used to change people’s lives positively. I also strongly believe that if you dress well, you look good, and if you look good, you feel good and when you feel good, you worry less, and the less you worry the more you are able to stay motivated and focused on your goals pursuit and by so doing you are able to live a more fulfilling and successful life.

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