I used to hate neckties. I was not alone. The New York Times recently reported on the decline of the necktie in men’s fashion. The Atlantic declared them dead in a post-pandemic world. Who can blame America for leaving the necktie in the past? Men prefer simple and casual wear, and the necktie was one more annoying accessory to fidget with.
But I’ve changed my mind. Neckties need to be in your fashion toolkit. I’m not advocating a return to compulsory neckties. I think a lot of neckties are hideous, but they do have a place, if well selected.
The first step in my conversion to necktie heaven was realizing that my dress shirts had been poorly fit earlier in life. They barely fit around my neck. Adding the tie seemed like I was choking. Recently, I realized that collar measurements mattered and that you could get a looser fit.
The second step was appreciating that other people were using ties for the wrong reasons. For most people, neckties signal formality. For others, ties signal personality, which is where you get fussy ties or goofy ties. Instead, I realized that neckties could serve a very important role in men’s fashion: they help pull the look together. They cover up buttons. They add color and provide extra texture. You can deepen a monochrome look or add some chromatic balance. In other words, a necktie is a strip of fabric in the middle of the upper body of your look. Like a good carpet, it can pull the whole space together.
This is where other men often get the necktie wrong. Instead of helping build a look, neckties often distract. For example, many men like paisley patterns because they seem ornate and fun. This is wrong to me. The last thing you need is “fun” in the middle of your chest. I feel the same way about stripes. Stripes often look bad and there’s no need to have a loud visual space in your presentation of self. I’ll also take a moment to recommend against glossy fabrics. Not only are they un-necessary, but they appear gaudy when new and faded when old.
Low maintenance men often go for simple colors, like the navy-blue or dark blue jacket with a red tie. It could be worse, but it is dependable. In the end though, it’s boring. With a little thought, you can do better with a necktie.
Right now, I treat neckties as a way to complete a look. In some cases, there is only one tie choice. A dark black jacket I reserve for grieving gets a thin black tie. But with most of the other ties, I think about color blocking, with a strong tilt toward monochrome. Simple and direct. At other times, ties provide crucial tonal variation. Light blue and purple clothes might get a complimenting soft pink or red tie. My single glossy purple tie goes well with a brown blazer. You would be surprised at the effect that working with color has. Once I started doing this, I started getting nice comments from students for the first time in a thirty-year teaching career.
Most men reading this post will find it to be an entertaining curiosity. That’s ok. Neckties aren’t for everyone. But if you want to improve your game, a careful selection of neckties can do wonders.
Bottom line: Say “yes” to neckties and a world of color can be yours.
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I'm generally not a fan of ties, but honestly, you've raised a good point. I may have to reconsider!
This post is entirely correct.