Five Great Summer Buys for Under $20

You were probably thinking that $20 couldn’t get you anything more than a latte and a couple of Sabretts. Truth be told, it can make a real difference in your wardrobe if you know what to get and where to get it. Get one (or all) of these new pieces for this season and unlock some warm weather style courtesy of Lyndon B. Johnson.

Summer Buy #1: Board Shorts
Nobody at the beach will know that you’re not wearing $120 Villebrequin shorts and, unless you’re at St. Bart’s, you won’t be alone. $20 is sufficient for a pair of board shorts for the fashion- and budget-conscious man.

Board shorts are always a must for the summer, but only if you’re actually going to the beach. Solids, color blocks and geometrics are the most timeless designs – a darn sight more mature-looking than the graffiti-style Billabong ones anyway – that you can wear regardless of fashion trends. Pick out a strong, masculine color like navy or deep red so that you’re sending the right signals to everyone on the shore.

Check out the department stores and discount outlets for some truly righteous deals. Budget chains like Target also offer a decent selection for less than $20.

Summer Buy #2: Good Flip-Flops
Twenty bucks might seem a little steep for a pair of rubber slippers, but that’s really what a good pair costs in the US of A. A pair of Havaianas, one of the most well-known names on the market, will set you back around $16 regular retail.

Rest assured, though, that your flip-flops will perform when it counts. You won’t have to worry about broken straps at the beach, a fashion faux pas if there ever was one. Over in Brazil where everyone wears flip-flops daily, the pairs being sold for $18 and $20 in the States have been known to withstand years of abuse. You want that kind of reliability when you’re making your own style statement on the beach.

Black and plain describe the ideal pair of flip-flops. They’re simple and understated. You already worry about your board shorts and your beach bag, among other things. Why add to the list?

Summer Buy #3: Straw Fedora
Hats may have become cliché on the runway, but pieces that are this functional never go out of fashion completely. Not only does a straw fedora resist sun, sweat and sand, but it also lends the perfect amount of laid back summer vibe to any outfit you could think of.

Keep it small, plain and understated. You don’t want a huge brim that hides your face and ends up making the hat look like a parasol. A trim brim and shape will keep you looking fun and ready for action without making it hard to move or see. Besides, you want other people to be able to see the face that hides under the hat.

A plain straw fedora always works best, and you don’t need to go for any of the colored varieties. If it looks like straw, you’re good to go. A ribbon isn’t required – people aren’t usually sticklers to style on the beach – but pick a strong, dark color if you have it.

Summer Buy #4: White Jeans
Once you get off the sand and on to the shore, you have to cover yourself up a little more. A pair of white jeans is the most iconic summer item you could wear for casual and, with price tags that don’t even hit $20, now’s a great time to learn to use them.

Pair a white pair with a colorful shirt and a classic pair of shoes, and you could even add a casual belt for good measure. You want to pay close attention to fit because it dictates the overall effect of the jeans. The Euro-style body-conscious pairs over at H&M (which retail for $19) are some of the best for the season.

Summer Buy #5: Fabric Watch Straps
Think of these as the knit neckties of the watch world: you’re giving a casual vibe to an item that used to be exclusively formal. There’s a practical side to the switcheroo as well. Not only does it cost less than buying a new timepiece, but it’s also much more hygienic than sticking to leather during the sweatiest of seasons.

Other Suggested Readings:
Mens Summer Fashion Tips 2010
Easy Mens Summer Fashion Tips
Mens Fashion Colors 2010

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Neckties for the Fall Season

As summer is approaching its end, it is time to bring your fall and winter wardrobe out of storage. Besides thicker and warmer fabrics, colors are usually slightly darker, and patterns are stronger and more rugged. This is also true when it comes to neckties. While the spring calls for lighter and fresher colors, it is the darker and more muted color shades that dictate men's fall and winter tie fashion. Below are three excellent tie choices for this year's fall fashion.

Elegant Copper-Orange Silk Tie
A stunning necktie in copper-orange color. The subtle striped pattern on this tie adds a golden shimmer to this tie - perfect for the tie-wearer seeking a classic and elegant look of suit & tie. What is also great is that this tie is easy to match. The pattern will pair equally well with solid, striped, as well as check pattered dress shirt. Our favorite way to wear this tie for this year's fall season: Navy blue suit that is either solid, has fine birds eye pattern, or is a window pane check design. The best dress shirt for this suit and tie combination is the solid white dress shirt made from fine cotton twill. This tie is handmade from 100% silk. For more information on this tie, to see a larger image, and/or to buy this necktie please click on the image.

Bold Purple Paisley Tie
If you are looking to add more color during the fall season, then this purple paisley necktie will be just perfect for you. While lighter color shades of pink and lavender are better suited for spring and summer, this deep purple, almost eggplant, necktie is excellent for the fall season. What makes this tie so unique is the combination of a century old and traditional Paisley pattern with modern colors. This tie looks excellent when paired with suits in navy and gray. Our top choice outfit for this year's fall season: Medium-gray pin striped suit, classic white dress shirt, black dress shoes, and this bold purple paisley tie. You will guaranteed get plenty of compliments! For more matching tips on this tie, as well as to purchase this tie please click the picture on the left.

British Olive-Green Striped Tie
If the two suggestions above are still too bright and bold, then this British regimental tie will guaranteed be right for you. The olive green background color is decorated with a classic striped design in colors red, yellow-tan, and midnight-blue. This tie is also made from a fabric called Mogador. It is a fabric that blends fine cotton in the warp with delicate silk in the weft. This fabric mixture creates a stiffer feel and also adds a fine ribbed fabric texture - perfect for the royal British look! We like this tie most when worn with suits in navy or brown. For this year's fall season we suggest you pair this tie with a tweed sports coat in brownish color, gray flannel pants, and a white button down collar oxford cloth dress shirt. For more information on this tie please click the picture on the left.

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New Summer Style - What Items to Buy for Summer 2010

Summer is a great time to bring out – or at least grow – a sense of fashion. The season puts equal value on both aesthetic and comfort, and looking good is also about feeling good in what you’re wearing. Finding that perfect balance of ease and style isn’t always easy, but the outfits are worth repeating. Here’s some new territory that you might not have seen yet but will be worth the attempt this season.

Cotton for Gentlemen
Beside the silks and wools of high-end men’s fashion, cotton can seem like an awfully ‘low’ fabric. For summer, though, you can forget all about its pedestrian and plebian status; cotton is simply one of the most comfortable things you could find.

The cotton shirt and pants are, of course, already style staples for spring and summer. Did you know that cotton is used in more than just those? Cotton neckties and cotton pocket squares have become very common in the last few years. They’re perfect investments for the man who wants to retain that gentlemanly touch throughout the year, but doesn’t want the heft of a silk necktie in the warmer months.

Pick them out in light colors and bright happy patterns like blue gingham checks on white or a pastel pink print. The fabric keeps you cool through the heat, while the lightness of the color helps transition even fall pieces into summer. Equally summery pieces like a lighter jacket or a straw fedora should round out that warm weather vibe.

White Jeans
Say ‘jeans’ and the default color that will pop into anyone’s head is blue or maybe even black or gray. The white jean, meanwhile, is a stomping ground only for the truly style-savvy. What does it take to pull off the coolest of colors in the hottest of seasons?

First off, you’re going to need some other colors. Although white on white on white can be a very fashionable combination, it’s trickier to do than most, and you may not be able to pull it off just yet. Start by pairing non-white hues with the jeans, such as on a shirt, a pair of shoes or both. Pastels work better with duller whites like dirty white or bone; a cleaner, ‘brighter’ white needs an equally bold shade to keep up with it.

Black deserves special mention because the monochromatic outfit is one of the first looks that the modern fashion-conscious man masters. Noir accessories – shoes, belt, necktie and pocket square, to name a few – make the outfit interesting by adding shots of color. By keeping everything else white, the contrast and color play is much easier to spot.

Shirts with Shorts
You likely have a strict policy of only wearing your shirts with pants. Maybe you’d wear them with khakis, but nothing less formal than that. Now that the sun is at full strength, though, you may want to consider pairing shorts with your favorite shirts. You get much better ventilation and a shot at getting tanned, beach-ready legs to boot.

Before going there, you’ll have to change your concept of ‘shorts’. A lot of men only own two kinds: sport shorts for the gym and cargo shorts for everywhere else. Shorts also have dressier relatives, flat front pieces that are all clean lines and classic colors. Think of the usual chinos, only this pair ends a bit above your knee – now those are the shorts that any gentleman would be proud to wear in the summer.

Choose and wear them like you would flat-front chinos; you’re working with the same fashion elements, only slightly less dressy and with more leg. A white shirt is still classic, but pastels like blues and pinks work equally well to make it lively. Do you want to make it even more interesting? Wear a check pattern like plaid. Do you have dandy aspirations this summer? Throw in a contrasting cotton tie or bow tie to make it distinctive.

Summers can get all warm and uncomfortable, but you shouldn’t let that limit your style choices. There’s still a lot that you can do, as long as you’re willing to step out of your fashion comfort zone.

Other Suggested Readings:
Latest Fashion Trends for Men
Easy Mens Summer Fashion Tips
Mens Fashion Colors 2010

Your Cheap-Neckties.com Team

Larger Selection of Cufflinks Coming Soon

Dear valued customer, we at Cheap-Neckties.com have decided to expand our selection of cufflinks. Within the next 3-4 weeks we will be adding about 2 dozen of new designs. We kept the designs classic and timeless. What you will find more off are cufflinks with stained glass in wide range of colors - a perfect accessory that matches your necktie. Prices will start as low as $9.90 and all cufflinks come shipped in a velvet gift box.

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25% OFF - Promotion Ends Tomorrow!!!

Dear valued customer and reader, we at Cheap-Neckties.com are known for offering quality handmade neckties and bow ties to the absolute lowest prices. You will never pay more than $20 for a handmade silk tie on our website. For the first time we are offering an additional discount to help clear some of our inventory for new shipments and brand new designs that are expected to arrive next week. For that reason we are offering a 25% discount on your total order with no order minimums. In addition shipping will remain free for orders over $100 - and that is before the discount is applied!!! Simply use the following coupon code below and 25% will be taken off from your order. That means a $5 tie will now cost you $3.75!!!

25% Off Coupon:
TiesFashion

Please note that this promotion expires July 31st, 2010

Your Cheap-Neckties.com Team

Summer Style Shortcuts for Men

Riding with current fashions isn’t always the easiest of tasks. Aside from keeping up with the trends, you also have to watch out for aesthetics, balance and a lot of other factors. Dressing for fall, however, is particularly easy for men because there are certain items that immediately capture the ‘vibe’ of summer. Without thinking too much, these pieces will give you an instant summery outfit with all the style and none of the fuss.

Patterns and Colors
Matching neckties to shirts has always been held as an essential skill for grown-up men, but you can make even more use of coordination in the summer. Mixing bright colors and fun patterns puts an instant summery feel into any outfit you throw on. But: make sure that each pattern is different is size and preferably also different in design.

If all you ever wear are blues and whites, summer is the perfect reason to expand your wardrobe’s color palette. Pinks, greens and yellows are also very summery colors, not to mention cooler ones if you get their lighter pastel hues. Even when all you’re wearing is a shirt with khakis, these happier colors will lend a jolt of energy to your look.

Patterns also contribute in creating that fun, summery feel. Try going for less dressy ones like gingham, plaid or chalk stripes in a "summer color" like tangerine. The mindset behind summer fashion is that the season is fleeting; there’s no time to be shy, and you have to have fun at every possible moment before fall arrives and the leaves turn.

Accessories Always Help
Summer is always about fun, fun, fun. Whether that means bumming on the beach or taking a road trip is up to you, but it’s a mindset that you’ll want to bring out in your clothes. Throwing accessories into the mix always helps to create that laid back feel that is the unmistakable trademark of summer.

Fabric accessories are the easiest and most effective accessories you could get for the season because they’re lightweight and comfortable to wear. Hardy materials like twine, canvas and hemp are the summer style staples in terms of accessories, and you could get them in everything from necklaces to bracelets. You don’t need to completely drape them over yourself; just two or three should do the trick. But also keep in mind the occasion you are dressing for. Such accessories may not suit your daily business attire.

Also consider those accessories that have always been associated with a certain lifestyle. Shell chokers – those white and brown strings that American Eagle loves to hawk – are a hallmark of life on the beach, for example. Even if you’re not really a beach man, these items help create your summer story for you.

Summer’s Sleek Canvas
Canvas might be looked down upon as the territory of skater kids and all things Vans, but the fabric can be just as stylish on a grown-up man. In fact, canvas accessories are exactly what you need to get through high summer in high style.

What’s so great about canvas? First, it’s pretty tough. It’s not unheard of for canvas items to last years, even decades of use and abuse. From beachfront to interstate, the textile is a pretty reliable summer companion. In the same breath, it’s also a very versatile material, and you can find it used in everything from bags to shoes.

If you’re going to go for "killer style" this summer, canvas accessories are a must. Shoes are the easiest to find, especially since a multitude of brands now make them. Look for simple, sleek and clean silhouettes – take the classic plimsoll style, for example – since they can be paired with most everything. They can look dressy or casual depending on the rest of your outfit, but they will never, ever seem fussy or overthought.

A canvas bag is also a good fashion investment for summer, whether you attend classes, go to an office or simply need something to lug stuff around. Again, simple lines work best with canvas; decorative zippers and multiple pockets tend to make the item feel overworked and contrived. Excellent are messenger bags made from linen.

Summer fashion has many distinctive trademarks, those little details that simply scream of sun, sand and surf. You need only bring out a few of them to really put yourself – and your style – in that summer mood.

Other Related Readings:
Mens Summer Shoes
Mens Fashion Colors 2010

Your Cheap Neckties Team

Brand New Striped Tie Collection for Summer 2010

Stripes and solids are the two most popular designs on mens neckties. While solids are usually quite plain and can also be to formal for regular business attire, it is the striped tie that is one of the most popular "business ties". The design pattern on stripes can vary widely and the striped tie can portray a very conservative and traditional look as well as be fashion forward and modern. Above is a brand new collection of striped ties in bright and vivid colors - perfect for the summer season. The ties above are a perfect example of modern and fashionable striped tie design: The stripes are narrow and contemporary and the colors are fashionable and trendy.

To match these ties we suggest lighter summer suits in colors gray, tan, beige and navy. When matching patterns on shirts and suits to these ties keep the following basic principle in mind: match patterns that are different in size, and ideally also different in design/shape. For more tips on how to match each tie please click on your favorite tie above or visit our tutorial on Matching Ties. Each tie is only $10!!!

Your Cheap Neckties Team

The History of the Bolo Tie

There are ties, and there are ties, and then there are bolo ties. We’ve all seen them; a length of thin lace-like or braided material , often clasped with a decorative or fanciful fastener. And, on some level, we have all been forced to respect them; for their casual disregard of convention, while still managing to project an air of dignity and confidence. They are of an iconic Western look, and deserve to be so. And for many men around the globe, that is exactly the point. The bolo tie is as casual as the bow tie is formal; the opposite end of the spectrum, completing the tie triumvirate.

But, as probably the newest addition to the tie family, where did it come from? When and from where did it saunter onto the men’s fashion scene? Did it evolve slowly from other forms of ties, or happen all at once in a flash of inspiration? The truth is that it’s a little of both, that the answers to the bolo tie’s origins are as varied as the types of slides you can sport on one. Some historians point back to the American pioneering traditions of the mid to late 1800’s. Trekking across the continent, many settler men would adopt the practice of wearing kerchiefs or modified ‘loop’ ties around their necks. Held together in the front by a clasp or slide, these ‘ties’ seem more of a practical nature than a fashion statement. Elsewhere, beyond the American west, Argentine cowboys were also sporting a similar version of the bolo tie; this time made from thin leather straps. But, the most concrete version of the ‘evolution’ theory for the bolo tie, seems to come from Albuquerque, New Mexico of the 1930’s, and a man called Manny Goodman. At the time, Manny owned a New Mexican Indian craft store called The Covered Wagon. And, as Goodman recalls, local Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni men who came into his store around this time, began clasping bandanas around their necks. These man would go further to define the fashion by using a shell, or a silver conch as a slide to adjust the fit. Though acknowledging that this anecdote was obviously influential to the bolo tie’s creation, some disagree that this was its origin. Bola Bill Kramer points to what he considers to be the authoritative version of the bolo tie creation theory. In 1978, he wrote a book called “Bola Tie: New Symbol of the American West�, where is tells the story of one Victor E. Cedarstaff. In the 1940’s, Victor was a resident of Arizona, and a silversmith by trade. So the story goes, Cedarstaff, and some buddies were chasing wild horses across the sparse desert one day. The hunt was fierce, and in the fray, Victor’s ornate silver bordered hatband slipped off, taking his hat along with it. Wheeling his horse around, and retrieving his hat, he slipped around his neck for safe keeping, and went about his business. Noticing Cedarstaff’s new ‘look’, his friends jokingly complimented him on his new tie. But, the idea stuck, and inspired by the incident, Cedarstaff decided to create his own line of ties made of braided strips of leather, and capped with silver tips to prevent fraying. Finished with the creating part, Victor dubbed his invention the bola tie after the ‘boleadoras’ cords worn by Argentine cowboys, and applied for a patent.

Part of the reason there are so many stories of the bolo tie’s creation, is that there are so many different variations. The South Western United States lays claim to the Indian and western versions featuring regional stones and Native American silversmithing traditions. While, further south, Argentina takes credit for the use of three interwoven leather straps, and call it the ‘lariat’ tie. The British even have their own version called the ‘bootlace’ tie, which was popular with stylish ‘Teddy Boys’ during the 1950’s. About the only constant with the bolo tie, is that it must be worn beneath the shirt collar like a traditional tie. Other than that, it seems to be that the sky’s the limit as to how one may customize their own personal bolo tie look. But then, more than other tie, the bolo tie is less a fashion accessory, and more a statement of character.

Other Related Readings:
Types of Neckwear for Men
Ascots and Other Unusual Ties

Your Cheap-Neckties.com Team - Cheap Neck & Cheap Bow Ties on the Web