Category Archives: Match your Necktie

Three Great Looks for Pairing a Gingham Shirt with Ties

The gingham shirt is a style staple any man should have in his rotation. While the gingham check is certainly more casual compared to solid colored shirts, it can still be a perfect piece for everyday business attire, paired with suit and tie. We at Cheap-Neckties.com browsed some of our favorite style blog in search for some great gingham shirt and necktie combinations. Below are three great looks that you can easily make your own.

Who said you can’t wear two different kids of checks in one outfit? Here the gingham check shirt is nicely paired with a Glen plaid jacket. The charcoal pants and color matching knit tie set a nice contrast. Two things worth taking away from this example: #1: Solid colored knitted ties look great with gingham check shirts, and #2: You can indeed pair two different kinds of checks as long as the scale (size) is different. Photo credit: www.menofhabit.com

 

 

Multi-colored gingham shirt paired with pin-striped suit, V-neck sweater vest, white pocket square, and solid charcoal gray necktie. What is worth taking away from this picture is the use of color on the shirt on an otherwise monochromatic charcoal and dark blue ensemble. Also always great is pairing a Gingham shirt with a solid colored V-neck sweater. Photo credit: http://thisandthatstyle.tumblr.com/

 

A great way to pair a larger scale light blue gingham check shirt: Brown suit & orange polka dot tie. We would also suggest adding a pocket square to this look that ties in with the orange of the tie and the blue of the shirt. A good example would be a madras check pocket square in blues, oranges, and browns. Photo credit: www.acuratedman.com

Other Suggested Readings:
Summer Looks for 2013
How to Rock a Tie Bar

Your Cheap-Neckties.com Team

Finding the Perfect Neckties for Your Button Down Collared Shirts

Perfect with or without a necktie: the somewhat casual, button-down collar dress shirt.

Owning a great collection of ties is only one small part of dressing well. Even more important is knowing how to pair them to the rest of your wardrobe. Last week we published an article on pairing striped ties and striped shirts – something that is, despite a popular misconception, a great sartorial choice. This time we are focusing our attention on matching ties to a particular dress shirt style: The button-down collar shirt.

Casual in Nature
Typically shirts that have button-down collar are a bit more casual in nature compared to standard turn-down collar shirts. To compliment the more casual feel, most shirt makers use this collar type in combination with casual fabrics and patterns. Solid shirts featuring this collar style are commonly made from a so-called oxford cloth – a fabric that is a bit coarser in nature and reminds a bit of linen. Common fabric patterns for button down collar shirts are narrow vertical stripes as well as check patterns (especially tattersall and window pane).

Wearing Ties with Button Down Collar Shirts
Because this collar style takes away a bit of the shirt’s formality, it is a clothing piece that is best paired with more casual ties – meaning formal solid color ties made from a shiny satin-silk, as well as single color bow ties should be avoided. While this still leaves for a very wide range of tie choices, there are few neckties that are especially well suited in combination with button down collar shirts. The three best tie styles for these type of shirts are: Classic striped ties (repp-stripe and British regimental stripe ties), knitted neckties, fine polka dot and pin-dot ties.

Classic British regimental ties are perfect for button down collar dress shirt. Pair these two with a navy blazer or classic sports coat to create timelessly sophisticated style.

Here the button down collar shirt is paired with repp-stripe tie and vintage Harris-tweed sports coat. A perfect look for a dressy Sunday brunch.

Other Things to Consider
Button down collar dress shirts can certainly be worn without a tie, but the collar should always be buttoned down (unless you want to make a fashion statement). Double breasted and 3-piece suits should be avoided as these are two suit styles that are a bit too formal for a casual button-down collar dress shirt. Instead opt for classic single-breasted suits, or (even better) sports coats or blazer jackets. When it comes to footwear, consider oxford dress shoes as well as tasseled loafers as your top choice.

Your Cheap-Neckties.com Team

Style Guide for Skinny Neckties

If you are in your 20s or early 30s, then chances are good you own a few skinny ties ranging from 2 to 2.5 inches in width. Because these pieces are much narrower in width than traditional neckties, they got to be worn in a way that is in proportion to the rest of your outfit & body type. Weather you are a skinny tie aficionado, or are considering to add the first one to your rotation, here are all the things you should know about these stylish accessories.

The Top 5 Rules for Skinny Ties
Following these five basic style principles will already be sufficient enough to wear your skinny ties in style. Follow these rules and you will avoid all the major fashion Faux Pas that often come along with slimmer neckties.

1. Finding the Right Width Tie: Most skinny ties are 1.5 to 2.5 inches in width. The best width range, in our expert opinion is 2 – 2.5 inches. Anything narrower will looks like a leather tie worn back in the 60s. Anything wider will almost go towards a narrow European style necktie.
2. The Right Proportion: By proportion we mean two things. The first relates to the proportion of own body type. If you have a bigger frame, and larger than average neck size, then a slightly wider skinny tie (about 2.5 inches) should be chosen. The other thing to consider is the proportion to the rest of your outfit. Skinny ties simply look its best when paired with slim fitted suits and narrow lapels.
3. The Right Length: Skinny ties look off when worn too long. The best length is to have the tip of the tie end just above your belt buckle.
4. Accessorizing Skinny Ties: Adding accessories is purply optional. Because skinny ties tend to dangle around a bit more than regular width ties, we suggest adding a tie bar or tie clip to your look. Again make sure that the clip is a bit narrower in size (about .5 inches narrower than the width of the tie).
5. The Right Knot: Again, it comes down to proportion. Usually smaller knots are best. One of the best skinny tie knots is the so-called Four in Hand (see video below).

Tying a Skinny Tie

Matching Tie Style: Solid Black Skinny Ties
The solid black skinny tie is stylish, elegant, and sophisticated. If this is your look, then consider pairing the solid black skinny tie with other sleek & elegant pieces. Perfect here are monochromatic 3-piece suits, silver tie bars, monk strap dress shoes, and elegant white pocket squares made from either linen or silk.

When wearing a solid black skinny tie, it is best to keep things simple and elegant. This look here combines a modern cut suit, fitted dress shirt, and black skinny tie to create a sleek & stylish outfit. Note the narrow lapels on the suit and the shallow shirt collar on the dress shirt – both perfectly complimenting the slim width of the tie.

Matching Tie Style: Wool Skinny Ties
Skinny ties made from a coarser worsted wool are the perfect accessory for late fall and winter. They pair best with other heavier fabrics such as sport coats made from Harris tweed, 3-piece suits made from flannel wool, as well as sport coats paired with a V-neck cashmere sweater.

The perfect look for fall. This wool plaid tie in autumn colors is nicely paired with a wool cardigan in brown, and a beige camel hair sports coat.

Matching Tie Style: Knitted Skinny Ties
Knitted skinny ties are all the rage among younger, fashion conscious men. It is often a look associated with NY street style seen on stylishly dressed men in their late 20s to mid 30s. Knitted skinny ties look excellent in combination with cardigan sweaters, designer jeans, dress boots, and patterned sports coats. Depending on the color, knitted ties can be worn in any season.

A perfect look for your skinny tie in spring and summer. The bright indigo blue of the silk knit tie sets a nice contrast to the window-pane check suit.

A bit more casual, bust just as stylish, is the combination of skinny knit tie with cardigan, blazer, jeans, and dress boots.

Your Cheap-Neckties.com Team

Trending Summer Color for Ties: Aqua & Mint Green – Learn How to Wear These Pieces

While big chunks of the country is still in the midst of winter, the official start of spring is just weeks away. With the start of this coming season, we at Cheap-neckties.com have been working with a handful of our favorite designers to bring you the latest colors and patterns. One color family that should not be overlooked are bright mints, aqua, and turquoise. This uber bright color is the perfect way to greet the coming sunny days. Here are a few tips on wearing these pieces.

Best Suits for Mint Green Ties
There is no better way to compliment these lively accessories than with summer suits. Think lighter colors and non-traditioal fabrics. Suits in light to medium gray, beige, tan, and navy are best. If we had to pick three favorites, then we suggest (in order): 1. cream colored cotton (or linen suit). 2. A stone-gray vest, linen shirt, and matching gray pants. 3. navy summer suit with subtle window-pane checks, white shirt, and black oxford dress shoes.

An elegant combination of mint colored tie (style SB1504), gray pin-striped suit, white shirt, and a white boutonniere. While we certainly like this look, we would have added a pair of silver cufflinks, and a white pocket square.

Other Accessories to Consider
Mint green and aqua is a “cool” color. This means that it is much better accessorized with silver metals than with gold. Perfect here are silver tie bars, cufflinks, and belt-buckle. If you want to add a pocket square to your ensemble then best are other cool shades such light platinum-silver or bright white. As far as footwear is concerned, choose black over brown.

Your Cheap-Neckties.com Team

Stylish Winter Outfits with Burgundy Colored Ties

Certainly you can wear a burgundy colored tie with your navy blue suit, white shirt, and black oxford dress shoes. While this may be a good choice for a conservative job interview, it may also look a bit bland or, shall we say, boring. If you are looking for some inspiration to change up your everyday business look, then this post may be right for you. Below are a lots of examples of how effective of an accessory the burgundy color tie can be this winter season.

Always a winner: Navy suit & burgundy colored tie. What we love about this example is the simplicity. It is a look that is elegant, classy, and even though lacking any pattern, anything but boring. Notice the flat folded, white pocket square. It is the perfect compliment to the minimalistic color combination and a great accent for the crisp white shirt. Like this tie? Then check out this cherry red silk tie.

Two perfect outfits for the winter season. On the left the solid burgundy tie is paired with a donegal tweed jacket, striped shirt in gray/white/burgundy, and a solid white pocket square. The outfit on the left paired a knitted silk tie with a classic gray suit, a finely striped gray and white shirt, as well as a burgundy and white gingham check pocket square (not the off white colored edging, a subtle yet effective way to to add more contrast and depth). Like these ties? Then check out this Burgundy Micro Check Tie

Another great look we came across pairing a gray double breasted suit with a burgundy and white polka dot tie. The light blue dress shirt compliments this look while keeping the contrast light. The gingham check pocket square in complimentary colors is chosen yet again. Like this tie? Then this burgundy polka dot tie would be perfect.

Certainly not a look for everyone is this burgundy tie paired with gray V-neck sweater and gingham check sports coat. While the jacket certainly adds an eccentric look, it is the V-neck sweater that is an effective option for even the most conservative dresser. Our tip: Add one or two V-neck cashmere sweaters to your rotation. Not only are they warm, but also stylish.

This look will carry you over from winter to spring! The terracotta orange chinos, the pastel orange pocket square, and the fitted blue sports coat are all indicative that spring has arrived, while the subtle addition of the woolen knit tie reminds us that it is still February.

Your Cheap-Neckties.com Team

Guide to Cream & Other Off-White Dress Shirts

It’s no secret that the white dress shirt is one of the most versatile pieces in men’s fashion. That said, a lot of guys take this concept a bit too far, and simply avoid branching out and trying out other options. The fact is, white can get rather stale when worn too often, and it’s important to mix things up in order to avoid becoming “humdrum” in the way that you dress. Cream and off-white are two excellent options for adding a slight twist to the white shirts that so many people find appealing, and are far more readily available than a lot of people realize. The following are just a few tips to help you switch things up and break away from the boring cycle of one white shirt after another.

Tweed is Always a Great Fit
The first thing that you should learn about cream and off-white shirts is just how effective they can be when worn with tweed. For whatever reason, cream and tweed go together hand-in-hand. Tweed often consists of earthy browns, greens and yellows, all of which sit quite nicely with cream and off-white colored shirts. You might want to consider layering a cream shirt underneath a tweed jacket, which will add a nice accent to your ensemble while still remaining subtle. Depending upon how far you want to go with this concept, you can tie things off either with a pair of tweed pants or simple khaki chinos. Experimentation is key to finding the look that you most identify with.

Cream can Add Warmth to Your Face
Men who have an extremely pale complexion often wonder what they might be able to do in order to divert attention away from this aspect of their appearance. The fact is, a lot of guys don’t realize that stark white shirts will actually reinforce the pale qualities of their skin, while cream can actually add quite a bit of warmth and color to one’s face when worn correctly. One of the best ways to take the focus off of a pale complexion is to combine a cream or off-white dress shirt with a pair of black slacks, which is perfect not only for a business-casual office environment, but for happy hour and other, similar events as well. Finish off the ensemble with a pair of shiny black dress shirts, which will pull eyes down towards your feet.

Choose a Tie Carefully
Cream shirts serve as the perfect backdrop for an attention-grabbing tie, but choosing the right tie isn’t always as easy as many people think. The most important thing you can take into consideration when searching for the tie that is right for you is to avoid those which feature any white or cream in them, as this can easily clash with a cream shirt and cause an unattractive disconnect. Stick to darker ties for contrast. While you don’t have to necessarily wear solid colored ties, ties with patterns should utilize only black. Fortunately, red, blue, green and just about any other primary color will work exceptionally well with cream shirts.

Other Articles You May Like:
Matching Linen Suits
Tips for Matching a Necktie

Your Cheap-Neckties.com Team

Classic Navy Striped Ties

It does not get more classic than a navy silk tie with diagonal white or silver stripes. Because this color and design combination is one of the most popular styles in business, we at Cheap-Neckties.com offer a wide assortment for everyone’s taste. Navy blue ties are simple to match to all the classic suits such as any shade of gray, charcoal, black, midnight blue, and even lighter summer suits in tan, seersucker, and beige colored linen. In addition, navy neckties can be worn in any season and for any dress code. The four ties above are our best selling neckties that combine a navy blue background color with a diagonal striped design. For a larger view and to read tips on how to match each tie, please click on your favorite necktie from above.

Your Cheap-Neckties.com Team

Let’s Talk Tie Widths

Styles keep changing and ties keep getting skinner. What’s the rule of thumb to knowing what tie width to wear? The answer is that the widest part of the tie should be the same size as the widest part of the lapel of your jacket. It’s a simple rule but is often overlooked.

The standard tie size is 3.5” wide and is the perfect match for the majority of single breasted suit jackets. You can’t really go wrong with a 3” – 3.5” tie unless you pair it up with a skinny, that is a modern European cut, suit. Ties need to be in direct proportion with the lapel of the jacket. In this case, there are no exceptions to the rule. When pairing a skinny lapeled suit with a tie, the width of the tie will usually average 2.5”. It’s unusual for a lapel to get much smaller than 2” wide.

Even though trends are always changing, it is important to follow a few cardinal rules of dressing. Tie widths and lapel proportions are commonly overlooked and shouldn’t be. To look your best, always think in terms of proportion and how each component compliments the other. It’s always a good idea to have options when it comes to your accessories so make sure you have a few varying tie widths on hand. We at Cheap-Neckties.com do carry a few dozen trendy skinny ties in stock.

Other Suggested Articles:
Skinny Tie Guide
Guide to Match Your Necktie

Your Cheap-Neckties.com Team

Style with Purple Power Ties

Typically men think of a bright red tie as the ultimate attention-grabbing power tie. Then, a few years back, business Tycoon Donald Trump made the solid pink tie popular in business, replacing the bright red necktie from the #1 spot of “ultimate power ties”. After bright red and pink it is now the bright purple tie that takes over the top spot. Below are some tips and tricks on how to best wear purple ties in business.

The Meaning of Purple
Purple is a color that sparks creativity in people. Psychologists have studied the effects of purple on people’s emotions and found that it is a color that often times has a calming effect on people. In addition some consider purple to be a divine and spiritual color that is often times associated with Catholicism. How all this supports the purple tie as a power tie is not clear to us. Fact is that politicians, businessmen, and actors have been choosing bright purple ties over pink and red.

Matching the Purple Tie
The purple tie looks excellent with navy as well as any gray suit. The best dress shirt colors are plain white – this helps emphasize the purple color, sets a stronger contrast, and will draw more attention to the ensemble. Purple looks nice with both brown and black accessories – such as dress shoes and belts.

Other Related Articles:
Pink Ties for Summer 2011
Tips to Match Your Necktie

Your Cheap-Neckties.com Team

Master Your Necktie: Crucial Details

The necktie is all about details, and that shouldn’t be any surprise to you. After all, it has a history – a heritage, really – that comes mostly from its use as a traditional detail, every man’s formal finishing touch since the early 20th century. Logically, some of the most important things every necktie owner should know are about the smallest of details.

Knot Size
One of the positive developments in men’s fashion of the last decade has been a greater awareness of the necessary details. The big brands, for example, have realized that every aspect of the necktie, from the width to the knot, must be proportionate to the wearer.

Your necktie knot and the size of your collar are the two parts that you have to force into cooperation; one has to be in sync with the other. A larger collar with more space at the throat – a spread collar, for example – will require a heftier knot to fill up the space. Conversely, a narrower collar stance needs a smaller, more diminutive knot to maintain the proper proportions.

The four in hand knot is every man’s best friend because it fit into most collar descriptions, and works with most neckties to boot. Don’t just learn the knot, master it. For more information on all the different tie knots, we suggest you have a look at our guide on How to Tie a Tie.

Maintenance for Men
Even guys who have owned neckties throughout their lives don’t necessarily know how to keep one – and keep it clean. The true silk necktie is an investment piece, what with high-quality brands charging up to $200 a pop. Necktie maintenance is something that all tie owners should know and regularly practice.

One of the most common crimes men do against their neckties is to yank it off after work and then let it lie where it lands. Remember that most ties – especially the kind made for the office – are made largely of silk, a very delicate fabric. Leaving it bunched up in the knot without your neck to offer any resistance can and will mean permanent creasing in the long run – and nobody wants that.

Undoing the knot fully and hanging it up straight on an appropriate hanger (yes, there are necktie hangers made just for that purpose) will take an extra two minutes of your day. In the long run, however, you could be adding ten years to the life span of your tie. For more information on proper tie care, please see our tutorial on How to Clean a Silk Tie

Have the Hardware
Wearing the necktie alone is sufficient for the common guy. The style-conscious man, on the other hand, knows that a few extras are needed to complete the effect.

A tie bar might not sound like the most important thing. It’s a small strip of metal clipped to the front of your shirt, akin to a bracelet or ring. In practice, though, it does much to keep your tie in line – and out of the line of fire. Whether you have a desk job or you’re out on the streets all day, you won’t be able to help but be thankful that the tie bar is there to keep all that precious silk out of harm’s way.

Like the necktie, there’s no reason not to get a tie bar. They can be had for as little as $10 and the GQ-approved type can be found for $15. There are men with entire collections of these, but all you really need is a simple rectangle, without adornment or décor. It’s the kind you can wear to the most events, as well as to the office on a daily basis. Building your own record-worthy collection, however, isn’t entirely out of the question.

Other Suggested Articles You May Like:
Silk Tie Care Tips
Accessorizing with Mens Jewelry

Your Cheap-Neckties.com Team