subject: Selecting And Tying A Necktie [print this page] A necktie is not only an accessory but the most important part of a suit. If you are attending a formal event, your suit will seem incomplete without a tie. Neckties have many styles in different colors and the necktie materials are mainly in silk or polyester. Your tie should match your shirt and your suits. Because suits generally come in dark or neutral colors, the best way to match ties is to look for warm red, brown, and purple. The medium light tone color neckties are suitable for dark complexion but not the neckties in dark or too light color. The suit and necktie should usually have a properly layered appearance. Light and dark suits are both enhanced by wearing ties of contrasting shades. The width of neckties should also be coordinated with the width of shirt collar or suit collar. The large pointed collar shirt with a narrow tie or a wide necktie with a small collar suit is inappropriate.
Another thing to have in mind is whether your neckties, shirts, and suits match in color. In general it is advisable to wear three colors or less. For example, you can pair a navy suit with a blue shirt and azure necktie, the tie can even have accents of red or white stripes or patterns. The necktie fashion rule of thumb is the contrast attraction; therefore, neckties in warm hues are worn with light colored suits and shirts, while ties in cooler blues and grays are marvelous matches for dark suits. In other words, light colored neckties and shirts are suitable for light gray suits; for dark suits, shirts should be in light color and neckties should be in dark color.
You should match the color of your tie with the event. For instance you should wear bright ties for happy things, and darker ties for more solemn events. These are specific guidelines to follow when finding a tie to match a suit. There is a British style and an American style associated with striped neckties. The direction of the tie diagonal stripe defines the geographic style: a British pattern calls for a diagonal from the top right to the lower left, while an American pattern is the reverse. If your suit is an American or Italian style, your best choice is an American style necktie, and if your suit is British or French, a better choice would be a British style tie. The necktie may reflect a person's psychological attributes because the necktie remains an important and specific accessory of clothing for males. A man can show that he is confident by wearing a short tie with a large knot; ties that are too tight or have small knots can reflect that a man is self-abased. Accordingly the neckties should be worn lose to make it look befitting.
Tying neckties can be tricky and there are tips for it. If you use the following tip you will not need to turn your collar over when putting on your tie. First, make sure you button your shirt and allow the necktie to hang outside of the collar; then, tightly hold the wide end snug beneath the collar and pull hard on the opposite end until the necktie is tightly snug within the middle of the collar. If your necktie is tied well, both ends should be drooping naturally with the wide end upon the narrow one and the appropriate length is that the tie tip is right on the waist line. When wearing a suit, one's tie should be tucked into an accompanying sweater or vest.
