subject: Fashion By Color: Printed Neckties [print this page] Neckties typically account for a big part in the working man's wardrobe, and with reason. Unless you're the type of guy who's completely oblivious to fashion and prefers to work in exactly the same outfit you wore yesterday, you'll end up using more than a few ties in your career. Yet while many men know well enough to stock up on their neck wear, not everyone has enough color on the tie rack to achieve really sharp looks.
The Tie Situation
Chances are good that you've got at least half a dozen ties hanging somewhere in your room. Chances are also good that, once you eliminate the red and blue ones in any given man's collection, you won't have very many ties left to choose from.
Fact of the matter is that, even now that men are buying more ties than ever, many buy different pieces in similar colors. This defeats the whole purpose of the exercise, as your outfit will likely look almost identical when you wear a navy tie to that time when you wore a midnight blue one. Remember that your goal in building your own tie collection is to have some variety at hand when you dress up for work every morning.
Too many men nowadays also seem to think that ties only come in two varieties: striped and solid. While those are the general categories, there's a lot more to your neckwear than just those two kinds. Modern men's fashion is blessed with an abundance of styles and options that no man ought to leave unexplored.
New Patterns
If you haven't already done so, it's time to let your personal tie collection grow past the standard old stripes and solids. There are several new patterns on the scene that you'll want to wear for your colleagues to ogle and envy.
First is the micro dot or pin dot pattern, which has small circles that contrast against a base color. The idea of contrasting circles is hardly new, but it's only the pin dot pattern that has achieved this level of elegance. Previous iterations of the design were limited to things like polka dots, which do no one any favors. The pin dot pattern adds some depth and interest to tired old colors like silver and navy, giving you a whole new look.
Stripes, meanwhile, are often used to spice up an otherwise solid ensemble. Yet the same old uniform stripe can get boring, especially when you've worn the tie often enough. Try a Repp stripe tie that mixes up the widths of the pattern, or a regimental tie that carries a story behind the design. Tie makers now also like to use logos like team insignias instead of plain lines; it's not classic fashion, but it subtly gives your outfit some personality.
Color Check
Prints aren't the only elements of your necktie that you can explore the next time you go shopping. Bolder and brighter colors are becoming increasingly acceptable for men in the workplace, and they make a happy fashion statement without overstepping dress code.
Reds, royal blues and greens, you probably already have in abundance in your wardrobe. It's about time you tried other base colors like deep purple, which looks great with silver stripes, or even a masculine pink (yes, there's such a thing), which can be worn as a solid or balanced out with black pin dots. Donning a bold tie can really shine the style spotlight on you, giving you more mileage for the purchase price of your necktie.
One thing you should remember about bold colors is that you should wear them one at a time, and that they should always take center stage. Don't wear any other loud piece that could distract the viewer from that single, shout-out-loud style item. A single jolt of color from a moderately sized yet outrageously hued necktie can make your oldest work outfit seem fresh and new at the office again - all for the price of a tie.
