Help with buying ties

[GRussell]

A tie I posted earlier in the week was greeted with phrases like "burn that tie". As I'd prefer a more positive reaction to my wardrobe, could I get some suggestions for ties that don't need cleansing fire?


(the flameworthy tie is in <a>this thread</a>, if you're curious. It's gone, BTW)

[Fred G. Unn]

As one who proposed fire, I'd like to suggest virtually anything from Drake's. They are probably my current favorite tie and pocket square manufacturer and with very few exceptions, almost never seem to make ugly ties. Here's a link:

http://www.drakes-london.com/ties?limit=all

I really like their grenadines, knits, shantung silk, and wool ties right now.


Since this is Dappered, I assume no one is buying these at retail right? NM Last Call carries Drake's, at least near metropolitan areas. The NM Last Call near Philly always has a bunch often under $50 with a coupon (and lots of Drake's shantung silk last time I was there). Drake's themselves has a pretty good sale too, usually in January IIRC. Mr Porter also has a great selection. I usually add a few to my wish list and then I'm ready to pounce as soon as they hit 70% off during their twice yearly sales:

http://www.mrporter.com/Shop/Accesso...rFilter=Drakes

[alan]

I think there are two types of people: tie people and non-tie people. If you're a tie person, you may have 20+ ties (and that may be conservative). If you're not a tie person, you may just have 2 or 3.


Personally, I like having a wide assortment to choose from so I have about 30 and I'm not done. As such, I would be homeless if I spent $50 on each tie. That's not to say that I don't have ANY expensive ties, but most of my collection is fleshed out from gifts,what I've found at thrift stores ($2), and places like Marshall's ($12-15).


If you're not going to have many, places like the Knottery are very popular here, and the prices are reasonable.

[bj]

Assuming that, like many of us, you don't have $150+ to spend per tie, I'd check out the Tie Bar (though their quality can be hit-or-miss) and the Knottery.

[bonzo]

Check out Hart Schaffner Marx on its own website or on its eBay store. You can usually get ties for pretty cheap (although selection will be limited).

[BB]

The TieBar and The Knottery are where most of mine come from; if you can afford it, I really think the ties at the Knottery are of a much higher quality in general. It's about $25 per tie instead of $15, so it can add up quick. I also get ties from thrift stores, but they're not as plentiful as you might imagine.

[hornsup84]

Higher end and more expensive, my favorite ties currently come from Sid Mashburn. Great 3.125" width that's skinnier than your average "normal" tie, but still conservative enough to not be the "hipster" around the office (which is admittedly conservative dressing).

[YackoYak]

Third the The TieBar and thrift stores.


I wear ties mostly outside of work but have a rack with about 50 ties. It started with gifts from the wife, and then I developed a tick that drove me to "fill a gap" in my wardrobe, buying a tie for every color shirt and jacket/suit combination. I think I spent about $15 on the average tie, with some $2 ties and some at $50. I certainly appreciate the quality of the more expensive ties though.

[GRussell]

Any suggestions for specific patterns from The TieBar? I was looking at the pindot and gingham, and some of the wool striped ones are nice, but clearly I'm not the best judge of what looks good in the tie department.


@Alan I think I'm pretty definitively not tie people. Part of me is always afraid it's going to accidentally end up in a stockpot or burner.

[YackoYak]

Well, this is one of my favorites for fall, especially because it goes with almost every color:

http://www.thetiebar.com/order_page.asp?pn=23456&

[diversification]

Cheaper pin dot ties scare me a bit. To me, the tie looks off if the bottom of it isn't symmetric. To see what I mean, take a look at these two:

http://www.thetiebar.com/order_page.asp?pn=23878

http://www.thetiebar.com/order_page.asp?pn=13728


I realize the dots are different sizes, but take a look how bad the latter looks in comparison. They didn't set the pattern to be equally distributed at the bottom of the tie and despite what most of the pictures on this site show, more often than not, cheap dot style ties will not have properly pattern-aligned these ties.


Additionally, my experience with cheaper ties has been that they often don't tie as nice of a knot, don't hang as well, develop pulls more quickly and honestly will just look cheaper (though someone who isn't overly familiar with ties may not notice if a cheap tie and a more expensive tie aren't near each other).


As for what types of ties to look for, that kind of depends on what you're going to use them for, what you're going to wear with them and how you're built (for width determination purposes).

[BB]

GRussell, I would get a solid navy knit for sure. It's a great way to tame a loud shirt or jacket. The navy knit with white dots is well made and seems to be of a higher quality than some others.

I also like some wool ties at the TieBar with thin diagonal stripes.


One very nice thing about cheap ties is that you can experiment and not feel bad if you end up realizing you don't like a certain color, pattern, fabric, etc.

[GRussell]

@diversification I don't really wear ties apart from weddings and the occasional charity event.


As far as dress/dress casual clothes go: I own one charcoal suit , one twill navy blue suit, and one bluish-gray woven silk blazer. Dress shirts in white, blue, and light sage. Oxford cloth shirts in white, navy gingham, and blue. Dress pants in brown and gray (plus the two from the suits). Chinos in khaki, black, gray, and rust. Dress shoes are black cap toe, slightly less dress shoes are brown wingtip dress boots. My current stock of ties is suspect (thus the thread). Red hair, short red beard, blue eyes, 5'8", 163 lbs.


That's probably far too much information, but there it is.

[tomservo]

@hornsups. I agree that around 3 inches is the money width for ties. I have about 25-30 ties. Many of them were from my Dad or bought before I really knew what I was doing and are 4".... They look HUGE. Three inches really straddles the gap between "look at this #$%@#% hipster" and "sooooo you're going to eat lobster later?"


As for tie purveyors how about Frank and Oak? They have bid discussed here at length, and I plan on adding my thoughts after I finish this bottle of wine, but I think they make fairly stylish ties at a good price.

[Fred G. Unn]

Can you give us a time frame and/or budget? One tie for a wedding next weekend is a bit different than a handful of ties by spring. If you're looking to acquire a few timeless classic ties that will match a wide variety of sport coats, suits, etc., then you have a lot more options if you can wait for seasonal sales and eBay. If you need something immediately then your options are a little different.