The right way to wear a tie bar
Tie bars, or tie pins, were invented 20 years after the tie came to fruition. They've enjoyed a long and prosperous history alongside their complementing counterparts. But knowing how to wear a tie bar the right way will be imperative to ensuring you do your ensemble justice. In today's fashion landscape, tie bars are intrinsically connected to formal styles and are synonymously associated with sophistication and refinement. However, the effort of wearing a tie bar is completely wasted if you don't know how to wear your tie bar correctly. There are many factors, including size and positioning, that dictate whether your tie bar will do justice to your suit.
Tie Bar Length
Let's think about size for a second. This is arguably the most vital thing to get right because if you wear a tie bar that isn't the right length, your entire suit will be thrown out of proportion. It's important to select a tie bar the will cover 3/4 the width of your tie.
If you're wearing a standard necktie, your ideal tie bar measurement will be one that's 5.5 cm or 2.1 inches long. And if you're wearing a skinny tie, go for a tie bar that's anywhere between 2.5 cm / 0.9 inches and 4 cm / 1.5 inches long.
To put it in more simple terms, avoid a tie bar that covers the full width of your tie, and similarly, you don't want to wear a tie bar that covers half of your tie or less. This could be disastrous for the overall balance of your suit.
Now let's look at positioning. The positioning of your tie bar as well as the length of the tie bar itself are supposed to work in unison. You'll want to position your tie bar between the third and fourth button of your dress shirt, or roughly 1/4 of the way down. This will ensure that it doesn't overcrowd your neck whilst still residing a highly visible position. If your tie bar is placed too low, it risks getting covered by your jacket.
How to Wear a Tie Bar
When it comes to anchoring your tie pin to your tie, it's important to remember your shirt. Too many men forget that tie bars were initially invented as a practical convenience to stop your tie from separating away from your shirt. Whilst it's more of a fashion statement these days, tie bars certainly do come in handy if you're sitting at the thanksgiving table and you need to reach across for food or other items. You don't want it to become a hygiene or a safety hazard.
When you secure your tie bar to your tie, make sure it envelops the front and back sides of your tie as well as the seam of your shirt. This will stop your tie coming apart, just for peace of mind. If you happen to find yourself on a dance floor somewhere, a tie bar will stop your tie from splaying out in all kinds of directions. You want your onlookers to focus on your talent and not the theatrics of an untamed tie.
