What is the Best Fabric for a Tie?
A delicate tie is a personal statement. It is a subtle way to say everything you want to say but have too much damn class to do so. This personal touch can come in many forms; it might show you're well-versed in the correct etiquette, rules, and regulations and which ties fit in which settings. It may show that you're a rule breaker. Maybe you just like the damn tie with the Pacman ghosts.
Whatever floats your boat, choosing the right tie ultimately comes down to balancing the precarious tightrope of practicality vs. personality, and this is where the fabric comes into play.
Hold that thought. We'll be coming back to this point.
So you want something classic, you've gone with a rich Burgundy colour. That can pretty well work with any outfit—great choice. But you don't want to look too business-like. You should wear this somewhere besides the office. Polka dots? Sold. Now, skinny? Necktie? Bow tie? Decisions, decisions. So, how do you choose the right tie? You can't go wrong with the skinny tie. It's the business chic look—formal but fun—the perfect fit for a handsome bastard like yourself.
You've finally done it. The perfect piece has been chosen, and it says everything about you. This leaves you time to focus on the crucial decisions, like what you will get at the bar.
But you forgot one crucial detail: the fabric.
Relax, my friend, we've got this covered. Welcome to the gentleman's guide:
Tie Fabrics for the Seasons
The handsome gent is a creature of efficiency. If making the right choice ever gets too daunting, the tried-and-true process of elimination strategy is a great place to start. Where to begin with that, you ask? Why, gaze out the window!
Remember when we said we'd be coming back to that practicality point? Well, if there is any one factor that can be relied on to make the hard choices for you, it's Mother Nature. Fabrics are seasonal beasts, and you can quickly eliminate and streamline part of your picking process by making the right choices for the season. With that in mind, the main fabrics fall into three categories: summer, winter, and seasonless.
Summer Styles
It's a beautiful sunny day. The birds are singing, and there's not a cloud in sight. Everything is perfect—except your outfit!
It's not all bad news; you've chosen your suit, a lovely navy linen number to keep your cool. You've got your freshly ironed, crisp and clean white shirt. You've even decided to spruce things up and celebrate the beauty of nature with a classic red rose lapel flower.
But what kind of tie to pair with this damn fine ensemble?
If the day's weather evokes a summer vibe, you'll want to wear linen or cotton fabric. These are the two best suited to higher temperatures and brighter days as they are lightweight, versatile, and pair well with other summer-oriented style requirements.
Linen can provide a more distinguished tone if the occasion is formal, like a business tie for work. It also offers a finer texture that will do justice to your well-picked design. For casual occasions, such as coffee shop stops and rooftop bar jaunts, the cotton option comes with all the summer positives of linen. Still, it substitutes the distinction with an unassuming casual class. It's the all-rounder—subtle, like a true gentleman.
Now you're getting some ideas. You've even pencilled in a floral for the tie you will go with to keep with the theme. Today is a bow tie day. Make that a diamond bow tie. The Bucharest Blossom floral bow tie it is!
Winter is Coming
There's an icy chill in the air and frost on the window, and the wool suit (a lovely grey) has been selected. Today is a pocket-square day, and you've chosen the Burgundy Velvet.
But which jewel in the crown will finish this ensemble? How do we best tie this charming, rustic look together in a way that does it proper justice?
The tones are an easy pick. With grey as the canvas, the world is your oyster, but darker, earthier tones are the order of the day to suit the mood. You've already got the ball rolling on this with the pocket square, so why not go all in?
Nice. You've almost pulled off the perfect winter look, but then that age-old question creeps up on you; "but which fabric should my tie be here?" Chill out and kick back; we've got this sorted, too.
Of course, wool and knitted ties are the clear candidates here. Besides the obvious seasonal benefits, wool is also an excellent material. It does not wrinkle easily and is quite resistant to dirt, providing a robust tie in appearance and practical application. The wool tie will give you a thick knot that will nicely complement a suit of denser material and is a full-bodied piece in its own right. Ideal for the cold.
Satin ties slip under the radar but are an equally acceptable choice. With these, you will be affording yourself more versatility as they command less attention than knits and wool. Instead, they offer a durable palette that won't fade and affords a brighter look, easily outclassing the other winter fabrics and even silks in this regard!
Comforted by the knowledge that whether you want to go all in on the winter look or dip your toe in, there is a fabric for you, and you start to relax. You pull up a cosy seat by the roaring open fire, pop a marshmallow on a stick and settle in for the night. But then it hits you. Is there a middle road that can be travelled? Is there a winter fabric that combines the engaging texture of a knit with the classic cool of the satin?
Balance thy name is velvet.
A velvet tie offers a similar thick-bodied, warm look to wool while complimenting colour and tying more effortlessly to a suit like a satin does. It also brings to the table its own prestigious and opulent characteristics that have made it a fashion staple since the word fashion was first invented (which was in the early 2000s with the advent of the bucket hat). While velvet can be delicate, a velvet tie is a fine sight and worth the care it demands.
A Man for All Seasons
Now that you know how to pick a fabric for either end of the weather spectrum, what do you do for the everyday average, run-of-the-mill scenario?
Naturally, this guide highlights the extremes of the tie fabric game and sets you up to learn the rules. Rules are made to be broken, and one thing decidedly outstanding about the standard day is that it becomes a fashion free-for-all where you can wear whatever you like. In these seasons, you can wear all of the above with confidence. The tie is often the jewel in the crown of a fine suit, and choosing the suitable tie fabric can be the difference between that jewel being a diamond or a zirconia.
For some basic rules in this regard, the handsome bastard considers not only what the rest of the outfit entails but the formality level for which they are suiting up, the occasion, the season, the quality of the accompanying suit, the materials they are already working with, the colours they want to highlight and so on. Casual? Try the wool. Wearing a dinner jacket? It might be time to whip out the Bond Black Bow Tie. Want to show off your fun side with those Pac-Man Ghost ties? Better make it cotton. Need to impress in the boardroom? That's where you can factor in our final wild card: the silk.
The silk tie is the ultimate in professional fabrics. It has an excellent and delicate feel, plays wonderfully off any light source to enhance your design, and has the perfect weight and hang. Like the velvet, the price here is a touch more maintenance as they can be more prone to creasing than a cotton equivalent, but the cost is well worth the reward.
You have mastered the seasons and can pick the perfect fabric for your tie.
That's two up you have on the local weatherman.
