Good start on suit wardrobe is 2 shirts, 4 ties to mix, match
Q. I have a question I don’t think I’ve read in your column (which I enjoy very much, by the way). Are there specific ties that convey too strong a message? What I mean is that I remember yellow ties being called “power ties.” I have a couple that I like to wear with a khaki suit, and I’ve never considered any implication. I also like to wear red ties on Fridays as a weekend celebration. Am I sending any message with these that I need to worry about (like a specific color or pattern) when I meet with superiors or clients on those days?
A. You are wise to recognize the impact of the ties you wear on your overall appearance. That said, it is true that some ties can be cause for concern in an office setting. Most often they are ones that are not dressy enough. A tie that is appropriate for business should have a name, like a stripe, foulard, paisley, pindot, solid or club. Even a plaid or a knit. It should not be a vague brownish orange tie with squiggles here and there, or a tie with triangle designs in the middle. What makes sense — and is the important concern — is to choose a tie that looks great, since it is the most visible item in a man’s outfit.
When I shop with clients, I begin by carrying the suit jacket to the shirt and necktie counters. (If that’s not possible, I bring a small swatch of the fabric cut from the bottom of the trousers to help match and coordinate colors.) You can shop on your own in the same way.
First, look for a shirt that will be terrific with the suit, maybe a white or a stripe. Suppose you find a handsome tab-collar shirt with burgundy stripes on a white background. It is perfect with your new medium-gray suit. Now look for the precise tie that will add color, flair and sophistication to the combination. Haphazard selections won’t do. It may be a small print in charcoal-gray-and-burgundy or a heavy burgundy silk with a small black dot (echoing the colors of the suit and the shirt).
Whatever your first tie selection, immediately choose a second one. It should be somewhat less conservative than the charcoal silk, perhaps an outsize medallion pattern, or a geometric in burgundy, gold and black, or maybe a paisley. Now you can satisfy either of two contradictory moods — one rather dressy and the other more casual.
With those two ties in hand, force yourself to go back to the shirt counter. Find a second, quite different, shirt — say, a blue cotton pinpoint Oxford cloth — that is also just right for the suit. Either of your two new ties might work well with the second shirt, but “might” is not good enough. When you’re out to choose clothes that call out “perfection,” select ties at that very moment that will look great with your specific gray suit and your blue shirt. Do not succumb to false economy. Instead, realize that buying two shirts for the suit and two ties for each shirt is the best way to maximize your suit’s value. You don’t need to be an accountant to know that you get several different looks for far less expense than buying a second suit.
Note: As I have written before, ties should be made of natural fibers such as silk, perhaps cotton or linen in summer, and maybe wool in winter. Avoid ties made of polyester. It is not an adequate substitute for silk, and does not make a good knot. Besides, if you are concerned about the message your tie sends, a polyester tie does not say good things about the wearer.
If budget is a concern, especially now that quality neckties have become so expensive, it pays to become knowledgeable about brand names and to drop in at a few garage sales. Don’t expect to be as lucky as I was when I found three Hermes ties in perfect condition at a church thrift shop for 50 cents each! (Unfortunately, I have not been able to repeat that feat.) Still, for the patient shopper, it is perfectly possible that you will discover a handsome tie or two from quality names you recognize for not much more than a dollar apiece. Be sure to check not only their condition, but also their width; do not buy ties that are too wide for today’s style.
The time you spend being selective while tie shopping is time well spent — and time saved on a hurried morning when you are running late and clear thinking may be at a premium. Now you know ahead of time that you will look great.