Men’s Fashion 101 – Picking Shirts and Ties
Choosing a tie that goes well with a suit is not really that hard, but there are still quite a few men out there that still go out of the house with mismatching shirts and ties. If you are one of the unlucky few who cannot seem to make the right choice, with respect to suitable neckties, then this guide is made for you.
Here are a few men’s fashion tips and tricks in choosing the right tie to match your outfit:
On Choosing Necktie Size…
The length and width of the tie should be proportional to the size of the man wearing it. For large and rather portly men, the tie should be long enough to just touch the top of the belt buckle. For men of average below average height, the tie should just reach the bellybutton.
Now on to the width: this follows the same principle as the length of the tie. Big men should wear wider ties, and narrower for shorter men. Here is a quick tip on how to know if you have the right width tie; medium built men should have a tie that is between 3″ to 3-3/4″ wide, bigger men should go beyond that, and smaller men below.
On Choosing the Color…
The color of the tie depends on what message you want to convey to other people. If you do not want to stick out that much and just want to blend in with the crowd, a blue or green tie on a light blue shirt will give you that cool and sophisticated look. If you want to draw attention to yourself then you should wear a white shirt and a red tie. This is known as the “power tie” look and is still used by many public figures today when they want to capture their audience’s attention; even President Barack Obama uses the power tie look to his advantage.
On Choosing the Patterns…
The trick on choosing neckties with a decorative pattern is to choose the ones whose colors do not clash or are highly contrast to each other. So, wearing a piano key necktie is out of the question. The rule of thumb when wearing patterned ties is to not pair them with a similarly patterned shirt or, better yet, just wear a plain dress shirt.
On What Tie Knot to Use…
The general consensus on choosing the type of tie knot to use is that it depends on the width of your dress shirt’s collar. If your collar is a bit spread out you will need to use a knot that will more or less fill the space; just keep in mind that the bigger the knot, the more material you will use up so be careful not to make your tie too short.
Remember that these are just tips on how to pick out the appropriate tie, not ironclad rules. You can always try out these tips and give them your own personal touches to see if they complement each other.
