• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Drakes 10 rules of ties

TRINI

Distinguished Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2006
Messages
9,006
Reaction score
658
courtesy of the Frans Boone blog:

1. There are really only two knots worth considering: the four-in-hand and half-Windsor; and only the four-in-hand for knit ties. Other knots are novelties.

2. The self-loop at the back of the large blade, sometimes called a "keeper" but often merely the makers label, needn't actually be used in fact to hold the smaller blade, better not to, for a freer, more stylish note.

3. The blade ends should ideally reach the top of the trouser waistband and should match up in length. Not as easy as it looks to the uninitiated.

4. A small dimple at the base of the knot shows a certain je ne sais quoi of finesse.

5. With tie bars, as with mens' jewellery generally, anything other than tasteful discretion can be hazardous, and probably should be avoided.

6. A tie should always be untied carefully after wearing. As Miss Adelaide says in Guys and Dolls, "We are civilized people. We do not have to conduct ourselves like a slob."

7. Fabric ties (silk, wool, cashmere, cotton) should be rolled after wearing and then hung; knit ties should be rolled and never hung.

8. A four-in-hand or half-Windsor knot should just fill the tie space at the collar button and be taut enough to arch out from the collar a bit (Vox!!!); the mid-section of the tie should be completely hidden under the collar at the back.

9. Bow ties should never look perfectly tied. Ceaseless practice usually suffices to produce the precise look of subtle imperfection.

10. The proper length for a bow tie is achieved when the ends sit within the edges of the collar. This necessitates buying bow ties with sized graduated bands or with an adjustable slider.
 

Artigas

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
315
Reaction score
139
I usually do the four-in-hand, but I like the small knot for knits. Wearing one right now.
 

Bird's One View

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2008
Messages
1,329
Reaction score
8
Originally Posted by triniboy27
3. The blade ends should ideally reach the top of the trouser waistband and should match up in length. Not as easy as it looks to the uninitiated.

I prefer them shorter.

4. A small dimple at the base of the knot shows a certain je ne sais quoi of finesse.
The dimple is overrated.
 

Station

Senior Member
Joined
May 3, 2009
Messages
181
Reaction score
0
Only one I'd take issue with is #2. This is where sprezzatura becomes spazzatura.
 

Albern

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
816
Reaction score
2
Originally Posted by Bird's One View
The dimple is overrated.

I don't know, I kinda like the fact that a well executed dimple looks a lot like a ******
smile.gif


Regarding #7: do you keep it rolled overnight and hang straight the next morning? Would there be any issue in keeping them rolled as I do?
 

benjamin831

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2007
Messages
2,861
Reaction score
895
Originally Posted by triniboy27
courtesy of the Frans Boone blog:

1. There are is only one knot worth considering: the four-in-hand. Other knots are novelties.



FTFY
teacha.gif
 

GucciKid

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2008
Messages
540
Reaction score
8
Originally Posted by Albern
I don't know, I kinda like the fact that a well executed dimple looks a lot like a ******
smile.gif


Regarding #7: do you keep it rolled overnight and hang straight the next morning? Would there be any issue in keeping them rolled as I do?



I will often hang for a night or two and then roll. I've read that long-term hanging is bad for ties, but I would think it might keep them more wrinkle free than rolling. I execute a nice light roll, if you roll them too tight they will wrinkle.
 

Tarmac

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2006
Messages
7,134
Reaction score
39
Originally Posted by triniboy27

3. The blade ends should ideally reach the top of the trouser waistband and should match up in length. Not as easy as it looks to the uninitiated.


given a specific tie length and knot method, isn't this only possible for a single neck size?
 

JohnnyLaw

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2007
Messages
2,714
Reaction score
131
Originally Posted by Tarmac
given a specific tie length and knot method, isn't this only possible for a single neck size?
Depends on your height/torso length too, but yeah, impossible for lots of people unless you tie your tie and then adjust your pants.
 

SpooPoker

Internet Bigtimer and Most Popular Man on Campus
Affiliate Vendor
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Oct 11, 2009
Messages
43,889
Reaction score
73,311
Originally Posted by Albern
I don't know, I kinda like the fact that a well executed dimple looks a lot like a ******
smile.gif



+1 I always aim to make the perfect "Labia Cravatta". Well put sir.

Originally Posted by triniboy27
courtesy of the Frans Boone blog:

3. The blade ends should ideally reach the top of the trouser waistband and should match up in length. Not as easy as it looks to the uninitiated.


Impossible if you were a man over 4'9 anywhere in the late 80s or early 90s where the standard tie length averaged about 55-57". Now they are more like 61" or 64" where this is possible with a half windsor, anyhow.
 

Kaplan

Distinguished Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2008
Messages
5,241
Reaction score
4,556
Originally Posted by triniboy27
Ceaseless practice usually suffices to produce the precise look of subtle imperfection.
I liked this when I first read it on Drake's site and I still do.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 45 40.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 44 39.6%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 5 4.5%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 18 16.2%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 25 22.5%

Forum statistics

Threads
504,444
Messages
10,573,995
Members
223,707
Latest member
adegggguuuub
Top