Styleforum › Forums › Men's Style › Classic Menswear › The State of Black Tie: Your Observations
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

The State of Black Tie: Your Observations - Page 60

post #886 of 1418
1/15/13 at 5:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Butler View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by johnvw View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by sugarbutch View Post

Of those posted, only these two. Cooper's tie is at the narrower end of acceptable for me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrDaniels View Post



Thanks for this post showing two reasonably faithful efforts at the correct black tie look. To me, however, the tie in the top pic looks too large; the one in the bottom pic, too small. Anyone have a picture of a "just right" bow tie from this event?



The bottom one is just about right - a bow tie should be the same width as that of your eyes to be correct! bigstar[1].gif

I believe you are right in stating that "rule." Judging from the picture, however, the tie, in proportion to the spread of the shirt collar and distance from the edges of the jacket lapels, still seems somewhat small to me. At least Cooper gets points for wearing a self-tied tie (even if someone else tied it)--and not a (horrors!) long tie!
Reply
Reply

Featured Stories on Styleforum

Antonio Liverano, Florentine tailor
Official Wedding Attire Question/Answer/Picture Thread
The official thrift/discount store bragging thread
post #887 of 1418
1/15/13 at 6:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Butler View Post


The bottom one is just about right wrong - a bow tie should be the same width as that of your eyes face to be correct! bigstar[1].gif

 

FTFY.

 

No matter how narrow the ribbon, the bow of the knot must be as wide as your face, or it will look wrong. The end. The only exception to this rule is a bolo tie, which does not create a bow at all.

 

A bulky face, looks best with a bulky bow, but a narrow ribbon will be acceptable if the bow is wide enough to match the face, regardless of lapel width or any other factor.This is why the lapels in the example upon which you commented are actually outstandingly good, where the bowtie is horrible.

 

The lapels are best matched to the width of the space between face and the edge of the shoulder; fashion be damned. This is doubly true with peak lapels compared to shawl lapels.

 

Stop being fashionable and start being stylish or dressing to look your best, and you will never again worry about looking like any of the above disasters.

 

It would be better to dress in costume such as 1930's white tie or 1970's tuxedo regalia if the fashion suits your style, then to try fit yourself to any contemporary fashion.

Reply
Reply
post #888 of 1418
1/15/13 at 6:20pm

oops

Reply
Reply
post #889 of 1418
1/15/13 at 7:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by recondite View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by Butler View Post

The bottom one is just about right wrong - a bow tie should be the same width as that of your eyes face to be correct! bigstar%5B1%5D.gif

FTFY.

No matter how narrow the ribbon, the bow of the knot must be as wide as your face, or it will look wrong. The end. The only exception to this rule is a bolo tie, which does not create a bow at all.

A bulky face, looks best with a bulky bow, but a narrow ribbon will be acceptable if the bow is wide enough to match the face, regardless of lapel width or any other factor.This is why the lapels in the example upon which you commented are actually outstandingly good, where the bowtie is horrible.

The lapels are best matched to the width of the space between face and the edge of the shoulder; fashion be damned. This is doubly true with peak lapels compared to shawl lapels.

Stop being fashionable and start being stylish or dressing to look your best, and you will never again worry about looking like any of the above disasters.

It would be better to dress in costume such as 1930's white tie or 1970's tuxedo regalia if the fashion suits your style, then to try fit yourself to any contemporary fashion.

Well-said. This seems to explain why I find the tie in the bottom picture too small. Thank you for this post.
Reply
Reply
post #890 of 1418
1/16/13 at 5:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by voxsartoria View Post

I ask, however, all wide bowtie wearers to try, at least experimentally, making their bows no wider than their eyes.
Reply
Reply
post #891 of 1418
1/16/13 at 6:18am
Is it just me or is Cooper's bow less wide than his eyes? The left (his right) seems to be about aligned with his right eye, on the other side it doesn't reach the outside of his eye (at least the front bow)
Reply
Reply
post #892 of 1418
1/16/13 at 7:27am
The more I look at it the more I think that the issue with Cooper's bow isn't the width, rather the shape. A bow of that shape, regardless of size, looks like it would be more at home with a smoking jacket or at the very least a shawl lapel, while Cooper's peak jacket is better suited to the more angular bows we usually see. Put a bow with sharp, triangular sides on him, even at that width, and the whole look changes, IMO.

I also think he may need to adjust the length in back a bit. Notice that the back parts seem to be narrower than the front, so he either needs to pull the whole thing tighter or else give himself a little more length to work with.
Reply
Reply
post #893 of 1418
1/16/13 at 8:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by blackbowtie View Post

Yes, the ones I've been to in DC have usually been white tie optional, and even where the invite only says "White Tie" an overwhelming majority turns up in black tie (me included). I've been debating getting a set of white tie attire for the longest time, but have not had the courage to take the plunge. Maybe if i keep going to these balls, I should get one after all.

Also, as someone who enjoys Viennese waltz, the ultimate dream would be to go to Vienna during the ball season, and THAT would undoubtedly justify getting white tie attire (but that's presumably another thread).

Well, then I shall dance a waltz in your honour at the Ball der Offiziere in Vienna's Hofburg this coming Friday, 18 January. I am leaving in a few hours to depart for Vienna via Istanbul.

Btw, my husband's formal gloves are made of kid leather and lined with silk, as are mine. Although I have both lined and unlined opera gloves. A lady's dress should never be completely backless, and even with a strapless dress, which I wear frequently, your right hand will be well below her shoulder blade, and not come into direct contact with her skin, but rather with the fabric of her gown.
Reply
Reply
post #894 of 1418
1/16/13 at 9:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TimelesStyle View Post

The more I look at it the more I think that the issue with Cooper's bow isn't the width, rather the shape. A bow of that shape, regardless of size, looks like it would be more at home with a smoking jacket or at the very least a shawl lapel, while Cooper's peak jacket is better suited to the more angular bows we usually see. Put a bow with sharp, triangular sides on him, even at that width, and the whole look changes, IMO.

Here's a similar look with a bow tie that works, is barely wider than the outside of the eyes, and isn't clownish like the ties Tom Ford seems to prefer.

Reply
Reply
post #895 of 1418
1/16/13 at 10:23am
Who is that?
Reply
Reply
post #896 of 1418
1/16/13 at 11:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sugarbutch View Post

Who is that?

Judging by the image filename it is Henry Cavill, who I guess is the new Superman: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Cavill
Reply
Reply
post #897 of 1418
1/16/13 at 11:12am
Thnx.
Reply
Reply
post #898 of 1418
1/16/13 at 1:23pm
Accidental double post, while waiting at the airport for delayed aeroplane to Vienna.
Reply
Reply
post #899 of 1418
1/16/13 at 1:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by musicmax View Post

Is one of those a Hefeweizen?

Sorry to deviate from the thread topic, but the beer glasses (not your spectacles) are all wrong. My mum is from Bavaria, the origin of Hefe- and Kristallweißbier, which also comes in "hell" versus "dunkel", and it is supposed to be served in tall glasses:
Reply
Reply
post #900 of 1418
1/16/13 at 1:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Van Veen View Post

Here's a similar look with a bow tie that works, is barely wider than the outside of the eyes, and isn't clownish like the ties Tom Ford seems to prefer.


OK proportions on the bow tie, but now I have to say that the lapels are a bit big for his torso.


Where is Cary Grant when you need him?
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Classic Menswear

Featured Stories on Styleforum

Antonio Liverano, Florentine tailor
Official Wedding Attire Question/Answer/Picture Thread
The official thrift/discount store bragging thread
Styleforum › Forums › Men's Style › Classic Menswear › The State of Black Tie: Your Observations