The Qualities of a Good Men's Tie

What are considered the standard qualities you look for when appraising a tie?

Obviously material is probably #1 as you can immediately appreciate the quality by the time you tie the tie?

I have also noticed that better ties remain straight and crisp, and do not lose their form no matter how many times they have been used. Is there anything else?

What are the best tie brands on the market and what makes them stand out?

Thoughts from Wise Minds Appreciated.

For me, it's going to be the material, the design, and the color of the tie

Originally Posted by Star

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Thoughts from Wise Minds Appreciated.

You may have come to the wrong place if that's what you're after

Well, I suppose tying a good knot is a given.

Originally Posted by Star

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What are the best tie brands on the market...?
Here are some of my favorites (in alphabetical order): Attolini Barba Barbera Battistoni Bizzochi Borrelli Brioni Canali Charvet Dolcepunta Drake Duchamp Ferragamo Hermes Holiday & Brown Isaia Kiton Leonard Marinella Nicky Ricci Rubinacci Turnbull & Asser Zegna

Amerikajinda made a fine list of ties that I concur are some of the best.

Overall I would suggest that when you inspect a tie then the following must be considered:


A. The entire tie must be made of one style of fabric.
Easy way to tell is when you turn the tie around and the inner cloth is made of the same as the outer and is not white.
B. The fabric will be in its entirety one cloth and not cut up made into bits sewen together.

C. That tiny loop that holds the smaller tie in place should also be made of the same fabric as the main body fo the tie.

Originally Posted by edmorel

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+1

There are a few things to look for when looking for quality in a necktie. One thing to look for is a slip stitch loop at the tail of the necktie. Another stitch to look for is the bar tack stitch. It's a much more durable stitch than is commonly used and the higher it is the better in general. You can see both the bar tack and slip stitch loop in the pic I have included below. Also as mentioned in a post above you should check to see if its self tipped and looped. Another indicator of quality that isn't visible but is important is the lining. A dual interlining of pure wool and cotton is best IMO as it assures the necktie will retain its shape and provide unmatched resistance to wear.

Q: How do you spot a cheap tie?

(Assume it's in good condition, with a reasonably nice pattern/color).

Originally Posted by UserNameToronto

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Q: How do you spot a cheap tie?

(Assume it's in good condition, with a reasonably nice pattern/color).

Generally speaking a cheaper necktie will use an acetate tipping, a label in place of a tie keeper, a single layer synthetic lining, and will lack a bar tack stitch at each end of the necktie. It will also likely use a printed design instead of a woven design but this is not always the case as most of Hermes designs are printed and not woven.

Hold the tie by the narrow end and let it fall vertically. The tie should hang perfectly straight with no turning or twisting. This shows it is cut on the true bias and will hang properly when it is tied.

The keeper loop should be set into the opening on the underside and not just tacked on.

So how are Brooks Brothers Golden Fleece ties compared to Hermes, Borrelli, Brioni, etc?

Originally Posted by metroman

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Amerikajinda made a fine list of ties that I concur are some of the best.

Overall I would suggest that when you inspect a tie then the following must be considered:


A. The entire tie must be made of one style of fabric.
Easy way to tell is when you turn the tie around and the inner cloth is made of the same as the outer and is not white.
B. The fabric will be in its entirety one cloth and not cut up made into bits sewen together.

C. That tiny loop that holds the smaller tie in place should also be made of the same fabric as the main body fo the tie.

Then Charvet and Hermes are out.

Originally Posted by Despos

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Hold the tie by the narrow end and let it fall vertically. The tie should hang perfectly straight with no turning or twisting. This shows it is cut on the true bias and will hang properly when it is tied. ......
Chris, A very good point when looking at lower end ties. This may also be true for higher end ties but if so it is sad as it is very easy to cut on the bias. For higher end ties the twist is typically caused not by an error in cutting on the bias, but by errors in folding and sewing the tie. When we train apprentice tie makers we have to slowly and carefully show them how to fold and sew the back as twisting often happens until they get experience. Metroman, An interesting thought about ties being made from one piece of silk. With very few exceptions ties are made with more than one piece of silk. Now what you you may be observing is a well made tie that looks like it was made from one piece of silk. I have had clients comment on one piece ties that we made for them which I explained were actually 2 or 3 piece ties. As for the tipping being of the same fabric - yes, this is a sign of a well made tie but it takes a bit more work to use tipping from another silk or fabric and can be a very beautiful look. TieAlign, We favor pure wool interlinings for the reasons that you mention and use cotton as an additional layer when we want to add thickness without weight, not for strength. I am curious as to what makes you say that cotton adds strength when combined with wool? In general: A good tie will first have the color, design and texture that a gentlemen prefers. After that a good wool interlining combined with a careful construction. A good knot is subjective, as is the type of fold and interlining weight or lack of. The correct length and width. At the high end luxury fabrics and a fit and finish that makes for a well balanced tie. You should not see loose threads and the folding should be balanced. The fabric and interlining will typically be cut by hand especially if the fabric design needs to finish at a certain place. A striped tie will have the larger background stripe be where the tie ends not one of the smaller stripes. In summary there are many small details that most gentlemen do not think of that go into luxury tie making. Luckily it is easy to spot a good tie: 1) Does it look nice to you from a distance? Trust your personal judgment not what others say. 2) If so pick the tie up - does it feel balanced and do you like the texture? 3) Finally try it on and if you feel good buy the tie.

It's all about the feel and the weight baby.