Advice on wide ties and tie knots.

[michaelttt]

I’m in the process of having a suit made for me. Classic cut DB, and I’m having trouble both finding ties and tying them.

Suits are not something I wear often but I want to get this right.

No matter how I seem to tie the ties I already own, I can’t get that bottleneck shape from a tight triangular knot. My thinking is, I need a wider, and possibly longer, tie. I’m relatively tall: 6’1, and it seems like the part of the blade that ends up at the bottom of the knot is really quite narrow.

I would really like to try and find a 4” blade tie but that seems impossible from the research I’ve done without spending 100+. Which is not really something I’m prepared to do, given how often it’ll be worn.

I’ve tried a four in hand and a windsor knot, they are the only knots that I like the look of. But the tie ends up looking terrible.

I’ve attached some photos of the look I’m trying to achieve, if anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated. This is all fairly new to me so help would be great.

And if anyone has recommendations for 4” ties that won’t break the bank that would be brilliant. I’m in the UK for info.

While I’m here, I’m also looking for reasonably priced point collar double cuff shirts in the UK if anyone has a recommendation.

Thank you.

 

[TheIronDandy]

I don't think a wider tie will automatically fix your problem; I'm 6'4 and I don't recognise the problem you're describing. I don't think I ever looked for an extra wide tie. The real secret to a good tie knot is practice; you mentioned that you don't often wear a suit, so I will be so bold as to wager that you do not get as much practices as the gents you posted pictures of.

You could try posting some pictures of the knots you're making, it might make it easier for people to help you pinpoint what's going wrong.

Best of luck, and hope the suit turns out well!

 

[michaelttt]

Thanks very much for the reply. I’ve taken a photo of half windsor and four in hand.

This tie has an 8cm blade for reference.

It looks like a little boys tie to me. And I just can’t figure out why it looks so skinny.

If I compare it to the photos I posted earlier, the part of the blade immediately below the knot is vastly wider than what I seem to be able to achieve.

 

[William Kazak]

I see so many ties in the thrift stores now in the USA.I purchased a few for very little money. Some are wider than others

 

[bicycleradical]

Thanks very much for the reply. I’ve taken a photo of half windsor and four in hand.

This tie has an 8cm blade for reference.

It looks like a little boys tie to me. And I just can’t figure out why it looks so skinny.

If I compare it to the photos I posted earlier, the part of the blade immediately below the knot is vastly wider than what I seem to be able to achieve.

8cm is fairly narrow. I would go for 9-10.5 however it's hard to see how the tie will look without having the jacket on. The idea is to have some harmony with the lapels on your jacket.

 

[michaelttt]

8cm is fairly narrow. I would go for 9-10.5 however it's hard to see how the tie will look without having the jacket on. The idea is to have some harmony with the lapels on your jacket.

Yes, it does feel very narrow to me. But every single tie website I look at 8cm is the only option. 10cm ties seem totally impossible to find within my budget. Do you have any recommendations on where to find them?

 

[bicycleradical]

Yes, it does feel very narrow to me. But every single tie website I look at 8cm is the only option. 10cm ties seem totally impossible to find within my budget. Do you have any recommendations on where to find them?

Luxury Ties

Luxury Ties

www.samhober.com

You can find 9cm here

H.N. White - Handmade English ties and accessories

H.N. White offers a curated selection of handmade ties and accessories for men. Our ties are handmade in England from the finest fabrics.

www.hnwhite.co.uk

Part of the reason the tie looks so narrow on the shirt is because you're not wearing a jacket. You're seeing the tie against a large, blank expanse. Of course it looks tiny!

 

[michaelttt]

Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll take a look.

While I agree that will have some effect on how it looks. There is still a huge difference in width between mine and the photos from the original post.