Culling neckties (New ties added)

[Threadbearer]

A recent series of posts in WAYWRN has got me thinking about how to decide which of my old neckties must go and which ones might come back into style again. I'm starting this thread to help me figure out the difference, and what I learn from this should also, one hopes, help me choose better neckties in the future.

Some ties are clearly cheap and actually look cheap, like this one, for instance, which went to Good Will some time ago:

On the other hand, an SFer recently accused this of being a cheap-looking tie, and I completely disagree:

And here's one that's not cheap, but no one seems to like it anyway:

Under the circumstances, I'm having trouble coming up with a set of rules for deciding which ties need to be culled and which can wait until their time comes again. In fact, there might even be a third category to consider: "Ties that are perfectly acceptable in real world applications but that shouldn't make appearances in WAYWRN."

Please comment here on how you decide which ties MUST go and which can hang out in storage for a while. Pictures would be greatly appreciated. Pictures of head-to-head tie comparisons would be appreciated the most.

 

[EnglishLapel]

Honestly, all three should go. They all look rather dated and although you may like the middle one, I'm afraid most (including me) will not. To begin with you should look for a few good quality solids in navy (a knitted, cashmere/wool and woven silk) and then some navy based ones with small, subtle patterns. Then perhaps expand out to other colours but always with subtle patterns or simple stripes. Also avoid the kind of cheap looking sheen seen on the purple one in the centre.

 

[jrd617]

Who cares if they're dated or not? They're all ugly.

First one: just awful.

Purple one looks like it's vintage 1998 Perry Ellis. Stay away from geometric ties. Stick to plain pin dots.

What the heck is the design on the last one? Are those crucifixes?

 

[NOBD]

Keep 'm simple, Threadbearer.

 

[Roger Everett]

I for one, like the middle one. It also goes well with the gray suit, and the shirt color. The other two "Oh my God " -- go -go -go. A nicely done half windsor would help. Much more symmetrical.
Roger

 

[Sanguis Mortuum]

The middle one is okay, I wouldn't choose it but it doesn't look too dated or awfully cheap. It will be fine to wear, at least until you can replace it with a better purple tie.

The last one doesn't look cheap, but does look very dated. I could see Olddog getting away with wearing it though. If you're under 50 years old...not so much.

 

[Threadbearer]

Originally Posted by EnglishLapel

Also avoid the kind of cheap looking sheen seen on the purple one in the centre.
Fair enough, but don't nearly all ties sold in men's shops and dept stores have some sheen to them? Sheen is a pretty common characteristic of silk, after all.

Originally Posted by jrd617

First one: just awful.
Not diggin' its pseudo-Mayan vibe, eh? I think it will be all the rage in 2012.

Originally Posted by jrd617

Stay away from geometric ties. Stick to plain pin dots.
Come on, jrd. I think the rules can be a bit more flexible than that.

Originally Posted by NOBD

Keep 'm simple, Threadbearer.
And I think they can be a little more specific than this.

Originally Posted by Roger Everett

A nicely done half windsor would help. Much more symmetrical.
Watch it, Roger! Don't derail my thread onto another damned knot argument.

Originally Posted by Sanguis Mortuum

The last one doesn't look cheap, but does look very dated. I could see Olddog getting away with wearing it though. If you're under 50 years old...not so much.
I don't see what age has to do with it. Until recently, Olddog was cropping his whole head out of his pix.

For the record, the ties in the 2nd and 3rd pix are only a couple years old. I don't remember when I bought the first one, which indicates that it's pretty damned old.

 

[jdldore]

I like the second tie and think the third one is okay. I think the color and horizontal pattern on the first one makes it harder to wear.

For what it's worth, my general rule on ties is that I give them to my brothers or Goodwill as soon as I realize I am avoiding wearing them. I do a spot check (which takes me about a minute) every six months or so and weed out the ones I don't wear.

 

[Chips]

I agree that the third one is an abomination. Too much going on, and it looks dated.

I can't throw too much hate at the second one, even though, I'm not a big fan of shinny ties myself.

 

[Threadbearer]

Okay, so this is what happens when my school district opens two hours late due to snow and I've got just a little too much time on my hands.

I'm going to start posting pictures of my ties in batches based on how much love I think they're likely to get on SF. If nothing else, this should be fun, but I hope to learn something, too.

Here's the first flight, which I think are all SF-approved. Please notice that several of these beauties have sheen.

Ties 1 through 4 are Hober. The navy with white pindots is Nordstrom, the plaid is BB, and the last one on the right is David Donahue.

Fire away.

 

[aj_del]

This thread would be interesting if the 3 ties in the OP turn out to be vintage Marinella / Cappelli or something like that.

That said, all 7 ties in the pic above are nice though a little boring. But then SF like boring ties and eye popping pocket squares

 

[Ianiceman]

Originally Posted by aj_del

This thread would be interesting if the 3 ties in the OP turn out to be vintage Marinella / Cappelli or something like that.

That said, all 7 ties in the pic above are nice though a little boring. But then SF like boring ties and eye popping pocket squares

+1 on all of this.

I know that SF approved outfits include gray suit, white shirt and navy tie (conservative business dress) but IMO that look is crying out for some colour. A splash of red or purple or something to pop and draw your eye in otherwise you will melt into the background.

 

[jdldore]

I have noticed that as well. It is not my preference. I like harmonious, but colorful ties because they point in the general direction of the face. I could be totally wrong about this untested, sense data-driven notion, but it strikes me that the striking color should be in the center and pointing up rather than in the pocket. It could almost go without saying that's not what she said.


That said, all 7 ties in the pic above are nice though a little boring. But then SF like boring ties and eye popping pocket squares[/quote]

 

[Holdfast]

The first 3 have a very late-80s/early-90s feel to them, whether they are from then or not. That will not be to everyone's taste, and even less to SF's taste. The third one is passable in some sort of country-inspired outfit, the second in some kind of an evening-out look. The first is almost impossible to wear outside of a more retro-look.

SF, for better or worse, tends to gravitate towards textured solid-based ties with small patterns at most. Part of this is because there are lot of people here working in hierarchical, conservative, office jobs, and the classic approach to dress in those settings is to try to impress with understated elegance (ie. trying to show that you're serious and focused on quality at the expense of frivolity). I would find that a tiresome way of dressing on a daily basis, but I can see how it appeals to someone working in that kind of job.

True, there is also a smaller (but vocal) amount of praise for very bold ties like plaids and paisleys as a counterpoint to that, but your first 3 ties are neither fish nor fowl.

YMMV, but that's how I see it.

 

[eg1]

SF be damned -- I like the boring ones.

I do not like prints (except for maybe one seasonal novelty tie).