• 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.

Necktie shootout!

Threadbearer

Distinguished Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
2,747
Reaction score
652
As part of my latest clothing-related project (see The Great Necktie Culling of 2010), I submit this related thread.

Here are two ties that seem very similar to me. One is a Brooks Brothers classic (generally favored "˜round these parts
fing02[1].gif
) and the other is a Jos A. Bank cheapie (generally despised here
ffffuuuu.gif
).

Shootout.jpg


To me, they seem to have the same weight and flexibility, the same degree of sheen and texture, and even very similar patterns. They both knot very well and untie easily. After receiving similar amounts of wear, both still hang straight and true. The chief difference I can discern is merely that one is a bit more gray than green, the other a bit more green than gray. (This photo slightly exaggerates the difference in color.)

Please help me understand why one of these ties may be preferable to the other, if, indeed, you even think that's the case. I'm trying to establish some guidelines that will help me select better ties in the future.

Contributions to my related thread would also be greatly appreciated.
 

nohio

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2010
Messages
227
Reaction score
9
Originally Posted by Threadbearer
One is a Brooks Brothers classic (generally favored "˜round these parts
fing02[1].gif
) and the other is a Jos A. Bank cheapie (generally despised here
ffffuuuu.gif
).


I don't think brand is necessarily very helpful in determining the aesthetic quality of necktie. Good makers can make ugly ties and low quality makers can make fine looking ties. Personally, I don't care for either of these, but the smaller pattern of the left one is less offensive. The color and and 3-D effect of the one on the right seems very dated.
 

Trompe le Monde

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2009
Messages
1,996
Reaction score
218
i dont like that skewed shape of the repeated pattern on the right
 

Douglas

Stupid ass member
Spamminator Moderator
Joined
Aug 17, 2007
Messages
14,243
Reaction score
2,166
Tell me which tie is the Brooks Brothers and which is the Jos. A Bank and I will tell you which one is better.
devil.gif
No, seriously, the one on the left looks much nicer to me. The funny shape to the pattern on the right tie (I'm talking about the way the squares are distorted as though in a funhouse mirror) is distracting and as others have pointed out looks dated. It is also quite busy what with the large "herringbone" background. The smaller, tighter, more businesslike pattern on the left is superior, IMO.
 

Thomas

Stylish Dinosaur
Spamminator Moderator
Joined
Jul 25, 2006
Messages
28,098
Reaction score
1,279
Originally Posted by Douglas
Tell me which tie is the Brooks Brothers and which is the Jos. A Bank and I will tell you which one is better.
devil.gif
No, seriously, the one on the left looks much nicer to me. The funny shape to the pattern on the right tie (I'm talking about the way the squares are distorted as though in a funhouse mirror) is distracting and as others have pointed out looks dated. It is also quite busy what with the large "herringbone" background. The smaller, tighter, more businesslike pattern on the left is superior, IMO.

My thoughts as well. Also, the darker color of the left is less likely to upstage whatever you're wearing.
 

Steve Thomas

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2010
Messages
244
Reaction score
1
The results of this test are already skewed because everyone knows which tie is the "better" one.

Post two similar looking ties at differing price points without stating the maker or cost. Then lets see some answers.
 

NOBD

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2008
Messages
8,706
Reaction score
6,213
Originally Posted by Douglas
Tell me which tie is the Brooks Brothers and which is the Jos. A Bank and I will tell you which one is better.
devil.gif


China?
 

SpooPoker

Internet Bigtimer and Most Popular Man on Campus
Affiliate Vendor
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Oct 11, 2009
Messages
43,889
Reaction score
73,311
I like how you didnt say which is which. The one on the left is marginally better than the one on the right, IMO. Again, its that jacquardy- tone over tone pattern in the silk that auto cheapens it. If the one on the left was a silk twill, just brown with the blue florets, I think I would dig it. But all that extra texture is unnecessary and tacky-ish. The right one?
uhoh.gif
 

Parker

Distinguished Member
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Jan 9, 2005
Messages
8,895
Reaction score
15,881
Originally Posted by Threadbearer
Please help me understand why one of these ties may be preferable to the other, if, indeed, you even think that's the case. I'm trying to establish some guidelines that will help me select better ties in the future.
I would avoid geometrics altogether. Most of them are just fugly regardless of maker.
 

blahman

Distinguished Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2010
Messages
4,138
Reaction score
339
I dislike the left one less than the right one.

Textured solid ties ftw!
 

Parker

Distinguished Member
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Jan 9, 2005
Messages
8,895
Reaction score
15,881
Originally Posted by SpooPoker
The more recent Hermes geometrics are not that bad, Parker.

I'm sure some are nice, but in general I think it's safer to avoid them altogether.

Threadbearer, here's a couple good posts on Will's blog about building a necktie wardrobe:

Part 1 and Part 2
 

Gibonius

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Nov 27, 2009
Messages
24,991
Reaction score
37,244
Originally Posted by Parker
I'm sure some are nice, but in general I think it's safer to avoid them altogether.

Threadbearer, here's a couple good posts on Will's blog about building a necktie wardrobe:

Part 1 and Part 2


I found those articles tremendously useful when I was first trying to build a tie wardrobe. I still don't have a good number of the suggested pieces, but it's much better than randomly selecting whatever happens to draw your eye in the big pile of ties when you don't know how to work a tie into an outfit yet.
 

Featured Sponsor

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

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 35.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 60 38.7%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 27 17.4%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 28 18.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,180
Messages
10,579,212
Members
223,888
Latest member
alitamartin07
Top