Short men and quality ties; the eternal struggle.

[Liammccabe]

Hi all!

So, if you're a shorter man like me (around 5 feet and 8 inches/172cm) then you've probably dealt with the fact that most ties from quality retailers such as Drake's, H.N. White and others can cause some difficulty.

Now I know folk may not be as particular about the silhouette of their tie as I am, but most quality neckwear will be about 8cm in width at a minimum, and the blade only nicely widens out diwn the blade if you're average height or upwards. If you're shorter you'll either end up with a knot that is too big, too long or both and with a blade which just explodes out of the knot and leaves you looking like you have an old 80s or 90s style kipper tie (relative to your stature, and even though its not).

I make this enquiry because I recently picked up a lovely navy challis tie from Ralph Lauren on their sale and, after tieing it to the proper length, I just couldn't deal with the knot profile or how wide the tie ended up looking from top to bottom. This has been further compounded by a desire to buy ties from the likes of Drake's but having no idea whether or not they'd just have the same issue.

My question is this; has anyone found ways around this that could be helpful?

Has anyone ever gone to a tailor or seamstress and had ties narrowed or shirtened, and if so what was that experience like?

Has anyone found any brands which offer ties that fall nicely even if you're shorter and they're around that 8cm mark?

Has anyone found bespoke options to be the most effective solution and, if so, what websites are best at that?

Has anyone found any solutions or tricks to disguise the issue, such as tieing the ties too long and tucking the whole thing?

Any reflections would be helpful!

 

[mercury]

5'7" here.

With longer ties, you can tuck the back blade in your shirt or trousers.

Tying a double 4-in-hand knot takes up some extra length.

Shibumi Firenze (an affiliate here) offers ties in 8cmx140cm which is a great size for me.
Other than that, I can recommend Vanda and Sam Hober bespoke.

 

[jtorres94]

I’m a shorter guy as well and I’ll usually use a double 4-in-hand as mentioned above or a Prince Albert knot. These use up a bit more length so help with that issue.

I have also gone the route of using Sam Hober to make shorter ties and they came out great. Though I have to admit I mostly rely on just tying a specific knot or occasionally tucking in the back blade for the 1 or 2 ties that I have that are extra long to solve the issue.

 

[dieworkwear]

Sam Hober and Vanda do fully custom and bespoke ties. Drake's does as well if you contact them.

Chipp Neckwear will shorten or lengthen a tie for not that much money. They sell RTW neckwear, but you can request wider or narrower blades, shorter or longer lengths.

Tiecrafters in NYC will also alter ties. They take mail ins.

As others have noted, in a pinch, you can always do a double four in hand.

 

[FlyingHorker]

5'7" here.

With longer ties, you can tuck the back blade in your shirt or trousers.

Tying a double 4-in-hand knot takes up some extra length.

Shibumi Firenze (an affiliate here) offers ties in 8cmx140cm which is a great size for me.
Other than that, I can recommend Vanda and Sam Hober bespoke.

uncomfortable to do that

 

[Liammccabe]

Thank you all! I've had a look at the Sam Hober website and I am both intrigued by it but bamboozled by thr interface! Can anyone comment on the process and product?

 

[Count de Monet]

The product and customer service are excellent. David Hober will respond to any question promptly. You simply tell him what model you want and exactly what dimensions you want it to be.

I usually tell him I want the “normal” taper and the length and width I want. But he will narrow or widen any part of the tie at your direction. He will answer any question you might have about features and explain any terminology with which you aren’t familiar.

He simply has the very best customer service I’ve experienced in any sort of retail, regardless of product or service.

The website usually says how quickly orders are made up and filled at any particular time. It’s usually amazingly quick in my experience.

 

[Substanceoverstyle]

Same issue and I'm 1.77. Only real solution I've found is putting the blade through the shirt into the trousers. It's sub-optimal, as you'd want the blade to play nicely alongside the tie itself, but its not a huge deal and not something that is visible up front. Alternative would be going bespoke or custom, which comes at a premium which for me personally just isn't worth it.

 

[moltoelegante]

You could buy any ties you like and then take a batch of them to a seamstress or tailor to be shortened to your optimal length. Seems pretty straightforward and any imperfections in the work won't be seen as they will be on the narrow/back end anyway, looped behind and covered by the wide/front end.

 

[Wild Strawberry Rabbit]

The easiest solution is to order bespoke ties. Besides Sam Hober and Vanda mentioned previously there is also E.G Capelli and some other (I’m using Polish brand called Embassy of Elegance). From the RTW ties Turnbull&Asser have 142cm.