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Skinny ties

esquire.

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At the local thrift shop, the only decent ties I find are those skinny ties. They're the only ones in good condition, and have a pattern I'm looking for. What does everybody think of skinny ties? I know they were making a revival, but I don't know if this fad has already died out.

And, how would one wear them? I know if I wearing them with a suit, I'd need to wear a suit with narrower lapels. But, what if I'm just wearing them with a dress shirt? I'm just thinking that it might not work because a 4 in hand works for a standard dress shirt. And, to wear with a skinny tie, you'd need collars that were narrower, but they don't get any narrower than the standard dress shirt. It just seems that it might throw off the whole proportion of it.
 

acole

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Personally, I hate skinny ties, but that's just me.  I think Flusser has it right in saying not only that tie and lapel widths must coordinate, but that both of these dimensions should relate to your stature rather than being dictated by fad.  If you're built like a linebacker, tiny lapels and skinny ties will look silly; if you're the willowy 36R type, a 5" tie will make you look like a circus clown.  

Skinny ties always make me think of the early 1900s club collars...my taste runs toward large (semi-)spread collars with (half-)windsor knots, and the current 4" standard suits me just fine.
 

Andrew

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Well GQ featured them, so that must mean I need one.. To the thrift shop.
wink.gif
 

Brian SD

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I think they can look great, but you need a suit and shirt that compliment it. Don't want to sound like an elitist here, but its probably bet to have a slim frame or else you will look like you're just following a trend... I don't really consider skinny ties to be part of a fad unless you wear them with t-shirts and other weird stuff... I've always preferred skinnier ties just because they go well with skinny suits. When I say skinnier, I just mean "on the skinny side," because regardless of trends and whatnot, I think they look pretty hip, as opposed to wider / full ties of course. Sorry, this post is cryptic, but I'm too tired/drunk to figure out what's wrong with it to fix it. I'm about to go crazy with frustratoin because my own words are confusing me... Also, don't buy polyester ties, because they are not only 1) a huge indicatoin that you're a fad victim but 2) they're ugly
sad.gif
not to mention on my moms comp here brings this stupid little ad bar at the bottom asking me if i want to buy TIES now, whenever I type TIES.
 

Alias

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Wasn't Ranjeev going to sell some skinny ties of his, or to post pics of them? I'm still interested in getting some skinny ties of my own.
 

Sinbad

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I agree with acole.
The width of the tie should be proportional to that of the lapels, which ranges between 8,5 and 10,5 cm and should be proportional to the built of one´s body.
The "classic" width for ties is 9 cm, although from 20 years or so the most common size is about 10 cm.

I can add that a second criteria to choose a tie should be according to the size and shape of the collar of the shirt: the size is, again, proportional to the lapels and the shape determines the fit with a large or a small knot.

This for classic rules. Out of those, I guess it comes to personality. What can look only eccentric on a natural elegant individual will probably appear ackward on the average Joe. Decide yourself which category you belong to.
 

naturlaut

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My 2-cent:

How skinny are we talking about? 3"?

I think other than having thin lapel, it should be worn with a 2- or 1-button suit, so enough vertical length of the tie is showing to offset the narrowness. I would hate to see a 3-button suit with a thin tie; it is as if the tie is trying to hide inside the vast jacket.

Thin lapel, deep V 2-button jacket, nipped waist. Well, I have never done that before, but I think it would work.
 

Ranjeev

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Hey Alias, I'm so sorry I have not yet posted pics. I've been swamped and my girlfriend has the digital camera. I'll get it done this week.
 

Brian SD

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What I meant to say last night:

I honestly don't really consider the idea of a skinny tie to be trendy or anything - I always considered skinny ties to be what go with slim suits. I think it turns trendy when you pair it with polo shirts or t-shirts and jeans, etc.

I think between 2.5" and 3" is a good width. I like to wear a very austere grey woven tie (I think it's around 2.5" wide) with a shame shade of grey suit and a white dress shirt. Looks very "uniform," and I like that.
 

esquire.

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I don't know if I said this clearly last night, but I was trying to say would a skinny tie look good with a dress shirt alone, and not with a suit that had narrower lapels. I saw this on a TV show where they were wearing no suit, but a narrow tie with a shirt.

The ties are 2.5 inches. I'm still skinny, or at least, in my mind I am.
 

Brian SD

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I would never wear a tie without a jacket, so I cannot myself endorse your idea.
 

pejsek

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IIRC, I had a great skinny commes des garcons tie back in the early nineties. It was probably about two inches wide with a square end and made out of a great wool/rubber blend, black with irridescent green flecks. I wore it with a boxy pastel green shirt, narrow cropped satin pants, and a long slouchy knit Yohji Yamamoto jacket. I finished off the outfit with clunky black Patrick Cox shoes with industrial silver buckles. Vaguely rockabilly in some way. But it was easier to wear than some of the Vivienne Westwood pirate gear. Is this the kind of look you're thinking of?
I think there is something very fashion-oriented about a skinny tie. A plain skinny tie can look great with a Helmut Lang suit, for example, but to me it's a cold and austere look, now forever reminiscent of  Reservoir Dogs. If you're skinny and young, though, it could be fun to wear. Elegance is not always everything.
 

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