Skinny ties: how skinny is too skinny?

mack11211 · May 30, 2008

Originally Posted by iammatt

Rubinacci ties are not 3.5" as a rule. They vary between 8 ond 9 centimeters depending on the type of silk, the pattern and the construction.

Personally, I like that range. Perhaps I like 9 cm more than 8 cm right now, but I go back and forth.

Since you are a bespoke client, I defer to your superior experience, but on the Rubinacci webstore, the woven ties are 9cm/3.5 in, the knits 7cm/2.75 in.

DocHolliday · May 30, 2008

Originally Posted by CharlesAlexander

Doc, I love the stitching on the handkerchief in the first picture. Do you have a close up shoot of that?

That's the only pic I have of it, but I'll try to remember to take a closeup next time I trot it out.

designprofessor · May 30, 2008

With the jacket closed, isn't the widest part usually covered at any rate?

billiebob · May 30, 2008

My Hickey Freeman ties are a whopping 4 inches. I like them a lot but they cover most of my shirt!

Dragon · May 30, 2008

I think a skinny tie is going to be unbalanced with your lapels. Maybe you should walk into a RTW store and try some skinny ties before you make your final decision.

EL72 · May 30, 2008

Originally Posted by whnay.

3.25 is as skinny as I'd go.

Me too. 3 1/4"- 3 1/2" is the sweet spot.

yachtie · May 30, 2008

It's driven by the lapel width more than anything else. With 3.75"lapels I wouldn't go narrower than 3.25". Also, max width at the tip is somewhat less important than width below the knot- I like a moderate taper rather than straight sided.

Lel · May 30, 2008

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

I am a smaller guy -- 38R -- and I feel perfectly comfortable wearing a 3-inch tie. Of course, I prefer slimmer lapels, so it matches up. Many of my knits are 2.5 inches.

Even on my more conservative stuff, I tend to prefer no more than 3.5 inches. For comparison, this tie is 3.5 inches:

Here's a 2.5-inch knit:

Ties that are 3.75 or larger look huge on me.

38R? No way. I would have guessed you to be something like 42R, definitely not that small. You do not give off that impression, weird. Maybe that's why I always found your suits very fitted, yet still safe and classic.

For me, I think 3.25 inches is my max. When I put it on, it looks proportional, same as a bigger sized guy wearing a 3.5 inch tie. However with a tie like 3.5 inches it would look just slightly off, like I walked into JCPenny for my shopping or something.

I have a very skinny tie that is I think, 1.5 inches and it works fine with my 2.7(?) inch lapel on my TaT suit. However it's very aggressive and it works well with the cut of my suit. 2.5 inches I would classify as narrow, and as long as your lapels are something like 3 inches and sleek I think it would be fine.

JayJay · May 30, 2008

My most narrow ties are 2.25 inches by Black Fleece. I wear them with my narrow lapel jackets only.

Mr. Potato · May 30, 2008

I'm a skinny dude. 3.5" is usually as thin as I will go. But it depends on the width of the knot area. I have a 3" tie that is 0.75" in the middle. Looks ridiculous with most most of my shirts and suits. Then I have a 3" tie, 1.25" in the middle, and still looks balanced.

tlmusic · May 30, 2008

Originally Posted by yachtie

It's driven by the lapel width more than anything else.
+1 You could also consider Alan Flusser's advice on neckwear, "Widths between 3 1/4 inches and 4 1/4 inches will generally ensure longevity." Dressing the Man (2002), Alan Flusser, pg. 165. But wait! Back in the 1980's

he was writing, "The proper width of a tie, and one that will never be out of style, is 3 1/4 inches (2 3/4 to 3 1/2 inches are also acceptable." Clothes and the Man (1985), Alan Flusser, pg. 85

Grayland · May 30, 2008

I've settled on 3.5 inches. I have a few 3.25 inch ties, but any smaller and I don't care for them. I ordered a HF navy grenandine that was 3 inches wide. It just seemed too thin for me and I sent it back. I ordered a navy and a burgundy grenandine from Sam Hober and I specified 3.5 inches. Placed my order on April 8,so I'm getting pretty close to delivery!

Mildly Consumptive · May 30, 2008

Originally Posted by mafoofan

What width do you think I should go with? How do you go about choosing the width for your own ties?

How wide is your tie in this photo? 3.5 inches? It seems slightly wide to me. Not at the widest part, which I can't see in this photo, but at the lowest visible part just above the jacket button.

I'm of average height and slimmish and order my ties in 3.25 inch width. When I began ordering ties from Sam Hober, I chose a ready-made tie whose fit I liked and went with it. A side benefit of slightly slimmer ties for me, which I didn't realise at the time of ordering, is that they allow me to make knots without dimples. Which I strongly prefer.

LabelKing · May 30, 2008

My skinny ties are all 1.75 inches. They are the real '60s deal, made by respected makers.

Dewey · May 30, 2008

I think the actual measured width is overrated. If a tie is coming across as loud, or somehow extra central, then I think it plays wider than it is. For example, block stripe ties, or a solid black tie with a white shirt and a tan suit. What's important is the perception. The perception is the reality. If a tie is 3" wide but plays extra loud or heavy in the outfit, it's going to look and feel wider than a quiet tie that's 3.25" or 3.5" wide. That's been my experience at least.

So the lapel width : tie width thing is just a guideline, not some kind of ironclad law, that I think anyone could flout thoughtfully and well -- especially if the ties and lapels in question are not radically skinny or wide.

Skinny ties: how skinny is too skinny?

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