Grenadine & Knit Tie Recommendations

Originally Posted by Reevolving

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You don't mind the 2.5" width?

Not at all. That's actually kind of wide for a knit tie. It certainly doesn't wear like a "skinny tie"

Hello,

Can you wear a grenadine or a knit in the office or are these type of ties more for casual/going out wear? I've never seen a knit or a gren in the office ever. I'm 30, work in finance, and love to dress with style. However, I don't want to look ridiculous. Your thoughts?

I also looked at the brown and grey knit ties off of BB. It looks like there are other companies that offer better one's from reading this thread. I don't quite understand what you gents mean by "crunchy" or "springy" though.

Cheers

Originally Posted by k4lnamja

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Hello,

Can you wear a grenadine or a knit in the office or are these type of ties more for casual/going out wear? I've never seen a knit or a gren in the office ever. I'm 30, work in finance, and love to dress with style. However, I don't want to look ridiculous. Your thoughts?

I also looked at the brown and grey knit ties off of BB. It looks like there are other companies that offer better one's from reading this thread. I don't quite understand what you gents mean by "crunchy" or "springy" though.

Cheers

I would suggest the guys in your office lack style if they are not wearing grenadine or knit ties. For someone reason I am picturing an office full of guys "going Gekko" with contrast collars, and cufflinks, years before they have made enough money or closed enough deals to get away with it. If you wear a simple grenadine or knit you will look much less ridiculous than many of the guys who are 23-35 in that industry that are trying to appear as big-timers.

Crunchy is the way the silk feels in your hand when you press it...The JCrew I have is crunchy, it almost makes a noise when you press it as well as the BB with the checks, the JPress and other BB's are softer in their feel.

Johnny

thank you for the reply. Do you prefer crunchy over soft? Does either "style" determine thickess? I hate skinny ties or ones that won't allow me to tie a full Windsor and/or a half w/a nice sized knot. As silly as it sounds, I cannot tie a 4 in hand if my life counted on it. Thank you

cheers.

For solids, what colors do you've? I'm thinking black, navy, brown, and grey.

Also, what knot do you tie w these? thanks

cheers

The last knit tie I bought from Drake's was made in Germany.
!luc

Originally Posted by k4lnamja

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Hello,

Can you wear a grenadine or a knit in the office or are these type of ties more for casual/going out wear? I've never seen a knit or a gren in the office ever. I'm 30, work in finance, and love to dress with style. However, I don't want to look ridiculous. Your thoughts?

Knit ties may be too casual for the office. Many people think they look silly because of the square end. Grenadine ties are fine, if not a bit too dressy for the office these days. Grenadine ties aren't the most common because they are very expensive and you will no longer find them from mainstream stores like Brooks Brothers. I think of them as more of special occasion ties since they are so fine and delicate. If you want to look stylish you can't go wrong with grenadine.

Originally Posted by Matt S

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Grenadine ties aren't the most common because they are very expensive...
Kent Wang grenadines are only 75 bucks, and Hobers are $80. That hardly seems expensive considering the quality and versatility of grenadine ties.

Originally Posted by Threadbearer

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Kent Wang grenadines are only 75 bucks, and Hobers are $80. That hardly seems expensive considering the quality and versatility of grenadine ties.

It's a freaking bargain, in fact, given what Big Tymers pay for 7-fold Kiton neckties that aren't bespoke (like Hober).

Originally Posted by bleachboy

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It's a freaking bargain, in fact, given what Big Tymers pay for 7-fold Kiton neckties that aren't bespoke (like Hober).

Bleachboy,

Thank you for your kind words. Interestingly Kiton as I recall had some nice striped grenadines a couple of years ago although they had some other weaves such as satin in the stripes.

Originally Posted by radicaldog

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My Les Copains knits are excellent: crunchy and open weave. On par with Drakes. They may well come from the same silk mill near Como.

photos pls

Originally Posted by k4lnamja

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Johnny

thank you for the reply. Do you prefer crunchy over soft? Does either "style" determine thickess? I hate skinny ties or ones that won't allow me to tie a full Windsor and/or a half w/a nice sized knot. As silly as it sounds, I cannot tie a 4 in hand if my life counted on it. Thank you

cheers.

It really depends on the suit/jacket/sweater I am wearing and which tie works better with it than the "feel". My thinnest tie is the most crunchy, and it also only really works with slimmer lapels because it is about 2 inches wide (I would only ever wear a knit this thin), or a cardigan/v-neck.

Thickness varies, my BB knits are somewhat thicker than my JCrew and I think the JPress is somwhere between them (although that is the widest of all of them).

I am not sure about Hober but I noticed that the grenadine ties from JPress which have a tighter, smaller weave are thicker than the ones from CT with a looser weave, CT and Hobers look close visually but Mr. Hober could confirm for you if you PM him.

Knits and grenadine ties are not meant to be tied in a Windsor knot, knits are too thin and the tie would end up stopping at mid chest, grenadine ties make a substantial knot via four in hand and would likely also run into a length issue if you tired to go Windsor, as well as looking too thick.

A four in had in the most simple of all knots to tie, it is an over under and pull through, if you can master a Windsor you can nail a four with a few mins of practice. There are plenty of videos on yourtube, I suggest the Playboy series.

Originally Posted by k4lnamja

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For solids, what colors do you've? I'm thinking black, navy, brown, and grey.

Also, what knot do you tie w these? thanks

cheers

As I said before a four in hand.....Black and navy are staple colors you should have, burgundy is also rated as a "required" choice around SF. I like gray and brown but you need to have the right shirts and suits to wear them with. I have a brown tie that I only wear with a glen plaid suit that has a faint brown line running through it or something with horn buttons (one of my gray suits).

Originally Posted by Matt S

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Knit ties may be too casual for the office. Many people think they look silly because of the square end. Grenadine ties are fine, if not a bit too dressy for the office these days. Grenadine ties aren't the most common because they are very expensive and you will no longer find them from mainstream stores like Brooks Brothers. I think of them as more of special occasion ties since they are so fine and delicate. If you want to look stylish you can't go wrong with grenadine.

I guess it depends on the office, given the way most Americans dress for work, any tie is a step up from the golf polos of the business casual world or the awful Express style loud shirts with matchy-matchy ties (think vivid bight blue with a tie that has the same blue mixed with black and silver stripes).

I think the people who say they look silly due to the square end, are in fact quite silly themselves, usually they are style challenged but give free style advice (which is worth every penny). If you insist on a point end knit, Kent Wang has some on his sit. I plan on picking one up next month, so I can't yet comment on the quality but if it is on par with his seven stripe socks or dual sided cuff links I am sure they will be great.

I don't see how a grenadine can be too "dressy" but a silk knit is too "casual". If that is the case what falls into the middle of 'office approved"?

Is the end of a knit tie supposed to touch your belt like a "regular" tie? I forgot knit ties are square at the end . . . I think that has to grow on me a little more before I buy. Grenadine, on the other hand, I love.

No one answered about the type of knots. What type of knots do you tie with a grenadine or a knit?

Thank you,

Cheers

Originally Posted by k4lnamja

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Is the end of a knit tie supposed to touch your belt like a "regular" tie? I forgot knit ties are square at the end . . . I think that has to grow on me a little more before I buy. Grenadine, on the other hand, I love.

No one answered about the type of knots. What type of knots do you tie with a grenadine or a knit?

Thank you,

Cheers

Knot: Four-in-hand
Length: Most of my knit ties are too long (silk knits very much so), maybe because of the stretch. I usually end up tucking them into my pants.

4 in hand? Ah. That's the only knot I can't tie.