Tie Patterns: Slim v. Wide and Nice Variety

Good morning everybody. I noticed something recently, but I thought perhaps it might all be in my head. Browsing some shops around my office last week, I noticed several patterns that I particularly liked, but they all seemed only to come on wider ties. The slim or 'skinny' selections were comparatively smaller in volume and diversity, and the patterns from each brand were all more or less the same with a little bit of color swapping here and there. My impression is that designers, manufacturers and/or retailers have decided that certain patterns belong on the wider ties and only some are suitable for thinner ties. Is this wrong?

I suppose that were I in charge of merchandising at a large, national store with a reputable men's department, I would probably err on the side of public perception and say that older, wealthier men like bigger ties and younger, less affluent men like the thinner ties, and certain patterns go with the corresponding tastes. I don't know if this how they actually make these decisions or if the stock was low, or etcetera, but it's still the case that I can't find any patterns I like on thinner ties (~3").

Does anyone know a good retailer (B&M or online) who offers a more diverse selection of thinner ties? And, as long as we're at it, does anyone happen to know how wide different brands tend to be? I'm sure these might have been asked and answered here and there, but if you'll indulge me an answer I would appreciate it.

Sam Hober. David will make you any width, and construction you want.

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

Click to expand...

Sam Hober. David will make you any width, and construction you want.

+1

Brooks do many of their designs in 3" versions as well. It's not too hard to find a lot of classic designs in 3" width, though they are a bit more limited compared to the more common 3.5". When you get below 3" though it does get more 'trendy', but you shouldn't be wearing ties that narrow anyway

I have noticed that most people concentrate on the widest part of a tie, where this isn't the only width to consider. David makes me ties that are 2 3/4" at the wiest point, however there is almost barely a taper up to the knot so it looks very "straight". I also have a tie that is like 4" at the base and tapers really quickly and tie a small knot, which I don't care for. I think if my 2 3/4" ties were to taper quickly they would seem a lot skinnier at the knot and look really fashion forward, however that isn't the case at all. These proprtions are very important to think about in my opinion.

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

Click to expand...

I have noticed that most people concentrate on the widest part of a tie, where this isn't the only width to consider. David makes me ties that are 2 3/4" at the wiest point, however there is almost barely a taper up to the knot so it looks very "straight". I also have a tie that is like 4" at the base and tapers really quickly and tie a small knot, which I don't care for. I think if my 2 3/4" ties were to taper quickly they would seem a lot skinnier at the knot and look really fashion forward, however that isn't the case at all. These proprtions are very important to think about in my opinion.

Good point. 2 3/4" isn't too bad really, I have a couple of ties that width, but I'm pretty small so I need a smaller tie; on a large person that width would probably look too narrow, regardless of the taper.