Wedding Ties

Either is a good choice. If anybody is particularly short or tall, the Hober has the advantage as you can specify any length.

Originally Posted by Bean Counter

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I'll cast my vote for Wang. Both will look similar in photographs (i.e. from far they will blend to grey) - the Wang will show up a bit lighter. I went with the Wang glen plaid for my wedding. Very nice tie.

-J

I actually have the Kent Wang glen plaid that I wear to weddings. I showed both to my groomsmen and they voted for the shepherd's check. Good point about it showing up lighter in pictures.

For myself, I'm wearing a morning coat with a high-wing collar detachable collared shirt and plan to wear an ascot with it. Any suggestions where to find a self-tie, non-cheesy one of those?

Originally Posted by The Transporter

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For myself, I'm wearing a morning coat with a high-wing collar detachable collared shirt and plan to wear an ascot with it. Any suggestions where to find a self-tie, non-cheesy one of those?
The Transporter, Congratulations on the upcoming wedding. We make bespoke classic ascots if you have enough time before the wedding. I don't think that we have photos on our website but if you email me I will find a photo for you.

Any recommendations for good makers of wedding ties that are a step down from Kent Wang/Sam Hober? I'd like to get wedding ties for my best man, three groomsmen, officiant (a close friend) and my father-in-law, but at 80 or so per tie, I don't know that I can afford that. Any recommendations would be appreciated, as would any thoughts on the "a different tie for each person" vs "the same tie for everybody" debate currently going on inside my head.

If you are looking to check the wedding tie box but want to do it at less than $80/tie, there are really only 2 options: Jos A Bank or the TieBar

Jos A Bank's Glen Plaid

Jos A Bank's Houndstooth

Jos A Bank regularly cuts their tie prices 50%, so you're sitting at $35/tie. Sometimes online specials bring them lower--occasionally, $20/tie.

The TieBar's Glen Plaid 1

The TieBar's Glen Plaid 2

The tie bar has you sitting at $15 per tie. There are options other than the ones I posted above (1 silk, 1 wool), but those seemed fairly representative.

I cannot comment on the TieBar's quality, but I will say that I picked up a Jos A Bank Glen Plaid about 2 months ago for $20 on sale. It forms a very nice dimple, though the body lacks the--what's the word--richness (?) of a Robert Talbott BOC, or an Hermes print, or a Kent Wang grenadine. The interlining is stiff and bit lifeless--even compared to mainline BB, which I've grown skeptical of as of recent. But for $20, it more than serves my purposes.

I'm researching this topic for my upcoming wedding and I have a few questions:

1) Is there any history to back the use of wedding ties with lounge suits (navy 3 piece suit in my case) or is this primarily a iGent phenomenon based on one Esquire illustration? (serious question).

2) I will be instructing my groomsmen to wear any 'dark suit of their choice'. Since they are not sartorially inclined, I have every reason to believe I will end up with a mishmash of pinstripes, black suits, etc. If I purchase a black and white glen check tie for each man, is it pretty safe to say it look 'good' with pretty much any common suit?

2 words, cream + paisley

That didn't answer either of my questions.



Thrifter said:

I'm researching this topic for my upcoming wedding and I have a few questions:
1) Is there any history to back the use of wedding ties with lounge suits (navy 3 piece suit in my case) or is this primarily a iGent phenomenon based on one Esquire illustration? (serious question).
2) I will be instructing my groomsmen to wear any 'dark suit of their choice'. Since they are not sartorially inclined, I have every reason to believe I will end up with a mishmash of pinstripes, black suits, etc. If I purchase a black and white glen check tie for each man, is it pretty safe to say it look 'good' with pretty much any common suit?

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1) this is an excellent resource on the history of formal and wedding attire:

http://thelondonlounge.net/gl/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6562

Includes this passage:

"The English have a whole category of ties that they call wedding ties. These are woven silk in gray, black and silver, usually in one of three patterns—houndstooth, shepherd’s check (what I am wearing now) or glen plaid.



These are very much recommended. Also fine are so-called Macclesfield ties: ties woven in very tight, neat little patterns. Again, silver, black and grey are most appropriate:


But as we have seen so far, one sees other things. But keep it festive—no black—and serious: no cartoony prints. I would avoid red as well.

Tradition has it that the groom gives ties to the wedding party. The famed Naples tie company Marinella recommends giving a tie to every male guest. But then they would, wouldn’t they? Still, giving ties to the wedding party is a good tradition that has at least one solid advantage: you have vastly increased the odds that your best man and ushers will show up wearing an appropriate tie. I recommend not giving them all identical ties but appropriate wedding or wedding-esque ties that are each a little different.

I suppose this is good a place as any to make a point that needs to be made. There is no need for the groom, his best man, and his ushers to match in every respect from neck to toe. In fact, it looks silly. Take a look at pictures from very elegant weddings in prior years, and you see that in fact the wedding party does not match."

2) yes, but it will look even better if you don't purchase the same tie for every groomsan (see above)
3) You'll get better results out of the forum in general if you don't get snarky when people don't post answers you want

Thank you for your reply.

1) Yes, this is the article I was referencing - including the illustration of the gentleman in a navy DB with a black and white wedding tie. There is a lot of supporting evidence for the 'wedding tie' to be used with formal dress, but I am asking specifically about wearing a wedding tie with a lounge suit. The fine article says it is 'traditional' however the only reference I can find to wearing a wedding tie with a lounge suit is in menswear forums, which makes me wonder whether this is an iGent phenomenon. Try this Google search:

"wedding tie" check -askandyaboutclothes -styleforum (searches for the exact string wedding tie plus the word check and excludes AAAC and SF.

We get a bunch of results for solid color satin ties as well as a Wiki entry on Morning Dress:

"Previously, a grey or (if at a funeral) a black neck-tie was obligatory. Now all colours are worn; in many clubs and societies the Club Tie is acceptable to distinguish members from guests at formal lunches and breakfasts. The original silver Macclesfield design (a small check) is still used particularly with cravats, and is often called a wedding tie."

2) Thank you, yes this makes sense.

You're worried that a wedding tie with a lounge suit in particular is somehow verboten? Akin to wearing a black bow tie with a lounge suit? Here is another well respected blogger suggesting a suit with a wedding tie:

http://asuitablewardrobe.dynend.com/2010/01/what-shall-we-wear-to-your-wedding.html

If you want some non-blogger or something wearing a wedding tie to a wedding, looks like Prince William might be wearing a wedding tie here, although it's a little dark for one:

http://images.google.com/imgres?q=p...=105&ndsp=50&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:105&tx=64&ty=82

iGents invented the blue blazer.



idfnl said:

IMO, whatever you do, don't go solid... especially silver.

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May I ask why? I always thought solid-colored ties (-especially- silver) were perfect for formal occasions. Are you referring specifically to ties without texture? Or just any ol' solid tie?

And is what you say a personal preference or is wearing solid ties to a wedding generally a non-SF approved look? Does it have to be Glen Plaid, Houndstooth, Shepherd's check, or whatever else? Perhaps have some kind of texture, if solid, in order for it to be "acceptable?" I honestly don't get the dislike for solid-colored ties (perhaps it's the silk - Satin - that may urk you?) for use at formal events. Can you (or anyone else) please further elaborate on this? Genuinely curious here. I always thought they were some of the preferred/go-to formal ties, save for the Glen's and what not.

What, for instance, is not appropriate with wearing something like this:



Or this:



Or this:

I don't like the bright one, personally, but the other two are fine. Solid silver is the classic formal day tie and esepcially wedding/morning coat tie but I prefer some kind of silvery or B&W check.