In a matter of a few flips, tucks and pulls, it’s done. But for men who never mastered the tie, it’s not so simple.
Gerald Andersen, executive director of the New York-based Men’s Dress Furnishings Association, a trade organization representing dress shirt and tie manufacturers and suppliers, said that learning to knot a tie was once a rite of passage.
“I don’t know if that happens anymore,” he said. “Everyone went more casual.”
But there is strong evidence that neckties have risen from the ashes of casual Fridays. U.S. necktie sales may have dropped by 50 percent in the late 1990s, but now they garner more than $1 billion in retail sales. Andersen said necktie sales increased 10 percent last year.
For all the new tie wearers out there, here are a few tips on matching your shirt and tie from the association’s Web site at shirtsandties.org.
* Take cues from the in-store and window displays.
* The shirt and tie should have at least one of the same colors.
More Top Picks Woks
* In most cases, the tie colors should be darker than the shirt.
* Avoid matching patterns of the same size or type.
* Pair bold patterns with quieter patterns. For example, a bold plaid shirt with a subtly colored Asian print tie.
* Trust yourself. If it looks right to you, it probably is right.
* Seek help from a store sales assistant if you have questions or are stumped.