All Tied Up

OK so I was in the store the other day and saw 65% of ties. I mean why are they still here, they should all be bought up by you the men the consumers, RIGHT ??? WRONG so I thought!!! All the good ties had been scooped up by the more fashionable fellas. So whats the key to buying a new tie. What are the tips and tricks of the pro's?? Don't you want to know.Well, while reading the August issue of Beauty Launch Pad , I found a very helpful issue. It was entitled " How to Tie One On". I loved this article and want to share the tips with you. So Here We Go.....

Tip #1: Is Length Important?

Yes-and so is the width. Today's ties are made longer, so remember to aim for the belt not the zipper

Tip #2: Why Tie? Why

So you've got that really nice tie, that you just cant find. O wait it in the back of your closet all balled up. What to do? What to do? Well I'm here to save the day. To avoid wrinkling and crinkles hand silk ties,while knit ties can be rolled and placed in a drawer.Cre-

ases in your ties already well hang ties near a steamy shower or user the steam only setting on your iron.Don't press the tie, if so you can end up with extra crinkling and possible fabric damage.

Tip #3: Tying Techniques Don't Matter.. for Foodness Sake Tie A Knot!!

" Though there are numerous ways to tie a tie, most men with a lick of sav

oir faire choose a knot that suits the shirt collar. The wide, fat Windsor goes perfectly with spread collars; the small,tight and asymmetrical Four-In-Hand is ideal for button down,point and medium-spread lapels; the half Windsor( upside-down triangle) pears well with point and medium-spread collars; and the Pratt (sometimes called the Shelby), a smaller version of the Windsor, is just the thing for narrow collars". Whoa who knew

Pictured above from left to right: Full Windsor Knot,Half Windsor Knot, Four in hand knot

Tip #4: Setting the Bar

A tie bar or clip lend a little swag and class to a man's appearance, but it can't be placed to high on the tie.Where your top jacket button falls and place the bar right abov

e it. Also size does matter . The ideal tie bar is about three quarters as long as the tie is width.

Tip #5: Hot Around the Collar Pins

Going for and old school vibe? Try a collar pin, which recently made the rounds on the runways, and gives guys an impeccable, pulled together appearance, if you don't want to punch holes in your collars there are pin clips that will re-create the look.

Tip #6 Bank It, Don't Yank It

Once you have invested in a quality, classic cravet, treat it with respect. No matter how long the day has been, don't yank the tie-knot and all-over your head. Take the time to untie it, using the precise backward order of steps that you used to create the knot-Linda Kossoff

(Sources: valemag.com; tieguide.com; "The Style Guy" Glenn O'Brien at gq.com/style/style-guy)