THE JOURNAL
3 MINUTE READ
These Five Ties Will Guarantee You A Promotion
2 September 2020
It’s tempting to wonder, what with the sweeping changes to workplace culture that have taken place over the past few years – trends which, we might add, have been sent into hyperdrive by the recent pandemic – whether the tie still has a place in the male wardrobe, or whether it might be heading in the same direction as the bowler hat. To that, we submit a firm “no” – or, at least, a “not any time soon”. The tie isn’t just a symbol of formality, or of deference to the traditions of some dusty old institution. As the following five examples illustrate, it’s a genuinely useful article of style, too, bringing some much-needed colour and contrast to the sometimes sleepy world of formal tailoring.
01.
The knitted tie
A knitted tie with a slim silhouette and a squared-off end, this piece from Boglioli isn’t the thing to wear on your first day in a corporate job. However, it works a treat when dressing up a chambray, linen or Oxford shirt.
02.
The school tie
Evoking cricket pavilions and ivy-clad college campuses, is it any wonder that a striped tie still has such a pleasing old-school charm? This one, from the family-run Milanese tiemaker Bigi, looks just so against a crisp white dress shirt – we suggest classic Charvet.
03.
The Art Deco tie
Fendi’s evil eyes (is it just us, or do they remind you of Gengar, the ghost Pokémon), are transformed into a sleek Art Deco-style pattern on this slim silk tie. Here’s your chance to experiment with “tonal” dressing: just add a pale-blue shirt.
04.
The wide tie
A silk tie from E. MARINELLA is guaranteed to bring a little Neapolitan flair to the boardroom. Its designs are wider than most, so pick a suitably broad shirt collar and stick to a single colour. Bold patterns like these need ample room to breathe.
05.
The paisley tie
Paisley belongs in the same bracket as silk dressing gowns, smoking jackets and velvet slippers: it has a whiff of the Wildean, fin de siècle flâneur about it. In the hands of New York clothier Sulka, it makes for a glorious tie. Pick out the muted shades and create a textural contrast by matching it with a lilac pin-dot cotton shirt.
