Reader Question: Tie Cleaning

Where should one send a tie to be professionally cleaned?

Although I have never used their service, it appears from a search of the online style forums that Tiecrafters is the consensus favorite.  Their tie cleaning service is $10.50 per tie, with a four tie minimum.

By no means should you take a tie to your local dry cleaner.  Your neighborhood cleaner is probably clueless about how to properly clean a tie.  They would likely press the tie, causing the rolled edges to be cruelly flattened and possibily even damaging the silk.

The Tie Bar

On the recommendation of a friend I recently placed an order with The Tie Bar for a royal blue tie with white pindots, a twill burgundy bow tie with satin stripes of navy and white, and a burgundy ascot with white fleur de lis. The Tie Bar, started in 2004 by two Chicago attorneys, sells handmade silk ties online for only fifteen dollars each (the ascot was thirty).  I am frankly surprised at the quality you get for the money.  These ties are as nice as much more expensive ties that I own.  They are definitely nicer than the budget-priced ties you may find in a department store.  If you are in need of a new tie, check out The Tie Bar.

Hidden Gems at Brooks Brothers Factory Outlet

I hit the Brooks Brothers Factory Outlet over the weekend to see if I could pick up any good post-Christmas deals.  On Saturday everything in the store was forty percent off.  Before noon they took an additional ten percent.  And I had a AAA coupon worth another ten percent.

When I go to the Brooks Brothers Factory Outlet, I am on the lookout for retail store clothing that has been moved to the outlet store.  Factory outlet stores used to stock overruns and seconds from their retail stores.  These days most of the factory outlet stores handle their own line of clothing that is of inferior quality and workmanship.  You may notice that most of the clothing at the Brooks Brothers Factory Outlet is from the "346" line (a reference to their flagship store at 346 Madison Avenue) that is of lower quality than items from the Brooks Brothers retail stores.  However, if you are careful to check the labels it is possible to find a random jacket, sweater or tie from the retail store.

I found about eight retail store ties mixed in with the wide selection of "346" ties.  In a side-by-side comparison the difference in quality of fabric and construction is wildly apparent.  I selected the two ties pictured above.  They are seventy percent cashmere and thirty percent silk.  They are identical except for color; one is navy and the other is light blue.  The ties were originally priced at $125, but were marked down in the outlet store to $59.50.  With the sale and coupon I paid about $29 each.

There are hidden gems to be found at the outlet stores if you know what you are looking for.

Contrast in Texture

Texture is one thing to consider when selecting the day's tie and pocket square combination.  A contrast in texture adds interest to your attire.  If you plan to wear a lustrous silk tie, consider a matte pocket handkerchief like linen or cotton.  It is hard to go wrong with the classic combination of silk tie and white linen pocket square.  On the other hand, the dulled surface of a wool or linen tie benefits from the sheen of a of silk hank.

In Support of the Cravat

A cravat is a type of silk neckwear descended from scarves worn knotted at the neck of seventeenth century Croatian mercenaries enlisted in the French military.  The word cravat derives from the French pronunciation of Hrvat, an individual of Croation heritage and ancestry.  The cravat is the predecessor of the modern necktie.

In a business-casual or weekend wardrode, a cravat is an appropriate substitute for a necktie.  A cravat adds a splash of color to an open-necked shirt and sublimely elevates an otherwise ordinary and mundane ensemble.  Consider the photograph of Cary Grant from Alfred Hitchcock's 1955 classic To Catch a Thief.  Grant's gray jacket and open-necked white shirt would appear lifeless without that splash of silk at his throat.

My source for handmade silk cravats is Beau Ties, Ltd. of Middlebury, Vermont.

If you elect to wear a cravat, be forewarned that you will receive the occassional comment regarding Thurston Howell, III.  Do not be dissuaded.  The person making the comment is probably wearing SpongeBob SquarePants underwear.

In Support of Pinned Collars

A collar pin, or collar bar, is a item of men's jewelry that connects the tips of the shirt collar and passes underneath the knot of the tie to elevate it above the front of the shirt.  This accessory functions much like a tabbed collar in that it keeps the collars tidy and provides an aesthetically pleasing arc to the necktie.

There are three varieties of collar pins.  My preference is the "barbell" style that I wore today (see the picture above).  One end of the bar is unscrewed so that the pin will pass through special eyelets sewn into the collar.  This style of collar pin almost certainly requires the purchase of bespoke shirts because it is nearly impossible to find a ready-to-wear shirt that features these eyelets.  The second style of collar pin looks like a large safety pin.  It may either be used on shirts with eyelets, or pierced through the collar tips of a shirt that lacks eyelets (the very idea makes me cringe).  The third style is a bar with clips that grasp each collar tip; there is some danger that this style of bar may slip and go askew because the clips merely hold the collar ends with a friction fit.

Wearing a pinned collar is not for the stylistically tentative.  Some people may find it elegant; others may think it's fussy.  In either case, a pinned collar will likely draw attention because it is so rarely seen these days.  To wear one you must be willing to suffer the consequences of being a non-conformist.  A pinned collar is not fashionable.  But it is stylish.

Theme Tie Haiku

Tabasco on silk.

Spilled hot sauce on a Hermes?

No. Worse.  A theme tie.

The Proper Length of a Tie

Standard wisdom dictates that the tip of your tie should hit at the center of the beltline on your trousers.  Any longer and you risk looking like Steve Urkel.  Any shorter and you could be mistaken for one of the Three Stooges.

Ready to wear ties tend to be fifty-five to sixty inches in length.  For the average male most ready to wear ties are the appropriate length to conform to the stated convention.

If you are either very short or very tall, or if you wear high-waisted trousers, then you may need to invest in bespoke ties in order to obtain the proper length.  If you are in need of such services, Sam Hober is a much-praised purveyor of bespoke ties.

The Dimple

I'm am often surprised to notice otherwise well-dressed men who display sloppily-knotted ties.  It appears that they must tie a quick knot, cinch it up roughly and settle for the resulting mess.

Look at these photographs of the current and former leaders of the free world.

These photographs illustrate the sloppy knots that I despise.  In fairness to President Obama, in most of the photographs I have seen of him he has an impeccably knotted tie.  But you would think if you were getting your photo taken for the cover of the Rolling Stone that you could straighten your tie in the mirror.

I am a proponent of the dimple. Notice the photograph from Robert Talbott. See the symmetrical concave cavity below the knot? See how it adds shadow and dimension to the tie? This is the dimple.

To form a dimple in your tie, first tie a loose knot.  Then place your index finger in the center of the tie below the knot.  Using your thumb and middle finger pinch the fabric around your index finger to form the cavity.  Continue to pinch the fabric firmly, but gently, while you tighten the knot with your other hand.  Pay attention to the symmetry of the dimple and avoid any errant folds in the fabric.  You may have to start over several times before you make it look right.  You will find that ties have a memory and will dimple much easier after the first few wearings.

Alan Flusser in Dressing the Man wrote that the "triangular sector formed below the chin by the 'V' opening of a buttoned suit jacket constitutes the cynosure of a man's tailored costume."  The knot of your tie falls squarely in the center of this sector.  Avoid the sloppy knot.  Embrace the dimple.