The workplace of the Pacific Northwest does not require much formality. Typically, anyone wearing a collared shirt is making a presentation. And, if you’re wearing a suit you’re suspected of attending a job interview. With this back drop it seems a little weird that I where a tie to work nearly every day.
I started wearing a tie to work as a silent protest to the relaxed attire standards of my workplace. Yet, when I did it for the first week something interesting happened. I actually felt ready for work. For that reason I have continued to wear a tie to work. Some day I may make the transition to a suit, but for now I’ll stick with the awesomeness of the necktie.
I’m not sure that there is any other time in my life that would allow me to make this transition. I went through phases with funny vintage ties or boring old man ties. But, now I have a solid collection of plain and simple good ties. My favorite is a mint green tie with bright pink flamingos.
To do my part in helping spread the tie cause I am making a post to the internet. These are just my thoughts and rules. I hope that this will at the very least spark some interest.
Intro to Tie Pairing – Shirt and Tie
The easiest shirt and tie pairing is a white dress shirt with anything but a white tie. Obviously the step up from that is going to be a colored shirt. I don’t have any great advice here. But, I will say that what you pair together will say a great deal about your style. For me, a blue shirt with a yellow tie is a power combo that I will pull out when I want to rock my day because I am feeling vulnerable. I will admit, I only have this in my head because of Bruce Willis from the kid… but I do think there is something going on here.
Where wearing ties becomes fun and interesting is when you have patterns with patterns. But how the heck do you keep the patterns from clashing? Below, is a few, mostly, fail proof keys to matching shirts with ties. This is by no means exhaustive, but think of the following as guidelines to test out something that can add some spice or structure to your day.
- Have a color in the shirt match a color in the tie. This is the first because it is the best fail safe. If there is a spec of green in your shirt’s plaid then grab the tie that has that same green. Bingo! We have a match, my… don’t you look smart 🙂
- Don’t pair similar patterns together. If you have a polka dot shirt, don’t wear a polka dot tie. This is especially true with stripes of the same width. You can, however, match similar patterns if they are different sizes. For instance, big stripes with small stripes. Be careful with medium sized patterns though. It really helps to have a big difference between the size of the patterns.
- Tie Width. I have recently found several sartorial articles through stumbleupon that finally put a finger on what I have always felt. The width of your tie needs to match the width of your lapel. This puts a fine point on your tie width when you wear a suit, but doesn’t do much for when you aren’t wearing a suit jacket. So, my approach is to use my imagination a little bit and think about what type of jacket I would wear. Or, I look at the fit and cut of the shirt I am wearing… big shirt = big tie… small shirt = small tie.
Advanced Tie Pairing – Tie and Socks
This is the most important and best tie related information that I could ever share. MATCH YOUR SOCKS AND YOUR TIES TOGETHER. Having a shirt that matches as well is also good. However, if you match your tie and socks you can wear just about anything else and you will still be the best dressed person in the room. There are several levels of tie and shirt matching, so… here’s another list.
- Match tie color with sock color. This is the intro step. So, it would be blue tie with blue socks. At this level patterns don’t really matter, just get the same color in both articles.
- Match tie pattern with sock pattern. This is the realm where most tie/shirt matching will live. This could be either just same pattern or same pattern and same color. Meeting this level of pairing will certainly get you noticed for being a smart dresser… though sometimes you may need to point out your expertise by slyly pulling up your pant leg and placing 😉
- Match the story of your tie and socks. This is the most extreme and seriously best level of tie pairing. Heck, this is the highest level of dressing period. Basically, this is not matching identically. This level is pairing so that the two articles create a theme or story. If your tie is birds, your socks could be fish… Or better yet, if your tie is a Star Wars theme with Tie Fighters and X-Wings then your socks could be a blown up Death Star. With that example I hope you can appreciate the amount of amazingness in this level of dressing.
Now for the challenge! Understandably, not all of us have the right mixture of ties to wear one to work everyday. So, the challenge is not just wear more ties. Rather, the challenge is to further the cause of excellent tie pairing. If you have ties and shirts to pair… do it. If, you don’t have good combos today, make the next shirt and tie purchase at the same time and make sure they are a smart match.
And, if you buy a friend/husband/boyfriend/homeless man a tie… buy him a pair of socks that finish the the story or add to the theme! You and the rest of the world will be happier. Trust me… I’m an expert.
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