Classic

Regis Philbin ruined solid ties for me. "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" became HUGE and solid ties (especially ones with a metallic sheen) were around everyone's necks, including mine. Boo. Now everytime I see a solid tie, a little part of me dies. Thanks, Regis.

And that is why I love this monochromatic black paisley Brioni. From far away, it's just a boring black tie; but when you get up close, it's like "gotcha!" I'm not a fan of paisley, but here it looks gorgeous and sophisticated; the black on black makes the paisley less gaudy and the paisley makes the black tie less somber. Two very conventional elements in perfect harmony.

Godley

I had never heard of Robert Godley, but his ties are among my favorites right now at Barneys. After doing a little research (yea, all I did was google him), I found out he's worked at Drakes, Turnbull & Asser, and Ralph Lauren. For a tiemaker, I don't think you could ask for better credentials.

Godley also makes the Psycho Bunny collection of accessories that you can find at Neiman Marcus; it's all pretty cute, but it's subversive humor is a little too obvious in my opinion (skulls with bunny ears). His eponymous collection at Barneys, though, is definitely more sophisticated and more my style. Above are 2.5 examples.

I've resisted blogging about the brown striped tie because it really doesn't look all that special. But under closer inspection, it's really quite kooky: the drab browns are drab to the point of interesting and the odd stripe variations give the tie an off-kilter feel. In the end, it's weird, but surprisingly aesthetically pleasing.

Godley's dot ties are also very cool; very floral meets math. I prefer the burgundy, but the Barneys website didn't have a close-up, so I put up the mint as well. Is it floral? Is it abstract? I don't know and that's why I like 'em.

Fruit Stripe Tie

There's something about this Jack Spade tie that I find very appealing. The bold chunky stripes give the tie a masculine feel, but the yellow girl-ies it up a bit, giving the tie a kind of built-in sexual tension--the same principle governs the allure of the pink dress shirt. I have to be honest though; deep down, I think I like this tie because it reminds me of my favorite childhood gum:
I know, right? Totally. In addition to the childhood nostalgia, there's also some adult(ish) curiosity that feeds my love: an unlined tie? handkerchief turned edges? hand picked stitching? I admit, I'm not a huge expert in the construction of ties, but this sounds pretty cool. I may just have to buy this tie, but $85 is a bit much just to quell my curiousity.

EDIT 06/10/07: I got myself down to New York and went to the Jack Spade store. First thing I looked for was this tie. I was initially a bit turned off by how thin it is -- it almost feels cheap. But, the thinness keeps it youthful, fresh, and casual. Something you could wear with a blazer and jeans. It's not as versatile as I would have hoped (a no-no at fancy occasions), but tres chic nonetheless.

Randomness

I'm always a little wary whenever a department store manufactures their own stuff, so when I saw this Barneys tie, I was just a tad suspicious. From the looks of the first photo, it's a bit crooked, maybe?

Otherwise, it's a beautiful tie. I love the lack of a pattern (though there is one, if you look for it hard enough); it's as if the flowers were falling down your tie. Ties are almost always made with patterned fabric, which emphasize their mass-production quality. But here, the random placement of flowers makes it seem more like artwork than a department store tie. Not to mention, the color combination is perfect.

EDIT 06/10/07: I bought it and I love it... and in a moment of weakness, I bought the blue-with-pink-flowers version, too (50% off, folks!) -- if the brown/blue didn't do it for you, the blue/pink might work. The brown/blue is a bit more sophisticated, while the blue/pink is more sexy, more fun.

Uber-Conservative

I'll admit that my tie choices so far aren't really well suited for the fashion-conservative. Thus, I give you Hermes. Most Hermes ties put me off; I don't understand a tie with tesselating octopi... Sure, it must be hell to weave the image of an eight legged cephalopod in silk, but give me a break! I'm not going to spend $160 on a tie with a pattern that can be found on children's pajamas.

But this Hermes tie works against that aesthetic to great success. The hint of orange at the bottom of the tie is clever without being gimmicky and rescues the tie from just being plain boring while keeping it nice and understated. Hermes has this tie in multiple color combinations, but there's something about the brown/orange I really like. Note: Although not on their website now, there used to be a blue/orange version; it may come back so check again in a while if you're partial to blue.

EDIT 06/10/07: I happened upon this tie at the Neiman Marcus in Boston and I was blown away. The silk feels amazing, the proportion is perfect (not too fat, not too skinny), the orange stripe pops so much -- it's striking. Swoon.

Hip to be a Square

I WANT THESE NOW.

Band of Outsiders is huge right now; their clothing, especially their ties, are on like every GQ/Details page. And rightfully so. Their ties are skinny and hip, but with a traditional flair.

Simple blue navy stripes = drool.
Gingham = drool.

Yea, so the gingham tie might be too Dorothy via Oz but I think that's where it gets its charm. If you think the gingham's a little too country, the striped tie is for you: it's a bit more sophisticated and masculine, but just as charming. Perfect spring ties, my friends. Clean and cool.

And the squared off ends really do make these ties--their like little surprises. With the normal pointy shape, I feel like these ties would just be kinda boring.

Paul Smith Amazingness

There's something about Paul Smith ties, especially his floral prints, that just really impress me. I generally dislike floral prints, but Paul Smith walks the fine line between ostentatious and gorgeous, and lands on the gorgeous side more often than not.

The two above are my favorite examples: I like the first one because 1) it looks so much like old-school wall paper and 2) stripes + flowers = wow. I like the second one because of it's color range; although there's a lot of bright colors there, they all work together and seem to be muted by the dark brown background.

Ties: An Introduction

Perhaps because of my prep school background, I have an unnatural fondness for ties. I hope to use this blog to document my search for "the perfect tie." If you are looking for a tie, either for yourself or for someone else, I hope this blog can help you out. If you do purchase a tie that I post on, please let me know, as I can then live vicariously through you (I have semi-expensive taste with no money in the bank)! Happy reading!