Kiton

Greece. That's all I can think about. Olive branches. That blue.

Canada. Maple leaves. That's all.

In all seriousness, these Kiton ties are gorgeous. The micro-sized pattern, the color scheme (white over base color): it all adds up to a sophisticated, elaborate, and decadent tie.

And with Kiton, you know you're getting amazing quality; afterall, these ties are $172... on Bluefly...

Scottish Cousin

How cool are these ties? Masculine, subdued, and mature. Plus, wool always makes me smile.

Although the very traditional striped-repp tie will always be in fashion, they are HUGE right now, thanks in part to the popularity of JCrew and Band of Outsiders.

In this context, you can't help but see a little striped-repp in the above plaid ties, especially the first. It's as if Polo were riffing off the popularity of the striped-repp, creating the Scottish cousin of a traditionally English tie. Very cool.

Novelty!

I think a lot of Hermes ties are butt-ugly. Enough with the little oranges, dancing teddy-bears, and self-promoting H's! Sure, you can't refute the quality of their ties, but I draw the line at whales.

But occasionally, they get things so right (I WANT THIS SO BAD) and their aesthetic vision aligns with my own. The above tie is super-cool. That horse makes my day, for a number of reasons. 1) It's tiny. 2) It's a beautiful rendition of a horse and 3) Once that baby is tied, our little horse will probably end up somewhere underneath your collar, in the knot, or behind the visible part of your tie, depending on how you tie it.

The tie has such a sense of humor; it's only embellishment is hidden away, known only to the wearer. And the rest of the tie is just so clean and simple - slim cut and navy blue. It's a humble, yet confident design.

So it only makes sense that Hermes call it a "Novelty Tie." Ugh.

60s!

The colors in this Zegna tie are amazing. The light blue and the stripe colors are very retro, very 60s; the tie looks like a Saul Bass film introduction (check out the title credits for "Around the World in 80 Days" and "West Side Story"). Even the stripe pattern is evocative of Saul Bass (check out "Psycho" and the Saul Bass inspired "Catch Me if You Can" intro below).

More on Tie Bars!

A great article from Slate.com about tie bars.

Updates!

Saw it in person and fell in love!

Bought it... twice...

More casual than I thought, but still nice!

Tie Accessories

I remember during my days at prep school (ugh, this sounds so snooty...), I used to sling my tie (dress code) over my shoulder while I grabbed food from the dining hall. Freshman year, I would all too often lean over for the last piece of bacon, only to have the end of my tie dip into a tray of bacon grease. The faint aroma of bacon would follow me all day.

Other boys had different strategies to keep that tie under control: some tucked the end of their ties into their shirt between buttons, while others stuffed it into their shirt pocket. Really, as a prep school student, you can kind of get away with fashion murder--you're expected to make mistakes (in life, school, and fashion). But as we get older, somehow we're expected to know more. No metal in the microwave. Stop procrastinating. No square-toed shoes.

And don't be that 35 year old guy with your tie tucked into your shirt pocket. Get a tie bar:

Oh, Tiffany's. This tie bar has just enough decorative embellishment for me. The small knot serves as a focal point, giving the tie bar some visual flair. But it still manages to be clean and minimalist.

These finds are from eBay. New tie bars are ridiculously difficult to find online because, well, men's jewelry isn't a huge market. But you will find lots of vintage stuff on eBay, stuff that I think can often be really nice and really cheap (like 20 times cheaper than that Tiffany's tie bar, no joke). Keep a look out for established vintage jewelers: Swank, Anson, and Hickok all made lots of interesting pieces.

The first two tie bars are Hickok. I am still upset that I forgot to bid on them... that first one is too cool for school! I love how you'd be able to see some of the tie through the bar. The second one is rather plain, but it's smaller and therefore better suited for the skinny/slim ties that are all the rage.

The second two bars are Swank. If you look closely, you'll see there is a slight pattern on the edges of the tie bar. It's very art deco, very chic. But it's still very understated and cool--your friends will only notice the pattern when it hits the light at the right angle. Once again, I am upset that I forgot to bid.

Hope you all have better luck on eBay than me!