Who are the world's best known tie designers?
There are a number of tie designers and manufacturers in the world who manufacture a large variety of ties,
cravats and bow ties. Some of the popular tie designers are Josh Bach, Robert Stewart, Lee Allison and M.C. Escher. Aside from them, there are various designer and fashion houses with teams of
different designers, providing exceptional quality ties. Some of them are McDade Neckwear, Y & G, Altea, Burberry, Fendi, D & G, Emilio Pucci, Bvlgari, Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Gene Meyer,
Gianfranco Ferre, Hugo Boss, Leonard Paris, Tommy Hilfiger, Versace, Ungaro, Robert Talbott, Valentino, John Bartlett, Ike Behar, Tommy Bahama, Moschino, Roberto Cavalli, DKNY, Calvin Klein,
Pierre Cardin, Hermes, Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi and Polo-Ralph Lauren, among others.
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Which are the best silk ties?
Ties play a special role in dressing up your attire and perhaps speak the most about your personality. A well
matched tie always projects a suave image in meetings or other events, be it formal or social. Silk is the most preferred material for ties as it provides bulk and makes them look rich and
elegant. Additionally, silk ties dye better and hold the knot well.
Silk ties can be largely divided into two categories; smooth and ribbed. Smooth silk, also called as Foulard
silk, sports a smooth finish and is lightweight. Smooth silk includes printed silk ties which are available in different patterns such as dots, designs, floral and conversational. Ribbed silk is
heavier in comparison and comes under various arrangements. Some of them are repp silk, faille silk, raw silk and crepe de Chine. Repp silk is used for striped ties, faille silk for club ties and
the crepe de Chine silk for dressy ties. Ribbed silk is also known as woven silk and is preferred over smooth silk in terms of quality and elegance. As a general rule, woven silk neckties
are more formal and provide a richer look than the printed ones.
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How to care for a silk tie?
Ties are precious in the sense that they reflect your individuality, and you would want them to be in their
best condition for as long as possible. Follow the tips to take good care of your ties:
- Always have a collection of silk ties so that you do not over use any one tie.
- While untying the tie take care to remove the knot by reversing the order of tying it. Additionally, never leave the tie
unknotted when not in use or else it will damage the fabric.
- Always hang the tie on a tie rack or wrap it across the collar of the coat, this helps in getting rid of wrinkles.
- For stubborn wrinkles, roll up the tie with the small end first up and keep it for a day that way. You could also steam press
the tie, instead of directly ironing it.
- Stains are difficult to remove, hence avoid stains. If your tie gets stained, first try blotting the stain away instead of
rubbing it. Water soluble stains are easier to remove; you could try dabbing it with a clean cloth and a small amount of seltzer water. Use talcum powder for oil stains or you could also try
using spot removers or any other mild cleaners, however, always test the cleaner first on back of the tie to avoid any damage to the tie.
- You should give your tie for dry cleaning only as the last alternative.
- Take care to pack ties properly during travel. If packed wrongly, they might get spoiled. A safe way to store ties is to roll
them u with the small end first. You could also fold them softly in four parts. However, do not keep them for long; rather hang them as early as possible after you unpack.
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How are silk ties made?
Silk ties are always preferred for their richness and feel. They fall very well on the chest and also hold
their shape. Silk ties are made in two different styles; smooth and ribbed. Smooth silk include the printed silk ties which are available in different patterns such as dots, designs, floral and
conversational. The ribbed silk or the woven silk ties are heavier in comparison and come under various arrangements. Some of them are repp silk, faille silk, raw silk and crepe de
Chine.
Quality silk ties come with a bias cut which means that they are cut across the fabric. This cut ensures a
perfect fall without curls after the knot has been tied. Silk neckties were originally made by the seven fold pattern wherein the tie was cut from a single square of silk. Thereafter it was
folded seven times which resulted in fullness, making it appear elegant. Nowadays, ties are seldom manufactured in this fashion; rather they derive their fullness through an extra lining provided
across the length of the tie. Tie linings are usually made of wool or of other material with the maximum percentage of wool, as wool provides excellent support to the tie and maintains the
tie’s shape.
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How to spot handcrafted ties?
Like many other products, the ultimate ties are handcrafted and are considered to be the best. Such hand
crafted ties featuring excellent workmanship and design are always said to be of superior quality. However, newer technology allows manufacturers to imitate the handcrafter's stitching almost
without any flaw. Still, one can ascertain whether the tie is really handcrafted by observing the following:
Check for the bar tac which prevents the tie from opening up. It is a horizontal stitch at the back of the broader end of the
tie. It should be pretty neat with no material grouped together or drawn around it.
Most of the good quality handcrafted ties are sewn inside out and then reversed. The "slipstitch" must be at the top of the
narrow end. The tie should gather when the slipstitch is pulled. This is one of the signs to watch out for.
Handcrafted silk ties always feature lining made completely out of wool or with a fabric which has a high content of wool.
Look out for a series of gold bars marking which can be seen when you open up the back of the tie.
As a final point, check the tie by moving your fingers down the fabric to count the separate pieces of material. Handcrafted
ties have three pieces of fabric stitched together rather than two, which is common in commercially made ties.
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How to check the ‘cut’ of a quality tie?
One of the distinguishing features of a quality tie, other than the color, the design, the material and the
texture, is the cut of the tie. It is the cut that decides the symmetry of the tie. Almost all ties incorporate exactly 45 degree cut. This angular orientation ensures that the tie falls in just
the right way after being knotted at the neck. If the angle is either less than or more than 45 degrees, then there is a strong tendency for the tie to twist when falling. Some relatively
expensive ties are made with the cut running across the material. While this method gives more professional results, there is greater wastage of cloth. This mode of cutting the tie is commonly
referred to as ‘on the bias’ cutting and minimizes the chances of the tie folding upwards from the tip when worn.
The essence of a tie is a casual but neat descent from the knot at the user’s collar to the tip of the
tie at the user’s belt. Only a judicious cut can do justice to a tie as even the best ironing or fabric cannot ensure a good fall well if the cut angle is not perfect.
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What is a Grenadine tie?
A Grenadine tie is a tie that is made from Grenadine silk, and is usually used for formal occasions. Grenadine
is a thin, loosely woven lightweight silk and has an almost irregular surface and a very tiny design, and as such looks a lot like a solid tie. Grenadine is very sheer and is made from thin silk
gauze. It feels a bit like a knit which has a loose weave and twisted yarns. Grenadine ties are renowned for their excellent knots and drape. A Grenadine tie is ideal for daywear, but care must
be taken to ensure that it is woven like a real tie and not like a sock.
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