What are the different accessories that can be used with a tie?
More often than not, a tie is itself seen as an accessory. Few people are aware that ties can be accessorized
too. These accessories are usually used to keep the tie in place, and you’ll appreciate them if you use ties very regularly, and know how often ties come in your way when you eat, work or
play.
The different accessories that you can use to adorn the tie are tie bars, tie clips, tie tacks, tie chains and
tie straps. These accessories come in a wide variety of shapes, designs, materials (plastic, steel, gold, etc), and patterns. It is best advised to choose something which strikes the right
balance between looks and functionality.
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How to make a tie stay?
After you have chosen an accessory, the next question that pops up your mind is how to effectively make your
tie stay without spoiling the looks and the tie itself. Here are some pointers - as much as possible try to avoid attaching pins at the front of the tie, for these leave pesky holes which do not
look good. Try to use the back lining of the tie for the same purpose. Similarly rather than pinning the shirt, use the buttonhole. While using clip-type accessories, ensure that that the clip is
not too tight, and is clean. If the clip is too tight and dirty, it crumples the tie and also leaves deep-rooted stains on the tie, which would be rather difficult to remove.
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How to choose and wear the right tie clip?
A tie-clip is a one-side spring-loaded clip that is used to keep the necktie attached in place. It is clipped
horizontally across the tie, and thus attaching the tie to the underlying dress shirt. Tie clips come in a variety of materials, with metal being the most preferred. Gold, silver, platinum, and
stainless steel clips are seen as particularly trendy. While choosing a tie clip, make sure that it goes well with most of your ties and attire. You should also opt for different tie clips for
different ties.
A tie clip’s clipping mechanism must not be very tight, and you must also ensure that the tie clip is
not clamped entirely across its length, as in the clip-end must not come in tight contact with the tie or the fabric.
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How to wear a tie bar?
A tie bar, sometimes also referred to as a tie slide, is a thin metal strip that is slid horizontally across
the tie. A tie bar must be worn entirely across the tie, from one end to the other. However this is not strictly so, and a tie bar may have its end flushed with the edge of the tie, and the
extent to which it happens largely depends on the width of the tie and the length of the tie bar. The positioning of the tie bar is equally important.
Usually after the tie has been knotted, the tip of the tie is folded up to the knot, and it is the crease of the fold where the tie bar is placed. Uniform regulations though state that the tie
bar must be placed one inch below the center.
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How to wear a tie tack?
A tie tack consists of two different parts: a decorative pin and a base, chained to a metal crosspiece.
Donning a tie tack is a rather complicated procedure. The first step is to select a button at which you would like to position the tie tack. Ensure that the button is high
enough to be decorative yet low enough to keep the tie out of keyboard, food, etc. The ideal position is the one which is just below the middle of the tie. Then pull the tie tack apart by
separating the pin from the base. Now insert the metallic crosspiece front-to-back through your chosen buttonhole. Button up and push the pin through the tie centered left-to-right, at around the
same height as your chosen button. Then join the pin to the base at the back of the tie, straighten the pin, and it’s finally done.
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How to wear a tie chain?
A tie chain is a rare and unique form of tie restraining device. A tie chain is strictly for formal occasions,
and is not frequently seen in business occasions. A tie chain has a two-part structure, and consists of a fixed upper part, referred to as the bar, and a chain loop, often of gold or silver. The
center of the bar is horseshoe-shaped (much like a hanger, except that the horseshoe is capped on both the sides), and as such the bar can be easily hooked to any one of your shirt’s
buttons. The tie is then passed through the chain loop, in such a manner that the bar is completely hidden while the chain is rather prominently visible in the front.
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How to wear a tie strap?
A tie strap is a much more recent invention, and is perhaps the most
simplest. Usually made from leather, plastic, fiber, or some transparent material, the tie strap consists of two buttonholes. The first thing to do
here is to approximate the two buttons between which the rear horizontal label of the tie will be positioned. Then one of the two buttonholes of the tie strap is attached to the top button, after
which the strap is looped through the horizontal label at the back of the tie, and the other buttonhole is attached to the next button of the shirt. In spite of its simplicity, the tie strap is
perhaps the most discrete of the tie restraining devices, and allows far more vertical movement of the tie.
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What is a dimple tie tool?
A dimple tie tool is a patented device that allows you to create that much-wanted and sought after tie dimple.
If you’ve been using ties regularly then you will be aware that a dimple is rather hard to get. A dimple tie tool lets you create the dimple very easily and consists of a plastic tube-like
structure attached to a central pointed rod that is. It works on the principle that the dimple-making process starts the moment the necktie feeds into the top of the forming knot. The moment the
tie is fed into the knot, it is then passed through the tube-like structure of the dimple tool while the rod is being pushed up into the knot, and the knot is being tightened. Then the dimple tie
tool is slowly removed from the knot and separated from the tie. And the result is a dimple, powerful and strong.
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