Ties that bind: Choosing the right necktie

By Muara Bagdja

JAKARTA (JP): Although neckties are inseparable from the total package of smart attire for men, picking the right one can be a headache for even the most confident of males.

Ties are a status symbol, reflecting the art, precision and professionalism of the wearer in choosing motifs, color and size to match with a shirt or jacket. It can be said that a tie is to a professional man what jewelry is to a woman.

The way a man matches his attire with a tie will reflect his personality and profession. Bright colored ties symbolize flamboyance, soft colored ones depict calmness.

"The tie is a pivotal part of professionals as it makes the entire appearance a complete entity and makes the wearer feel more respected and, above all, it is one of the characteristics of a genuine man," wrote Kim Johnson Gross and Jeff Stone in the book Work Clothes.

Here are some tips to follow in making the right match of your tie with shirt and jacket:

Motif Minded: Combine two plain elements with a tie that has a motif. For example, when the shirt and jacket are plain, choose a tie with a motif. Or, conversely, a shirt with a motif will go nicely with a plain jacket and a plain tie.

There are times, however, when people want to appear different. A shirt with a special motif design is contrasted with a tie with motifs. Such a combination is OK so long as they match. Second, select color and motifs that are not conflicting so that onlookers will not be left wondering if you got dressed during a power outage.

If ties with motifs are preferred, choose classic ones with geometric motifs, such as checkered patterns and stripes. But, unless you have no problem with the likelihood of derogatory comments, stay away from tartan patterns or stripes which may lead others to ask if your ship just got into port.

Minimalist motifs or small logos with a repeat or spreading pattern show that the wearer is a businessman. The smaller and fewer motifs it has, the more serious and conservative the impression will be.

Making an Appearance: A tie can create the entirety of appearance and reflect the personality of the wearer, giving the desired image to others.

The plainer and the darker a tie is, the better it would be for a businessman; dark colors mirror a reliable working attitude. A tie with a brighter color, such as red, is more suitable for younger people in a less conservative field of work.

Playing with monotonous color combinations is indeed boring, but it is the easiest way to find a suitable combination of colors. Blue ties are a favorite choice of working men since blue goes well with all other colors. And blue is a only little lower than black in its degree of formality.

If you are on a tight budget and have only a few ties in your wardrobe, try a black-based tie for all situations, be it a wedding party or funeral gathering. The other advantage with black ties is that they do not stain easily.

Color Clash:You will be well advised to wear a tie with the same hues or in harmony with the color of your shirt or jacket.

For example, for a dark blue jacket and a white shirt, a dark or a light blue tie would give more of an accent. If the combination is of a black jacket and cream-colored shirt, a tie with a black nuance or having a brownish hue is recommended.

If you are already good at playing with colors and are confident about carrying it off, try something different, such as a maroon tie for a gray suit.

Plain ties are returning to favor as they are readily matched with shirts with different motifs and they go in perfect harmony with one another, and even more so if they are put together in a monochromatic-chromatic manner: a gray jacket is matched with light blue shirt and accentuated with a darker blue tie.

Knot Right: "A well-tied tie is the first serious step in life," Oscar Wilde said. That well-tied tie should have a dimple under the knot; a silk tie is an excellent choice to make a perfect knot owing to the soft nature of the fabric.

But ties have to be well taken care of to look good and be tied properly. Men frequently forget that ties occasionally need dry cleaning to retain the quality of the fibers.

To prevent your ties from sagging, roll them up when you put them away in the drawer. After you have neatly tied the tie, be sure to take a good look at the length. Ideally, it should be covering your belt buckle, with a width between eight centimeters and nine centimeters.

The writer is a fashion consultant based in Jakarta.