An essential part of any well-dressed man's wardrobe, the necktie unites all the elements of your outfit. Instantly raising the level of dressiness, it is also the way in which individuality is expressed within the context of a business wardrobe.

Fabric & Weaving:

Silk is the fabric of choice for most neckwear. It is generally manufactured in one of two ways.

Woven ties utilize pre-dyed silk threads, weaving the different colored threads together to create a pattern. Typically they are a bit thicker and heavier than printed ties.

Print ties are woven before the silk is dyed. The undyed silk is sometimes woven with a simple texture which is referred to as a jacquard or twill. It is then colored by printing a design on it. Typically print ties are lighter in weight than their woven counterparts.

Satin ties utilize a weaving technique that creates a high sheen finish. They can be either woven or printed.

The Knot:

The Four-in-Hand knot is by far the most popular. It can be worn with any type of dress shirt collar and it requires less "tie length" to execute successfully which makes it particularly suited to thicker woven neckwear.

The Windsor and Half-Windsor are fuller knots. They are most appropriate with wider spread collar dress shirts.

Click here for knotting instructions

Matching the Necktie:

Neckties are available in virtually every color and pattern imaginable and the rules are few. Novelty ties are fun but generally not appropriate in more traditional business environments. Repp stripes, subdued paisleys and smaller dots patterns are all classic, more appropriate choices. The color in your necktie is the perfect way to add some energy to classic business attire.

Matching your tie with a solid dress shirt is easy. However, even though a patterned shirt is a little more limiting, there are still ample neckwear options.

Our rule: Combine a large patterned tie with a small patterned shirt and vice versa. For example, if you are wearing a bold striped dress shirt, pair it with a pin dot necktie. Or, use a bold paisley necktie to complement a tattersall check dress shirt.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at PFadvisor@paulfredrick.com Next week we will begin a two-part discussion on selecting the dress shirt that is right for you.

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