Types of men's ties - Overview of types by degree of formality

2024-07-02

Accessories, such as men's ties, should, in our opinion, bring pattern and color to styling. Thus, they offer unlimited possibilities when creating their image. If you sometimes ask yourself questions like: What tie to choose? Is this tie sure to fit the occasion and the rest of the styling?, then in this article you will find many useful tips to help you make a good choice.

We will sort out the knowledge about the types of ties. We will start our analysis with the construction of the tie (i.e. its construction, the material it is made of) to then go on to discuss some tips on choosing a design and color. We will start this way, because the construction of a men's tie affects its degree of formality, and thus the proper selection of the accessory to the rest of the outfit.

The ultimate in formality - printed silk or jacquard silk

Let's start with classic silk, which characterizes the most formal men's ties in the world. It is worth noting that other types of ties, such as grenadine, shantung and knit, are also made of silk, but they have different qualities than the classic silk tie, which we will discuss in the following section. Here we distinguish subtypes: printed silk and jacquard ties.

Printed silk tie

When it comes to the method of knitting the canvas in a classic printed silk tie, we talk about twill (twill silk). We can divide this type of ties into:

classic one-color plain, for example, a navy blue tie or a bottle green tie - this is the most formal tie for the most formal occasions (for example, a navy blue suit, a white shirt and a navy blue silk tie is a combination used by government officials),
pattern ties - at Dignito, you'll find a variety of printed silk ties with different designs, including limited edition.

Silk ties with added cotton

This deliberate addition of cotton to a silk tie makes the accessory less shiny, making it come off a little better:

in pictures,
on TV,
in the sun.

It is worth noting that in such a tie, the delicate luster and nobility of silk remain intact, while the luster itself is only partially dimmed.

If you want to elevate your image with a silk tie, it is worth remembering that:

the quality of the tie's workmanship also matters (it really shows; if you want to know more about this, read: How to recognize a luxury tie?) - pay attention to hand sewing and details,
take care of a great tie,
thin, poorly sewn ties are worth avoiding, as they can be counterproductive.

Did you know that

Raw silk is ecru in color, not white. To get white silk, you need to dye it white. It is worth knowing that silk does not like to be dyed white, and the process is tedious and long compared to obtaining other colors. Off-white is silk or wool dyed to white.

Jacquard silk tie

In the case of jacquard silk ties, the pattern is created by combining silk threads. Threads are woven into the structure of the fabric and form, for example, rhomboids and squares as shown in the photo above. This treatment makes the accessory elegant and suitable for formal styling - for the office, an important meeting or going to the philharmonic hall.

2. High formality - grenadine ties

Analyzing the types of ties according to the degree of formality, in second place in order (behind printed silk and jacquard) is the tie made of grenadine. It is worth knowing that it is also silk, which is characterized by:

original mesh weave, which gives the tie a unique look and texture (take a look at our product category: grenadine ties),
with an elegant and subtle sheen that adds class to formal outfits,
high strength and durability.

A grenadine tie can lower or raise the level of formality of an outfit. How it works?

If you wear jeans and a jacket, a grenadine tie will pull the styling up making it more elegant/formal. So you can confidently use this type of tie for smart casual and business casual stylingal.

If, on the other hand, you tie a grenadine tie to a navy blue suit and white shirt, the formality of the outfit will be slightly reduced (A printed silk or jacquard tie will not have this effect, that is, it will not lower the degree of formality).

3. Another high degree of formality - Natural blend ties, so-called mixes

Finally, let's move on to natural blend ties, that is, ties in which you will find admixtures of materials. For example, we have 70-90% silk with 30-10% admixture of linen, cotton or wool, this treatment "pulls" the luster from the base fabric.

We recommend this category of ties for many styles, because the reduction of gloss, affects the better appearance of the accessory under artificial lighting, that is, in photos, movies or television.

In terms of degree of formality, this type of tie ranks below grenadine ties.

4. Casual styling - shantung tie

A shantung tie is another type of tie that we believe is ideal for casual styling (smart casual and business casual, such as a corporate event). We do not recommend this type of tie for the most formal occasions like weddings.

Grey pants and a navy blue jacket are classic business casual (club outfit), an outfit for all kinds of occasions with friends or business partners, to which we can tie a shantung tie.

Did you know that

Shantung ties are characterized by an uneven surface, which gives them a natural, organic look. This is an interesting and original choice, which is certainly worth testing in your stylings.

5. Casual styling - wool ties

Analyzing the different types of ties, we could not forget about wool ties, which, according to us, are a good choice only for casual styling. This type, on the borderline of shantung and knit, can be used for a corporate outing out of town (we associate the wool tie with British aristocracy and the countryside).

As for the degree of formality, we treat woolen ties on a par with shantung. Their considerable disadvantage is also that they look good surrounded by heavier suit/ jacket materials.

6. Knit tie

A knit tie, or knitted tie, looks like it was created by knitting. From the point of view of the formality of the outfit, it raises the formality (because it will be more formal to wear a tie than not to wear one), but not by much. So we recommend it with jeans and a shirt without a jacket. We can try tying the knit to the vest as well. In our opinion, this kind of tie next to a jacket does not look the best.

It is worth bearing in mind that if you have a cage of 100 cm or more and wear a narrow knit tie with a width of 6 cm, then from a few meters it will look like a string at the neck. It will not help to build the image of an elegant man, so we always recommend paying attention to such details.

Let's pay attention to one more important aspect, namely optical weight

Tweed jacket is visually heavy, so a delicate silk tie will not go with it. In such situations, a tie of the type garza grossa grenadine, shantung or the wool just discussed will work well.

We already have a tie with the right degree of formality - What about pattern and color?

In our opinion, a simple rule of thumb is worth following:

you have an intense outfit, such as a jacket with a colorful checkered pattern - opt for a more muted tie, such as a plain one, referring in color to some color on the jacket or referring to the pants or socks.
you have a classic subdued outfit, such as a navy blue blazer - bet on drawing out the attractiveness of the outfit with an accessory and choose a tie with a pattern/some colors.

However, the selection of a tie in terms of color and design is a much more extensive topic. If you care to learn the nuances, be sure to read the article:

Rules for combining patterns and colors. 11 inspiring principles and the psychology of color