When you’re out on a date or catching the tube for an important business meeting, it’s the little things that matter the most. You never know when the color of your shoes, the dial of your watch, and the knot of your tie may work their magic on someone and make them fall for you. Hence, you must always be particular about the little details on your dress, especially the tie.

Ties, for men, have always been a crowd-puller. Even though a more informal style of dressing has come to replace the formal suits, ties continue to steal the limelight. The contemporary fashion for men has squeezed in space for neckties as well as bowtie, and therefore, you must know how to rock a modern tie!

Length and Width Matter

The length and width of your tie are supposed to vary in accordance with the type of collar of the suit. However, it’s a given that your tie should be no longer than the belt-line until and unless you’re pulling off the whole short-suit thing. You are allowed to let it hang above the navel only then.

As for the width, wide ties went out of fashion half a decade ago. With that, came into fashion ties that are narrow but not super-skinny – about two and a quarter to two and three-quarter inches at its widest point.

Invest in the Knot, But Not So Much

People often mistake bigger for better and end up making their necktie knot look like a giant Dorito. The Half Windsor, the Double Elliot, the Prince Albert, and what not! The list of tie knots is a long and ongoing one. Do yourself a favor and do not consider it!
The one and only knot you must perfect is the four-in-hand knot – neither too big, nor too petite, and not flawlessly triangular. It’s the one knot you can sport at any given occasion with any given suit and collar style. Mark my words; this elegant knot is a life-saver!

Don’t Over Flash Colors and Patterns

Tie colors and patterns that clash with the shirt or suit colors and patterns don’t say good things about you. Whereas those that accent the color and patterns of your shirt and suit can instantly draw attention towards you.
As a rule of thumb, when in doubt consult the solid black, solid blue, ,or solid grey tie in your collection. In a nutshell, solid colored ties are must-haves in your wardrobe.

Accessorize Simply

Common necktie accessories are tie pins, tie chains, and tie clips and bars. Tie clips and bars can sometimes bring out the best in your ties, especially when adorned upon solid colored skinny ties. However, you don’t want to overload your tie with nitty gritty accessories and kill its elegant vibe. Tie pins and tie chains are particularly outdated and must be avoided at all costs.

Let Loose!

Have you noticed how in movies the hero always loosens his tie before a romantic scene? Well, you can look like a hero from a romantic movie all day every day with a slightly loosened, slightly scruffy tie.

Now don’t go overboard and make it appear like you just lost a million dollars in a bet, keep it low-key, subtly loose at the neck, and as natural as possible.

If you manage to pull off the quick and fairly easy tips, you are sure to have a great day and get into at least a couple of interesting conversations that start with, “Hey, man! Cool tie” or “Hey, I love your tie.”

This article is a guest post by Ricardo Martinez , part of the marketing team at Hextie. Hextie is a fashion forward neck-wear company focused on creating unique and beautiful masterful pieces for men. Whether it’s ties, bow ties or accessories, the uncommon brand will certainly make any dapper gentleman stand out.