What colors and patterns are in style for men's fashion in the fall and winter of this year?

In the fashion industry almost all labels design their collection a year before they will hit the stores. Designers first work on the initial design before samples are being made. A portion of those are then being shown at fashion shows in Milan, Paris, London and New York.

Recent news from "Trendshow of Men´s Collection for Autumn & Winter 2008/9 in Paris and Milano, shows that especially rustic British looks are selected by many reputable European designers. Especially designers such as Gaultier, Dolce & Gabbana, Etro, and Rykiel Homme choose this look in their suits, ties and dress shirts.

How does this look translate to necktie designs?
Slightly more narrow ties of about 2.75 - 3.00 inches are combined with traditional British stripes and colors of Olive green, dark shades of blue, and burgundy red.

Other designers such as Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Dior, Vivian Westwood, and Bottega Veneta have their majority of tie designs revolve around slightly darker colors such as silver, gray and warm sand-tone shades. Designs of the ties are mostly solid colored with fine fish-bone and ribbed patterns.

The Windsor tie knot is after the simple knot, or also called four in hand knot, the most popular tie knot in the US. The triangular and symmetrical look of the Windsor knot makes it a perfect tie knot for shirts with a wider collar spread. Click here to see more detailed instructions on how to tie a full Windsor tie knot.
The full Windsor tie knot

For additional guidance on how to tie the full Windsor knot, this video has great instructions for you.
Video instructions on the tying a full Windsor tie knot

What ties are best suited for a full Windsor tie knot and what other factors to consider?
Many factors influence what type of knot to tie. Those are: The shirt's collar, your body type and neck size, and the type of the tie.

The shirts collar:
To make it simple: The wider the collar spread, the wider, and more triangular the tie knot should be. Narrow collar spreads or button down collars look best with narrow more tube-looking tie knots such as the four in hand tie knot.

Your body type:
If you have a wide neck in comparison to your hight, then choose a wider tie knot. The full Windsor is a perfect choice in this case. A narrow tie knot on a strong and wide neck looks out of place. Just as this scenario looks like the tie is choking the person, a wide and thick tie knot on a short and slim man might remind of a clown's tie.

The type of the tie:
Two main factors influence the choice of knot to choose for a particular tie: The design and the fabric. In general ties made from smooth and shiny silk always look great with a full Windsor knot. Some examples of non-solid colored ties made from smooth silk are below:
Blue and white striped tie

Light yellow necktie

Besides these ties, solid colored neckties with some structure in the silk fabric such as a ribbed pattern or tiny crosses are a great choice of tie for a full Windsor tie knot.
Pink silk tie

As an exception to this rule are solid colored ties that are made from smooth silk. Such a tie looks quite trendy when tied with a non-symmetric tie knot with a dimple. An example of a solid color tie made from smooth silk is below:
Elegant silver necktie

Did you ever wonder what part of the country has a more formal work attire?

At ties - necktie we looked at our sales date from the past 6 months to answer that question for you. As you might have guessed, the Eastern part of the US tends to dress more formal for work, whereas the West tends to have a more laid back work attire. Our sales statistics show that the number one state where men wear neckties is New Jersey, followed by New York, and Connecticut.

As you go further West, the percentage of men that wear neckties is decreasing. Dividing the number of ties being sold, by each state's population gave us a ratio that allowed us to compare different size states and their work attire. Looking at the number of people living in each state, California has the lowest percentage of men wearing ties for work.

Did you ever ask yourself how women feel about men wearing neckties?

Neckties as we know them today, have been a fashionable piece of accessory for men since the beginning of this century. Although the style and cut of the tie slightly varied in the past 40 years, the overall appearance has stayed the same: Classy, elegant, and formal.

Many men, in particular in European countries such as Germany, England, and Ireland often times wear ties although the dress code at work does not require one. The professional and elegant look when wearing a tie shows respect to the employer, co-workers, as well as customers.

A large majority of women have a very positive outlook on men wearing ties. Here some more insight for women's opinion on men wearing a tie.

Dear Valued Customer,

Due to a large demand in pocket squares and wedding hankies, we will be carrying the finest handmade silk pocket squares in the near future. By the end of May we will have a wide range of solid colored silk pocket squares in stock. Pocket squares with fine striping patterns and polka dots will follow shortly.

Please continue to check in with us from time to time. We receive shipments on a regular basis to ensure we offer you modern and fashionable neckties to very attractive prices.

Your Ties - Necktie Team.

Dear Customers,

Due to recent requests to carry a very wide color spectrum for solid colored neckties, we will be adding those to our inventory shortly. Especially stain resistant ties made from fine microfiber will be added. We expect about 30 color shades for solid colored ties that are made from microfiber.

If you are interested in a uniform necktie for your restaurant, but cannot find the color or design that goes with your restaurant's theme, please contact us for custom necktie design suggestions, or check back with us shortly. We expect to have the new line of solid colored microfiber ties available, and in stock for immediate shipping, by the end of May 2008.

We hope you enjoy your shopping with us.

Your Ties - Necktie team.

Different professions require different attire. Lawyers for example typically are expected to dress elegantly and on the slightly more conservative side. Sales people on the other hand often times need to stand out and be remembered. A salesman's tie tends to be more flashy and bright colored. Below are a few examples of ties for a particular profession.

Lawyers' neckties:
Lawyers are expected to dress with an elegant style that is fashionable but still conservative. Most have a very professional way to articulate, and an elegant tie, that is not too flashy compliments this. A few examples of ties often times sold to people working in the legal profession are listed below:
Midnight blue silk tie with diamond pattern

Black silk tie with fine white stripes

Neckties for Sales people:
It is important to most sales people to make a lasting positive impression on their customers. Eye contact, a firm handshake, and a positive attitude are classic examples. A tie in brighter, and more flashy color is a perfect choice. Think about Donald Trump and his famous pink neckties for example. A few ties that fit well for a Sales person are listed below:
Pink silk tie

Light blue striped necktie

Light green silk tie

Ties for Doctors and Physicians:
Doctors and Physicals typically pick ties that are more playful. Wearing a novelty ties with patterns of little colorful stethoscopes is a good example. Although we don't carry novelty ties, but only fashion designer neckties, a few ties suited for this profession are listed below:
Classic Paisley design necktie

Necktie with duck motif

Neckties for security personal:
Most of the time, the nature of this industry requires a tie that is a Clip-on necktie

, as it prevents accidents. The style and color of this tie is mostly determined by the color of the uniform, and the overall company's image.


Neckties for waiters:
This type of uniform tie needs to match the overall theme of the restaurant. In addition the nature of the fast pace work environment calls for a necktie that is more stain resistant. Ties made from Microfiber are most popular. The majority of ties sold to restaurants are solid colored neckties

, or have a very subtle pattern. A few popular examples are listed below:
Solid peach colored tie

Elegant black microfiber tie

Bright red tie

Summers are the most busy time for trade shows and large company events. Wearing a uniform necktie is a great way to be remembered by your customers, and to differentiate yourself from the competition. If you have been thinking about wearing a unique piece of neck wear that goes with your company's identity, but haven't been successful in your search, then we might be able to help out.

Weather you are looking for a very unique necktie design, or simple need a tie whose color matched the one of your company, our designers can create the tie that you are looking for. Simply call us, or send us an e-mail, and we will be happy to assist you.

Your Ties - Necktie team.

Spring and summer is our most busy time for wedding necktie requests. Are you interested what other groomsmen and wedding parties are wearing? What patterns are most popular? What about the most popular colors for wedding ties in 2008.

Cream and champagne colored neckties are always popular for weddings. As every year, the champagne colored necktie, is our most popular necktie color for weddings.

Our most poplar champagne colored wedding necktie:
Cream colored wedding silk tie

Are you looking for something with more color? For 2008, the most popular colors for wedding ties are in the shades of green. Light pastel green colors are always popular in the spring - not just for weddings. In addition to the light green colors, a bright sage green tie is the most popular color for wedding ties.

Our most popular green colored wedding neckties:
Solid color bright green tie

Pastel color, light green silk tie

Your Ties - Necktie team

Do you ever watch Obama speak on TV and think: I really like his ties. Where can a find a tie like that? Well, the two most common ties he wears are either blue or red - both elegant and classic necktie colors, that are conservative, easy to match, and not too flashy.

Obama's red necktie selection:
Bright red tie with subtle narrow stripes

Red tie with wider structured stripes

Obama's blue necktie selection:
Light blue tie with ribbed pattern

Midnight blue tie with subtle stripes

Are you taking your lady out for a fancy date, and are planning to dress up for the occasion? You can be sure that she is putting a lot of effort into what she will be wearing that night: The right dress, matching shoes, the right purse, her hair, make-up, nail polish, and so on. Us men have it relatively easy in comparison.

If you know that she will be dressing up for the occasion, then why not do the same. Wear an elegant suit, that is formal, but not to rigid and business-like. A fashionable 3-button suit in dark charcoal gray is always a great choice. As far as the shirt goes, you may want to pick a color and pattern that is less conservative than the suit. A striped shirt in white and light blue is a great choice.

Now you may think that finding the right tie that matches such a shirt is quite difficult. You are right, it isn't always an easy task, but as a general rule you should combine patterns that are not too similar in style. For example: A thin striped dress shirt should be combined with a tie that is mostly solid colored, has wide stripes, or a pattern that is mostly of one color.

A few examples of ties that combine well with stripes shirts:
Coral red necktie

Blue tie with flower motif

Light blue tie with tiny square pattern

What color tie should you pick for your date?
Pick a color that friendly and not to formal. Shades of light blue, red, orange, and pink are good examples. Choose the color that looks good on you and matches your shirt and suit. If she has some input on your attire, she might like a lie that goes with her dress. If you look to match colors this way, then a pocket square may also be a great accessory.

After receiving requests to carry women's ties, we went out to do a little research for you. Although the traditional men's necktie can be worn quite well for women's business attire, it is only seen in rare occasions. If done however, the tie should be tied a little shorter, ending about 1-2 inches above the waist. The knot itself is typically also tied more loosely.

Another quite fashionable variation of the men's necktie, are Japaneses inspired ties for women. Although we don't carry them, we looked we you could find some good models:

http://www.cherryblossom.co.nz/shop/Fashion+Accessories/Womens+Neckties.html

We hope you find this information helpful. Should you have any further suggestions or requests please do not hesitate to contact us.

Your Ties - Necktie team