Tying the Gordian knot

Be it for a formal party, a corporate event, impressing girls or to effectively grade grub by looking suave in a class presentation – a proper necktie is the way to go to perfectly complement that mad men look you try to imitate with that slick suit and formal shoes.

In a corporate world with a limited range to accessorise, ties are what can set you apart to make or break a deal. But as with everything pretty and chic, there's a downside to it all – it's better not to wear a tie than to do a sloppy job at it.
The first issue is the knot. In school, when we viewed ties as yokes to be yanked off at the first chance, we were either taught the common Four-in-Hand knot or our fathers tied it for us once and we never undid it. 

While there's nothing wrong with the Four-in-Hand, why not take it a step further? The Windsor knot is just as easy a knot, with very few steps and simple to learn. Both are great for strictly formal looks. If you are particularly confident with your boy-scout knot tying techniques, then you could go for more elegant knots that abound. 

There's an old story about a pair of physicists who once wrote a book explaining that there are 85 possible tie knots. While you don't need to master it all, it does not go amiss to learn a few out of the ordinary ones. 

The Trinity knot with its three folds is strangely symmetric to point of being hypnotic even. It is the perfect blend of a sharp and elegant look. The Novotny on the other hand is more on the aesthetic side with its many inward folds. It works well for casual as well as formal events and goes best with silk ties.

But the most popular over the internet in recent days, with tutorials all around is the Elredge knot. It is considered one of the hardest knots to tie, but if done well, there's no doubt that you will leave a unique impression on the woman you wish to woo. 

If the fancy variety is not for you, at least know this much – for narrow spread collars use the Four-in-Hand. For medium widths use a Half Windsor and for wide-spreads, use a Windsor. 

But tying a wrong tie with elegance will get you nowhere. It might be difficult to choose a tie and not all designs and patterns go with all types of shirts. Woven silk ties are for formal events while the more rugged woven ties are for casual events and best avoided in other occasions. Remember a simple rule of three when pairing shirts and ties. 
You don't want to wear a striped suit, striped shirt and striped tie. If any of the two are striped, the other should be a solid colour. Even the two striped elements should differ in their stripes - if your shirt is pinstriped, the tie should have wider stripes.

The length is another common mistake. It is a common sight to see ties dangling around the stomach or extending to below the belt. Avoid this at all costs – the tip of the tie should end right above the belt buckle and while this might be tricky to master, a little practice goes a long way. 

And don't ever try to wash a tie or iron it too frequently. That is not to say you should wear wrinkled ones either. Alternate between ties, never fold them. Hang them and let gravity even out the creases overnight. And when all that is done, it's time to suit up.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed
Model: Azim
Wardrobe: Cats Eye