Q. I have a problem. If I don't buy my ties at a big and tall shop, they end well above my belt buckle, and many of the ones I find there leave much to be desired. I cannot find the ties I like a lot by Hermes or others that will fit me. (I'm 6 feet 3 inches, which isn't so tall that it should be such a problem.)
Do you have any suggestions?
A. You are right; finding a good selection of beautiful ties in XL length can be difficult. While some companies do make extra-long ties for the tall men's shops, this doesn't need to be your only choice. I have a few other options for you.
The first takes place in the store where you shop for ties. For some unknown reason, tie manufacturers are not at all consistent when it comes to length. Their ties range considerably from 55 to 59 inches. I recommend that, when you are shopping, you choose several ties that appeal to you, lay them out on the tie counter, and eliminate the shorter ones. This will give you a few inches.
Second, tie a smaller knot. The Windsor knot is not only too bulbous for today's style, but it takes up more of the tie's length. The currently popular half-Windsor works better, but the knot that uses the least amount of fabric is the four-in-hand. It is smaller and is best for narrow-spread collars and button-down collars. Tying this knot will help some, but still may not give you enough extra length.
Third, a sure-fire solution: Have your ties lengthened. If you have a great tailor, he may be able to provide this service. If not, as I always advise, send your ties to Tiecrafters. They will add inches of fabric to the necktie at the middle seam. They can do just about whatever you'd like to your tie: narrowing, widening, lengthening, shortening, relining, and reshaping, all for $24.50 each (to have a tie cleaned is an additional $5). You can have any tie you like (or an old favorite) made to your exact measurement: Tiecrafters.com, or (212) 629-5800.
And, lastly, consider wearing a three-piece suit, an unmatched vest, or a sweater. Only the top few inches of the tie will be visible. No one will see that the tie is too short. Keep in mind that since only a small portion of the tie is visible, the knot will take center-stage and must be very well tied. Once again, I urge you to be sure your knot has that special touch essential to looking sharp, a dimple.
While discussing necktie size, I'd like to give you an insider's heads-up about a new men's style that may be looming on the horizon. Hard to believe, but in a few of the better stores, ties are getting wider! I believe that these men's designers and manufacturers are being shortsighted, ignoring the typical man's resistance to too-rapid style changes. Men's styles come and go in slow cycles. For the past four or five years, the style has been a well-tailored suit and a tie in the narrow range from 2¾ to 3¼ inches wide, and many a lot skinnier. Still, we all know some men who have not yet succumbed to the notion that ties should be narrower. And now, all of a sudden, some designers seem to be getting greedy and pushing to speed up the swing of the fashion pendulum. For fall, some fine men's stores, such as Paul Stuart and Barneys and a few designers in other stores, are introducing wider ties -- well before most men are ready for the change. In truth, it also seems to be before the whole industry is ready.
A long-standing fashion-industry rule states that when ties get wider, so do suit lapels. Everything has to be balanced and in proportion. But even the stores that are showing wider ties in their new fall collections (3½ inches and even wider from the most fashion-forward designers) have not yet followed the trend with their suit and sport coat lapels. Are they waiting to see if the new style takes hold?
Bringing this back to your tie-length concern, it will increase your need since a too-short wide tie is even more obvious than a too-short narrow tie. In addition to the methods above, there are a handful of fine designers providing longer ties. Perhaps some are to your liking: Zegna, Canali, Geoffrey Beene, Michael Kors. These can be variously found in Nordstrom and Macy's, among other stores. But again, if you lengthen those other ties that you prefer, they can be found in your closet and yours alone!
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High Profile on 10/04/2015