As we all know, the right tie can make a difference. A right tie is an easy way to bring a little contrast and variation to your rotation. Therefore in terms of buying new ties the first thing you should think about is how you are going to match the tie.
To continue the brief overviews of weekly office outftis, I decided to highlight two attires from last week. And the reason I chose these two particular looks, are the ties I wore for those days. Both ties represent the kind of neckwear I don't personally wear that often. But both ties are also pieces that definitely have earned their places as essential pieces in my wardrobe.
Light gray suit with a printed tie is a suitable attire even when it's still cold outside.
Light gray suit with printed silk tie
I have said it before, for a guy who wear a suit for work 5 days a week a printed silk tie is a wardrobe staple. This kind of a tie is an easy way to bring a little contrast and variation to one's rotation. They work nicely with plain navy or gray suits as well as they do with more relaxed sport coats or blazers.
Printed silk ties are actually something that I've had a fluctuating relationship with. I've always been more fond of plain ties. However at some point, especially during my exchange year in the US I acquired a broad selection of this type of neckwear. During 2013-2016 I got rid of most my selection and sold them as I didn't feel like wearing them that much. But recently my interest towards them has been increasing again. This is again one example of the fact that the style and preferences can change. But as we are talking about classic and essential piece of men's wardrobe, I have always appreciated the beauty of a well-made and high-quality printed silk ties. And now I have them back in my personal rotation as well.
Our new bedroom makes a nice place for quick shots before leaving to work.
Variation to basic office outfit
To put it shortly, printed silk ties are a good way to step out of your daily routine of wearing a solid, striped or abstract silk ties. And as printed silk ties generally consist of repeating motifs, this kind of neckties generally pair up well with solid suits and jackets. In terms of shirts, I personally always opt either for plain white, light blue or stripes. If you wear a printed tie with motifs, leave the check pattern shirts to your closet.
The light gray is balance with darker shades of blue.
The tie here features my personal favorite print, which is the small elegant floral pattern. In my opinion this kind of pattern is also one of the most versatile and most compatible pattern to wear for different occasions. You can wear for casual office days as well as for the board room meetings.
And the plain suit is balanced with three different patterns on the shirt, tie and pocket square.
To see check the post about printed silk tie with a gray suit.
Orange for business
Another outfit of this weeks post also showcases a basic office attire. As you all know, I tend to keep my work outfits and color palette rather restrained. Sometimes however it can be refreshing to have a little contrast and color in your outfit. And as orange is one of my favorite colors, a tie featuring the color is a good choice.
White shirt brings balance to otherwise colorful outfit.
Matching your tie with your suit pattern
When you go for more boldly colored ties, there is one thing to keep in mind. Or two actually. And those are the material and texture. In terms of materials avoid those shiny smooth silk options. Instead go for grenadine, tussah or raw silk. Or cashmere during winter and linen during summer. And if you want to wear an orange colored tie, in addition pay attention to the shade of orange the tie is made of. And choose a burnt shade of orange instead of bright and garish shades of the color.
Can you see how the orange matches the pattern of the suit?
The tie in question here is crafted from grenadine silk. And as you can see, the fabric is made by using both orange and navy silk yarns, which gives it a nice and more depth look. I chose to pair the tie with the gray suit featuring subtle overcheck. And if you take a closer look, you can see that the checks actually feature the same kind of shade of orange or rust brown than the tie. I don't suggest you should try to go this deep into matching your patterns and colors, but sometimes these are those little things that can give you that nice extra feeling.
And as I also chose to wear a pocket square with orange as a main color, there was really no other choice that go with a basic white button-up shirt. Finally, for more inspiration, check out the write-up about how to wear the orange tie with blue suit.
Always rememer to keep the materials and textures in balance.
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