How to Choose a Good Tie and Wear it Well
Since Father’s Day was yesterday, perhaps the tie-giving holiday of the year, I wanted to pass along a tip I learned just recently about choosing good ties. In the past, I have professed my ignorance about choosing and styling ties.
In the United States, formal wear is something that becomes less and less popular each year. Even in most workplaces, ties are becoming rare and especially so in the summer months. So, for advice about ties, it should not be altogether surprising that the answer needed to come from a British source.
Enter T.M. Lewin, a British company which began producing shirts on Jermyn (pronounced “German”) Street in London in 1898. According to their historical video, Jermyn is the “shirt street” of the world just as Saville Row is known for suits.
T.M. Lewin has a very simple rule for matching ties and shirts that anyone can understand. You can watch it below.
The T.M. Lewin YouTube channel is so much fun to watch. If you are a fan of British television, you will love this!
Here they are making over a young college graduate, showing how to choose a suit, shirt and tie,
Here they go to a private school to teach how to tie the “schoolboy knot.”
And here they are teaching us the finer points of menswear, showing some of the collar styles for formalwear shirts. As with all menswear styling, the differences are pretty subtle.
There are a lot of gems here to learn how to select and maintain your formalwear wardrobe, including:
This summer, while your suits may be taking a breather, it is a good opportunity to do some closet organization to review your formal wardrobe, clean and press it and refresh it for the fall.
*I have no affiliation with T.M. Lewin.