Tie Knots: Not All Created Equal

A suit has its lapels, a shoe its waist, and a tie its knot.  Each is the point on which the rest of the object relies.  An otherwise great suit with mediocre lapels is just that, mediocre.  Likewise, no matter now fine a silk twill your tie is cut from, if it doesn’t knot beautifully the whole affair is a waste.There are literally dozens of neckwear makers out there, offering everything from five dollar poly strips to multi-hundreds of dollars cashmere numbers.  But for simplicity sake, let’s take a look at a few different 100% silk ties and see how they knot, why they knot this way, and what to look for in a great tie.

First off, I tie mostly double four-in-hand knots.  I like the extra three-dimensionality of the knot, plus I’m short and need to use up as much length as possible.  When I look for a good knot I’m looking at a few basic qualities.  Most importantly, the knot has too look solid no matter how tightly it’s tied.  Sometimes you want a looser knot than others, but it should never look unravelling.  It should also have a pleasant three-dimensional look to it from all angles, not that flat, triangle shape from the front.  And, whether you like a big dimple, small dimple, or simply a little ruching under the knot, none of those should look overly neat and perfect.  Essentially the knot should anchor the tie and give some dynamism to the collar, so let’s take a look:

This first tie looks exactly like what it is – a fairly good quality for money piece of 100% silk from an online shop offering only sub $20 ties.  It’s not totally awful, but it does leave a lot to be desired.  The knot sometimes does that get weird geometric thing that I don’t care for and you can see above how the edges crimp and squash rather than rolling gently.  Also the place where the blade meets the knot is messy and the blade seems to kind of plop out of the knot.  Plainly put, there is always a sloppiness to this tie and I’m never quite satisfied with how it looks.

Step up a level though and things quickly improve.  This is an old Brooks Brothers tie I pilfered from my father’s closet years ago.  The silk has a much softer hand – much less slippery – and although thinner has more texture to it.  And then there is the biggest different: the interlining.  I’m sure the first tie is made with a low-cost synthetic interlining, while the Brooks tie is partially poly and partially natural.

Think of the interlining in a tie like the canvas in a suit.  A cheap, poorly made canvas inside will keep you from getting a clean elegant shape outside.  Wool is much more crease resistant and much longer-lived than poly or mixed linings.  And, unlike poly, the wool will spring back really well after wearing and keep your tie looking better longer.  Drakes for instance use a really thick wool interlining which is what gives their ties the heft they’re known for.  The above Brooks tie and its lining are certainly a step up, and will give you pretty darn good results, but nothing beats the real thing.

Looking at a tie of this level the difference becomes immediately apparent.  The knot is very three dimensional, it sits tightly at the collar, and shows no signs of drooping or sagging.  Also the blade itself has more depth where it protrudes from the knot due to it’s additional heft.  That’s what good quality interlining will do for a tie.  This particular tie is a house-brand tie from a notable Savile Row tailor, but from it’s hand and knot alone I have a pretty good idea of who made it.

So next time you see that great looking tie sitting on a store shelf – you know, the one you have to have – pick it up and give it a go before bringing out your wallet.  It’s easy to make a piece of silk look fetching on a table, but it’s what it looks like around your neck that counts.