Winter Ties: Bundle Up

Although spring is supposed to be on its way, the cold hasn’t quite broken yet here in St. Louis, and I haven’t quite switched into spring-mode. With the winter dragging on, dressing is getting monotonous and I am ready for anything I can do to liven things up a bit. A tie made of something other than the traditional woven silk is one of my favorite ways to add depth and texture to almost any Autumn or Winter look.

I was lucky enough to spend a few frigid days in Edinburgh this past December, and picked up this wonderful tweed number at a small shop called Walker Slater:

A great weave of yellows, greens, reds, and blues, the tie takes on the colors of whatever I am wearing it with, but never looks dull. Other wool ties, often made from flannel suiting material in solids, pinstripes, and various checks, are another favorite of mine. The most widely available ones in the U.S. are at J. Crew, and are on the slightly slimmer side.

Now it might just be the university student side of me, but the silk knit tie is one of my standard go-to items in the fall and winter. Although they can be worn year round (and the lovely candy-stripe examples from Mariano Rubinacci are perfect for spring, but that’s another post for another time), they always seem to me to have some heft and feel best in cooler weather. This great royal purple tie from Drakes seems near-perfect to me. Jewel-tones, a small amount of sheen, and a nice texture and subtle pattern – Perfect winter neckwear.

Once things begin to get a little warmer I’ll have to pull out the lighter knits and cotton ties, but as I said, that’s for another post.