Don knots

Jose J. Santos

Hawaiian shirts and beach shorts may be the fashion norm for hip Dads

on the weekends, but what happens when it’s time to go back to the

grind Monday morning?

Dad needs to look his best for the boss. Now’s the perfect day to

help him out by giving him a Father’s Day gift that completes that

smart suit of his.

“Every well-dressed man should wear a tie,” Margaret Kirkby, store

manager of Dunhill at South Coast Plaza, said. Dunhill offers fine

men’s apparel, including a broad selection of ties.

Casual Fridays have rubbed off on the other days of the week,

Kirkby said. But she’s noticed a trend shift lately.

“Formality has come back into the workplace,” Kirkby said.

If you’ve forgotten to get your father a gift today, don’t fret.

There’s still time to rush to the closest clothing store to get him a

sharp-looking accessory.

“You don’t have to worry whether it fits or if it’s the right

smell. Ties are an easy gift to give,” Kirkby said.

Even if you’re in a rush, here’s some things to look out for when

you’re picking out the right tie.

QUALITY CUT

A nice heavy fabric is the first mark of a quality tie. Ties are

made by hand, by machine or a combination of both. No matter how it’s

made, a quality tie is usually crafted from three pieces of cloth

instead of two, Kirkby said. It is cut on the bias, which means the

fabric of the tie is cut diagonally.

You can check if a tie has been cut on the bias by either looking

for the diagonal cuts on the back of the tie or letting the tie hang

in the air. Ties that have been cut this way will hang straight down.

If a tie hasn’t been cut on the bias, it will begin to curl or rotate

when you hold it up, Kirkby said.

KEEP THE SHAPE IN-TACK

Another sign of a quality tie is the slip knot. You will find the

knot, a small piece of thread, on the back of the tie where the

pieces of cloth meet to form an upside-down V. This thin piece of

thread runs the length of the fabric.

“If the slipknot breaks, you’ll find your tie won’t hold its

shape,” Kirkby said.

If you look directly above the slip knot on each end of the tie,

you will see a small stitch called the bar tack. The tight thread is

there as yet another means of helping the tie maintain its shape.

AM I BLUE?

You can weigh your options carefully when picking a color, but

there really isn’t too much of a science to it.

“It really is a matter of personal preference. Some men are a lot

more adventuresome in dressing than others,” Kirkby said.

So if you’ve got a Dad with a lot of pizazz and who doesn’t mind a

wise comment or two, go ahead and buy him that pink tie with little

race cars. But if your father’s taste runs closer to that of the

other Joes in the neighborhood, you’re probably safe going with a

light blue tie. That particular shade of blue tends to go well

against most men’s skin tones, and nicely complements the standard

suit colors of brown, black and gray, Kirkby said.

THICK AND THIN

The width of most ties are the same. But if you’re trying to

figure out if thicker is better than thinner, you should take into

consideration the type of shirts your father likes to wear and the

type of knot he likes to tie.

There are a couple of basic ways to tie a tie (for more

information, see below), and the size of a tie’s knot should be in

proportion to the collar of the shirt a man’s wearing, Kirkby said.

There are two types of collars: the spread collar and the straight

collar. The spread collar is short in length, and its ends are far

apart. The straight collar is narrow and its ends point downward.

If your Dad likes spread collar dress shirts, you should probably

get a thicker tie because he will need a big knot to fill the space

between the collar. If your Dad is more a

straight-collar-kind-of-guy, thinner is better for the small space

allotted for the tie knot.

TYING IT UP

* LUCKY NUMBER: If money isn’t a concern, and you’re in the market

for the highest quality tie, Kirkby recommends buying your pop a

seven-fold tie. Its name is self-explanatory: the tie cloth is folded

seven times on top of itself. The price tag is high because these

ties tend to be hand-crafted. Dunhill’s seven-fold ties vary in

price, but if you want one, plan on spending between $100 and $150.

* FAUX PAS ALERT: Bow ties are also an option, but most men shy

away from them because they aren’t real clear on how to tie them,

Kirkby said. If your Dad wants to wear a bow tie, make sure he knows

what he’s doing. It’s somewhat of a faux pas not to tie your own bow.

Discouraging him from wearing that fake bow tie is definitely a good

idea.

* FAUX PAS ALERT, PART DEUX: While the subject of faux pas is on

the table, wearing a tie with just a dress shirt and slacks isn’t

considered proper. A well-dressed gentleman should always wear his

tie with a suit or a sports coat, Kirkby said. Etiquette’s etiquette,

so now you know.

* SALES SPIKE: Don’t feel like a tie isn’t that creative a

purchase. You aren’t alone. Kirkby notes that sales go up at Dunhill

20 to 30% every year around Father’s Day. Polo shirts are also

popular sellers this time of year.