How to Buy the Best Men's Necktie as a Gift
Keeping the Businessman in your Life Looking Professional
Jul 1, 2008
The key to a good gift is how often a person can use it or enjoy it. Most men wear ties to the office or for weddings or funerals. A tie that is out of place in these settings will languish in the back of the closet, or only be shown off to the person giving the gift.
Things to Avoid in a Man’s Tie
Keeping in mind the occasions that the tie will be worn, the buyer should depend not so much on their own taste, but what is commonly worn in those settings. Offices that require a tie are generally conservative, so ties that show dollar signs, music clefs, golf balls, pictures of Shakespeare, or heaven forbid, scantily clad women, are not likely to be worn.
These ties would be equally out of place at a funeral, and the wearer probably doesn’t want to be seen in a bowling pin tie in wedding pictures twenty years from now.
A small graphic, something like an anchor, might be appropriate. The key word is small. If the graphic could easily be mistaken for a non-descript design, it will probably pass the test.
Avoiding extremes in colors is a good idea. Not many men can match a pink tie with a suit. Most suits are blue and gray, and almost every businessman has one or two of these. A safe choice is a simple tie with one of these hues.
Rep ties, that is, ties with diagonal stripes do not match well with the common pinstripe suit, and often have difficult to match bright colors. Paisley ties run the gamut from muted to dazzling. Muted works best as a gift.
Good Features in a Gift Tie
Today, most good ties are made of 100% silk. Quality varies, but a quick glance at the back will reveal whether the seams line up. The tie should be of medium weight, so it ties well, but is not bulky.
Unless the wearer has a width preference, or the prevailing style is very wide or narrow, stick with a medium width, as he will be able to wear the tie after the style fades.
Ties are now available with a finish that reduces stains. Consider these. Though it is possible to dry clean a silk tie, most spotted ties end up discarded.
How Much Should a Gift Tie Cost?
Ties can run anywhere from under $10 to hundreds of U. S. dollars. For most practical uses, a good tie can be bought on sale for $25. Any more is a risk, any less and the tie may be of poor quality.
The Perfect Gift Tie
The tips above are general guidelines. It is certainly possible that the giftee will love and wear that wide, bright yellow Homer Simpson tie to his next Board Meeting. More likely, following the tips above will result in a gift he can wear with pride and satisfaction.
