Don’t fool yourself – the skinny tie is not a furnishing reserved for hipsters. Nope – the skinny tie has been around – it has stood the test of ins and outs – spanned Connery to Mad Men to Timberlake. The skinny tie should be in the lineup in every man’s closet. Initially you may think of the skinny tie as the formal go to player but you can call this one up off the bench for informal occasions as well. The secret is in the knot. You can go one of four ways with the skinny tie knot.

1) Casual – aim to keep the knot loose and asymmetric for a laid-back look.

2) The four-in-hand knot – this is a standard, simple knot that works well with skinny ties.

3) The half-windsor – this is a smaller and less bulky knot than the traditional Windsor yet still stylish.

4) Last but not least – if you really want to shake things up try an exotic knot – the Eldredge – this knot works best with solids or patterns – as far as venues go save this knot for celebratory – it’s complex and better served in that setting.

So if you’ve been rocking this look for a while – try a new way of tying it…and if you’ve reserved judgment – take the leap and buy your first one – you’re sure to get plenty of compliments!

While we typically think of polka dots in candy color spring and summer pastels and stripes can harken to the days of Audrey in her summer boat neck sweater – these two prints are easily translated to fall fashions. It may seem obvious but truly the trick is to move into the next season gracefully – taking color and pattern into account. This fall, fashion goes for stripes, dots and stunning graphic prints – they are everywhere from ready-to-wear to accessories.
1) News flash – what’s black and white and red all over…stripes! Break the story in big, thick magic marker prints.
2) Stroke of genius – horizontal and vertical are certainly still on trend but a stripe can take the form of chevron or zebra – rock this out in unexpected color combinations – just by removing white as the base color you transpose the look for fall.
3) Dot, dot, dot – don’t think Julia at the polo match in the ubiquitous brown and white dress – switch up the polka dot in contrasting hues – here again when white is extracted from the palette in polka dots you’ve opened the door to this pattern’s wear-ability in the cooler seasons.
4) Spot on – polka dots do not have to be an all-over pattern – try a solid sweater with a smattering of dots – groupings of three will make your point.
5) Circle up – try the polka dot trend in an outerwear piece – what better to brighten a gray day than a swing trench featuring droplets of color.
There you have it – stripes and polka dots aren’t going anywhere because they are classic – so just like you no longer pack away your white jeans when the clock strikes midnight on labor day – with the right cut, color and pattern configuration you can wear these timeless prints year-round.

fashion

Do Knot be afraid of the Skinny Tie…

Stripes and Dots after Labor Day…We Can Do It!