Tie collection: what to keep?

[MikeR]

Hello, all. I amassed a fairly sizable (for a teenager) tie collection in high school, as I was in coat and tie virtually every weekend for some activity or another. Unfortunately, my high school years were from '97-'01, right in the middle of the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? fashion trends: aside from my trusty blue blazer, my mainstays were a 3-piece charcoal DB suit and a 3-button black suit. Thus, my tie collection is largely matched to those suits, while I now typically wear blue pinstripes or earth tones.

To the point, I'm thinking about getting rid of some of these old ties, and thought I'd ask the help of the Lounge in deciding which of these least-used ties in my collection would be most versatile to keep for the future and which (if any) should go on the auction block. Apologies for the poor picture quality.

Batch #1:

The left four have black/charcoal accents, while the right four are blue.

Batch #2:

These colors are mostly a bit easier to see. #1 is green and black; #2 is olive with light blue, gold, and black design; #5 is olive, black, and ivory with gold piping.

Thanks for any suggestions you can offer!

 

[Shangas]

I was left a sizable collection of ties by my brother. He's moved to London and he had a whole wardrobe-door tie-rack loaded with the things. I went through it and picked out the ties which I thought no guy should be without...which could go wit a variety of clothes...so...looking at this and applying the same principle...

If those ties were mine, or given to me by someone else, I would keep the...2nd, 4th & 5th from the left and the first on the right (First batch).
1st & 3rd from the right on the second batch.

The others don't really appeal to me, but those I think could go with a variety of clothes. They're simple colours or simple patterns that wouldn't clash with anything in particular...

 

[avedwards]

I think Shangas' choice sounds quite good. Though personally I'd just keep them all. You can never have enough ties, and even if you wear one just once a year it's worth having.

 

[Tomasso]

You can never have enough ties .

Actually, I think that you can have too many. I awoke one day to discover that I had amassed over 200 ties. It had gotten to the point where it would sometimes take me five or ten minutes to pick out a tie in the morning. That's unacceptable. I've since edited my tie wardrobe down to just under 100 and it makes the selection process so much easier. I once read that a black silk grenadine tie was the most versatile tie; that a gent could own just that and need no other tie...............

 

[scottyrocks]

Keeping and purchasing are two different things, psychologically, afaic. If I was to buy any of those ties, it would be 3rd, 6th and 7th in the first picture, and the 3rd, 4th, and maybe the 6th in the second picture. I dont usually get rid of ties because they take up so little room, so thats my contribution, if it helps.

 

[Shangas]

I think Shangas' choice sounds quite good. Though personally I'd just keep them all. You can never have enough ties, and even if you wear one just once a year it's worth having.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Ed. Although I too am not sure that there's such a thing as "never having too many ties".

 

[avedwards]

Actually, I think that you can have too many. I awoke one day to discover that I had amassed over 200 ties. It had gotten to the point where it would sometimes take me five or ten minutes to pick out a tie in the morning. That's unacceptable. I've since edited my tie wardrobe down to just under 100 and it makes the selection process so much easier. I once read that a black silk grenadine tie was the most versatile tie; that a gent could own just that and need no other tie...............

OK, maybe there is such a thing as too many ties then . In my case I have a mere 19 ties, plus three bowties, so I could easily do with more as I find myself wearing the same shirt-tie-suit combinations too often for my liking (wearing plain white shirts 90% of the time doesn't help of course).

As regards the black tie, I disagree. Whilst it is no doubt versatile, I think a man should have at least one other tie in either red, blue, yellow or some other colour for occaisions where a black tie may not be suitable.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

A black tie? I don't go to funereals very often and although I like the blues brothers movie I don't go for their style.

I would keep first picture 4th and 5th

Second picture: second and/or fourth and the last one.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Black is just another shade. It works very, very well with all sorts of colours. We mustn't get too hung up by memes …

Simpson Piccadilly 1938 magazine.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

I like it on the plaid shirt but on the light one it is rather boring. Needs a wild suit then...

 

[Tomasso]

We mustn't get too hung up by memes …

This message board hate for most all things black*, from head to toe, was a real surprise to me when first encountered. It simply does not reflect what is worn today or what was worn at any time going all the way back to the Golden Era.




*Outside of formal wear

 

[Maguire]

As one of my jobs (as a doorman/bellboy) required me to wear a white shirt and black tie everyday to work, i have an aversion to it. Granted in certain situation, its fine and looks good, I just rarely find myself wearing black ties. I would keep all the ties personally, you never know when you need just the right tie to match such and such- i've got literally hundreds of ties that were either hand me downs or gifts, along with a few i've bought myself. There are very few i'd part with, and I'm sure i've worn just about all of them at one point or another. Now that i have so many shirts and suits even ties i never initially had use for found use. You may one day down the road regret parting with any of them.

 

[Tomasso]

I like it on the plaid shirt but on the light one it is rather boring. Needs a wild suit then...

A flannel suit in charcoal gray, white shirt in royal oxford, black cashmere tie and black suede shoes is one of my favorite looks. But then I usually lean towards restraint, elegance and simplicity which to some may seem boring.

Whenever I get the impulse to jazz up an outfit I remember these sage words:

Elegance is refusal ~ Coco Chanel

Cary understood.

 

[Trombone]

Sorry to swerve off topic...but Cary Grant knew the power of simplicity
Grant in To Catch a Thief -1955

Grant chose to wear grey flannel trousers, the striped crew-neck sweater, and the famous neckerchief. Your ties can be the perfect simple addition to an otherwise classic look...like Cary Grant's suit.

Sorry to add, but a great book to read about this is Cary Grant, a Celebration of Style

Cary Grant rant over.

 

[avedwards]

A flannel suit in charcoal gray, white shirt in royal oxford, black cashmere tie and black suede shoes is one of my favorite looks. But then I usually lean towards restraint, elegance and simplicity which to some may seem boring.

Whenever I get the impulse to jazz up an outfit I remember these sage words:

Elegance is refusal ~ Coco Chanel

Cary understood.

I like the black tie look too sometimes (though I rarely wear it with a white shirt to avoid looking like I'm at a funeral). I know I may have once started an anti-black necktie thread but I have since changed my mind and sometimes wear a black tie with a grey shirt and a black flannel suit, usually on days when I simply cannot be bothered to wear a colourful tie. Like you I think that if done right such a look screams elegance. Sadly it is overused in modern films with skinny polyester ties and low rise trousers, which often ruin the elegance.

As for Cary's look, it's possibly my favourite outfit in any film noir. I often go for the grey suit, grey tie look myself along with a grey hat.

 

[Feraud]

Black is just another shade. It works very, very well with all sorts of colours. We mustn't get too hung up by memes …

Agreed. I find very few styles that aren't compatible with a black tie. [huh]

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I agree very much. That plaid shirt black tie combo is one I try to use quite frequently.

I like it on the plaid shirt but on the light one it is rather boring. Needs a wild suit then...

 

[Seb Lucas]

I only have one tie. It's black. Although I work in management - I have rarely had reason to wear a tie. I think I've worn it once in the past 5 years.

 

[MikeBravo]

Actually, I think that you can have too many. I awoke one day to discover that I had amassed over 200 ties. It had gotten to the point where it would sometimes take me five or ten minutes to pick out a tie in the morning. That's unacceptable. I've since edited my tie wardrobe down to just under 100 and it makes the selection process so much easier. I once read that a black silk grenadine tie was the most versatile tie; that a gent could own just that and need no other tie...............

I black woven silk tie was good enough for Bond. It's good enough for me. Just need to get one