While the tie is a small accessory, it can make or break your outfit and overall look or style. As such, it’s essential to look for the best ties you can buy.
Some ties don’t work for a particular top design, so you must ensure you have multiple ties in your closet. However, owning too many isn’t practical either, as you’ll surely end up not wearing most of them. Likewise, not having enough isn’t good for you and your tie.
So, how many ties should a man own? Allow us to provide you with the necessary information to ensure you always have clean and neat ties for workdays, meetings, occasions, and more.
How Many Ties Should a Man Own?
There is really no one rule regarding the number of ties you need to own. Instead, the count will depend on many factors. Those include the type of work you do and how often you need to wear a tie in a week.
What the Experts Say
Stylists, manufacturers, and those who’ve been wearing ties for a long time recommend multiplying the number of days you wear a tie by two to get the advisable minimum number of ties to own. That is especially if you work in the field or are always outdoors.
For instance, have at least ten ties if you work five times a week and are required to wear one each day. This way, you won’t have to repeat your tie within two weeks. Not only will you be stylish every day of the week, but it will also ensure each of your ties get enough rest in between wears.
Remember that you wear your tie for about six to eight hours a day, which means it’s tied up for several hours. Untying it at the end of your shift and letting it hang as is for multiple days will allow the delicate fabric and lining to recover.
Not wearing your ties, whether self-tied or pre-tied, multiple times a week or daily will also allow enough airflow to remove any clinging odor. You can also quickly wash or dry clean your tie if it gets exposed to dirt and other elements that can cause permanent stains or damages when left unattended.
The Ties You Need To Own
Apart from knowing how many ties a man should own, it’s also important that you own the right kind of ties. Even if you have enough, they’ll be useless if some won’t work well with your clothes. Here are the top three types of ties that you should have:
Solid Colored
These ties might seem dull, but they’re the easiest to pair with your shirt or suit, especially if you’re still getting the hang of tie matching rules. Ideally, opt for colors that will complement your skin tone. On the other hand, you can take the safest route and choose navy blue, black, and gray ties because they’re the most versatile.
Graphic
These ties have imprinted designs, such as cats, dogs, and famous landmarks. As you can imagine, they help add more color to a seemingly boring, one-colored corporate attire. They’re also perfect if you plan to wear solid-colored tops and bottoms. Just make sure you choose suitable graphics for your office setting.
You’ll also find ties with cartoon characters and silly images, which we don’t highly recommend. However, they can be suitable for some professionals. A good example is if you’re a pediatrician, as it can help distract and entertain younger children while you’re attending to them.
Patterned
Patterned neckties are different from those with graphics because they’re not images. Instead, the prints can form a shape because of their arrangement on the tie. At times, they’re just distributed randomly or uniformly. Common examples are ties with stripes, checkers, dots, plaids, tiny stars, squares, and other geometric shapes.
Don’t Forget the Bow Tie
Apart from ensuring you have at least two of each type, having one or more bow ties is advisable. This way, you can ensure you have something to wear when you get invited to a black-tie event.
Of course, it doesn’t need to be black; you can go for any solid colors as long as they perfectly match your suit. That said, you may also wear bow ties in the office, but go for more casual colors or those with patterns.
Never Run Out of Stylish Ties Again
As the name implies, ties are designed to tie your wardrobe together. Hence, make sure you pay attention to what you buy and wear. They’re supposed to make you look smarter, more professional, and elegant, depending on when and where you’ll wear them.
How many ties should a man own? Own enough ties for two weeks’ worth heading to the office and two or more extras for special occasions. This way, you won’t have to run to the mall so that you have something to wear. Also, choose colors and styles that won’t overpower your outfit. Stay away from too striking colors and patterns and ties with too many graphics.
Featured Image by F. Muhammad from Pixabay
