Oscar Wilde once said, “A
well tied tie is the first serious step in life”.

Years may have passed since then, but the importance of ties still holds true even today. Neckties have always been a passion for men who want to look fashionable and who also want to make a professional impact. Knowing how to choose the right tie and learning the right steps to tie the perfect knot are important subjects they don't teach you at business school.

For me, a good looking necktie still embodies style, professionalism and maturity. A professional look promotes credibility, respect, and ultimately, success. Despite its size, a tie is in fact the most expressive accessory in a man's wardrobe. It reveals his personality to a great extent. We have come a long way with ties, right from the childhood days the one with the elastic band where in you just put it over the head, to the clip on ties to the professional way of wearing a tie. Normally people buy a shirt or trouser and then find a tie to match it. But I do the reverse. I first buy a tie and then go about finding the right shirt / trouser that can match it. The tie is the first thing that you get to see in detail and not the shirt behind it or the trouser below it. I am a tie collector. As I write this, I have a collection of 41 ties in my wardrobe.

I remember the Virgin mobile commercial where the guys are giving advice to a guy about tying the tie and he is unable to make it or the way it is said, "Put fatty over thinny, bring fatty around again, bring fatty through the loop and tuck him down the drain." Sound pretty simple to remember, right? But not always; of the many ways to tie a tie, the common knots are:

Four-in-hand: is the most well known basic knot and easy to tie and untie. It is perfect for most ties and almost all types of collars.

Double-hand: is similar to the; except for a "second pass" or wraparound. This knot is ideal for men who are not particularly tall as it reduces the length of the finished tie. It is perfect with Italian collars and for ties made from a thin fabric, like silk. It is quick and easy to tie.

Windsor: which owes its name to the Duke of Windsor, is a knot full of English class and one of the most popular; when finished the Windsor knot has considerable volume and is best suited to wide-spaced collars and to thin fabric ties.

Half – Windsor: has less volume than the full Windsor. It is ideal for straight parallel ties, thin fabrics and open collars.

Small-Knot: as the name implies, is small and suitable for ties made from a thick fabric and for close-fitting collars.

Cross-Knot: used with thin fabric ties, is smart when finished but is complicated to achieve.

An executive from the corner office once said to me, “Without a tie, I feel naked”. Some times I feel that the tie helps me to cover the little corporate paunch that is coming into existence, though I know I have to work on getting rid of it and not cover it up with a tie. And, here are some useful tips about ties:

• Your tie should be darker than the color of your shirt. Ideally, the end of the tie should touch the waist band of your trouser.
• Always hang your tie when not in use to allow heavy creases to smoothen out naturally.
• Try not to buy on looks alone. Touch and feel the tie. If you don't like the feel, you won't wear it!
• Remember to check the inside of the tie, which should be lined with a stiff material so the tie will retain its shape.

The point is that it is very important to know how to wear a tie. It will help you in your future career and profession. A well-knotted tie can give you the look of confidence and determination that you need for a bright future. As the old saying goes "There are no ugly men in this world, but only men who do not know how to look handsome".

(From the column of Fireside - Thermax In-house Magazine by GVK)