Men's Style Tips: Are ties still necessary?

It goes without saying that we are firm believers that a sharp pair of socks will add a touch of flair and individuality to any outfit. Pulling on a great pair of socks not only transforms you style, but your state of mind.

But what about ties? Less and less men seem to be wearing them professionally, but is there still a time and a place for them? For that make-or-break pitch, for example, or that all important interview – should you put your neck on the line and ditch the tie?

Here’s our take on classic tie events and how to dress for them today.

It goes without saying really, but let’s clear up any ambiguity – for a black tie event, you wear a tie (or a bow tie), full stop. As dress codes go, it doesn’t get any smarter than this, so you should pull out all the stops – tie, pocket square, cufflinks, shoes – only the smartest of each will do. Importantly though, the tie doesn’t have to be black and our charcoal, jacquard woven Gandy Premiere tie pairs perfectly with a crisp white shirt.

This ones a little trickier, and you’ll need to do some research on whether a tie is appropriate or not. You don’t want to turn up in a suit & tie if the rest of the office are wearing jeans and New Balance, but flip that scenario around and you can wave goodbye to that dream job. Our advice, do your research – are there any clues to the dress code on the company’s website? We wouldn’t even rule out scoping out the office and seeing what people are wearing. If you do decide you’re in tie territory, check out our Distinguished Gent Gandy tie – you don’t see a houndstooth design everyday, so it’s bound to attract a bit of attention.

Smart-casual is annoyingly ambiguous. Will others go more smart, or more casual? We’d err on the side of caution, and go more smart than casual. A crisp shirt, smart chinos & a tie is your go-to formula here. If you get there and decide a tie is too much, you can take it off and you’ll still look sufficiently sharp. The deep blue of our Gandy Playing the Blues wool tie would pair nicely with a light pink or blue shirt.

As I write this piece sat on the sofa in my pyjamas, I feel it would be remiss of me to exclude the ever growing number of people who work from the comfort of their own home. If you count yourself amongst this enviable cohort, then ignore everything I’ve said above – stick to the PJs, and maybe throw in some of our cashmere socks for good measure. You can pad around the house all day in these bad-boys.