The days of waistcoats are gone. Men frequently wear jackets unbuttoned, or forgo the jacket completely while sporting a tie. This leads to a predicament: What to do with a tie that flops around in the wind and potentially endangers you?
The American answer is the tie clip, formerly emblazoned with logos and colors, now delegated to simple gold and silver designs. Other accessories include the tie pin, which punctures the tie, the tie bar, which, unlike the tie clip, extends completely across the tie, and the tie chain, which attaches the tie to a clip on a shirt button.
Sans hardware, the final option is to tuck the tie in, which has jumped from practicality to fashion statement. Moderate dressers can get away with solely tucking in the narrow end, especially if its longer than the wide end. However, tucking entire ties into pants or shirts has been creeping in popularity for the past couple of years.
Tucking ties into pants has been the subject of much debate among menswear enthusiasts, as Sartorially Inclined attests. I’m not a big fan. In all these pictures, the ties appear too long. Moreover, the tucking makes the tie poof out, and not the stylish poof formed by a tie clip. It’s a saggy poof, a roll, that forms at the waist.
So here’s my say: If one’s pants are at the natural waist (like Connery, pictured) and one’s shirt fit and waist is slim enough to avoid any unsightly rumples at the bottom (unlike Connery), a tie tucked into pants may be acceptable. Nice skinny tie, Connery.
Now onto the second question…Is it ok to tuck your tie into your shirt?
Tucking ties into shirts is a slightly different matter. On one hand, unlike the pant tuck, I don’t think the shirt tuck can ever look good. It looks abrupt and unfinished. On the other hand, tucking a tie into a shirt is actually practical; it can save your tie at hazardous lunches. Men’s style should never be handicapped by practicality. One shouldn’t be punished because the lunch one’s being served, or the distance between the table and the booth one’s sitting on. However, I would refrain from tucking ties in shirts anywhere outside eating establishments.
Are there any other options? Like the answer to a prayer, I found a post at Permanent Style that detailed his “dreamed up tie tuck.” Simply fold the narrow end in and out of a button, then thread it through the label loop as normal. Conclusion? There are many alternatives to tucking your tie into your pants or shirt. Try them before you try the tuck.
Photos #1-3 and #6: Sartorialist
Photo #4: Sartorially Inclined
Photo #5: Brandish.tv
Photo #7: Put This On
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Great blog! But, there is a solution! I invented Anchor Neckwear, the world’s only necktie that stays in perfect position. Each Anchor Tie securely attaches to two buttons on your dress shirt, keeping the tie anchored in place. No more tie tucking, tie clips, or worrying about your your tie getting in the way.
Please take a look at http://www.anchorties.com.
Thanks!
Joe Sale
Well, look at those…Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll be sure to check out your blog!
I graduated to tie clips and tie pins (for my knit and wool ties only) and haven’t looked back. I avoid the shirt-tuck except when working around machinery; performing some kind of physical activity, like moving furniture; or wearing a tie with some kind of uniform, which usually involves the former two anyway. The pants-tuck doesn’t look awful, though–the trick is not to look like Fred Mertz from I Love Lucy.
I have a seemingly natural inclination to sit quite far away from the table, which as caused many troublesome spills, ties included. However, I never go so far as to fling it over my shoulder.
I prefer to simply let the tie blow around. When done by someone with the right physique and who can bring the proper casual flair, a windswept tie is far more effective than old-fashioned windswept hair. I predict that this will become the popular choice in the relatively near future. It may be slightly dangerous, but "men's style should never be handicapped by practicality".
I absolutely agree. But again, the windswept tie can be a little impractical.
I’m going weigh in (and agree with the photos) and say that the tie-in-trousers look is only OK if you’re going beltless. Anything less would be uncivilized [(c) Charles Barkley]
Agreed. Also:
http://sportschump.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Charles-Barkley-eating-pizza.jpg
I don’t think the shirt tuck can ever look good. It looks abrupt and unfinished…
[...] and no matter how I tie that tie, it’s always too long! I’ve tried dealing with it by tucking it into my pants and then disguising that by wearing a knit jumper or a vest over the top. Clearly, I’m going [...]
For the tie tuck I have to say “No!”, unless you’re a particularly sloppy eater.
You’ve got some great articles on here, by the way. Keep up the good work!
Thanks. The same to you, sir.