Three Ways to Make a Short Narrow Vintage Necktie Work for You

One of the first things I noticed when I began to wear skinny ties from the Rat Pack era is that they fit me really well.  That surprised me since I am 5′ 6″ tall and most modern neckwear is too long for me.  That is when it dawned on me that the neckties were a bit shorter, sometimes as short as 50 inches! While no one of my stature would complain, most men are accustomed to wearing ties in the 55 inch range, give or take a few inches in either direction.  What can they do to enjoy mid-century neckwear as much as I do and not look goofy with their ties not reaching their belt line?

I wrote “Three Ways to Make Short Skinny Vintage Ties Work for You” for those of you who love neckties from the 50’s and 60’s but are frustrated with their “short”comings!

4 Instances When Narrow Ties Have Been Fashionable

When something is in fashion over and over again, it’s time to start paying attention to it! This is the case with skinny ties.

“Four Times when Skinny Neckties Have Been a Fashion Trend” mentions all the times men wore slimmer ties during the 20th century and today.

Skinny ties were made to match the slimmer suits during the 50’s and 60’s while the 80’s were all about paying homage to this same time period.

Today’s skinny ties are meant to be paired with similarly tapered men’s suits.  It is about all of the pieces of the ensemble being proportionate to one another and working together for one cohesive package.

Not All Inexpensive Ties are Made the Same

I used to think that buying an inexpensive tie was the same as buying a crappy tie. Cheap ties = cheaply made ties, right?  That is, until I realized that price doesn’t always reflect a poorly made product.

I wrote about this in my post “Cheap Neckties Are Not All Made Cheaply“.

I come to find out that while the price of brand new ties is most often indicative of how well a tie is made, it is a whole different ballgame when it comes to vintage neckties.  Well made designer ties sell for a fraction, and I mean a fraction of their original cost! Part of the reason is the fact they have been previously worn. Also, the market for vintage wear is much smaller, so many accessories including neckwear are priced to sell.

What Makes Novelty Neckties Fun To Wear

It helps to know what a novelty tie is so that you know the best time to have fun wearing them and when to avoid making them a part of your outfit. That is what I concentrate on in “Definition of a Mens Novelty Necktie & What Makes It Fun to Wear“.

Unlike patterned ties, novelty tie feature symbols and representations of most anything you can image.  This is how they earned the description of “conversational” ties because wearing one can start a conversation between two or more people.

Novelty ties are often fun and funny, which is part of the reason it is best to wear them for lighthearted social events and not for job interviews.

A Short History on Countess Mara Ties

People either know about Countess Mara ties or they don’t.  Those that do often wonder about her trademark CM logo that is sometimes present near the tip or not there at all.  What gives? Well my short article by the name of “All About Countess Mara Designer Men’s Neckties” provides a brief historical overview.

I mention the creation of the company in 1938 by an Italian born woman who had the gumption to start her own necktie company when few women went to business on their own.

There’s mention of the various novelty themes she created the CM logo accompanied by a nine point coronet present on all of her ties until the 1990’s.

Expert Advice on What to Wear for a Job Interview is Tried and True

There are a ton of articles out there about what to wear to a job interview, but what about articles about the experts themselves?  My short essay “Listen to the Experts When Seeking Advice about What To Wear for Job Interviews” addresses this.

Basically, all the trusted authors on the subject pretty much say the same thing.  If you don’t believe me, check out two respected writers and notice for yourself. What is type of dress is distracting and what isn’t. Of course, a lot of it is common sense, but if you or someone you know has a stubborn streak and wants to ignore sound advice for their own dress code, I suggest you try your best to try to impress upon them a  good book or magazine article by someone in the know with plenty of experience.

My advice is to pick one highly rated book and follow the suggestions because the last thing you want to do is lose out on that dream job because of the way you dress.

Vintage Narrow Neckties are a Perfect Fit for Women

I didn’t realize what a perfect fit vintage thin ties are for us women until I realized why some men clamor for them even when they’re not part of some hot fashion trend. My short expose titled “Women Love Skinny Vintage Ties For a Fashionable Look All Their Own” mentions the following reasons:

(1) Men with smaller frames, both tall and short prefer skinny ties, so it goes to reason women, who tend to shorter than men, look great in them.

(2) Skinny vintage neckwear tends to run 50 to 57 inches in length – ideal for women!

(3) Slimmer ties make for smaller knots, which look great on us ladies.

(4) Last but not least, all vintage ties, nut just the skinny ones are unique, and a great accessory with which to express one’s individuality since no one else will be seen sporting the same tie.

So there you have it!

Thin Ties & Tapered Suits Contribute to Confirmity in 1950’s Men’s Fashion

The title to my newest article is Men’s Fashions of the 1950’s: Conformity Leads to a Time of Slender Suits & Narrow Neckties.  Everyone really did look alike.  If it weren’t for skinny ties, from the solid skinny black ties to slightly more colorful varieties with overlapping patterns, by today’s standards it would have been even worse.

The Cold War played a role in men’s dress code and movie stars on the silver screen perpetuated the look. Luckily the beatniks came to the rescue toward the end of the decade.

60’s Mens Fashion – A Time of Narrow Neckties, Wide Neckties & Conflicting Dress Codes

The title just about says it all.  The 1960’s were a continuance of slim suits and skinny ties as well as a decade that ushered in new modes of dress.

1960s Mens Fashion: A Schizophrenic Time of Skinny Ties, Wide Ties & Everything In Between talks about the explosion of fashion influenced by the European, Modernist, Edwardian and Hippie movements.  For one thing, ties got really wide, up to 6 inches wide!  Today the only ties that fat are clown ties you can purchase at the party store!

But nothing happened overnight.  Skinny ties continued to be sold as late as 1967, as seen in magazine adverts.

1960s Mens Fashion: Goodbye Skinny Ties & Hello New Fashion Trends

While the beginning of the 60’s was still a time of slim suits and skinny matching ties, by the middle of the decade fashion sense took a 180 degree turn.  It was out with skinny and in with wide.  Wide bell bottom pants.  Wide ties. Even wider than wide ties – up to 6 inches across in later years!

Men’s Fashion of the 1960’s: A Time of Wide Ties & New Fashion Trends explores all that went on during those 10 years which influence the way in which men dressed.  They inlcude the British, Modernist and Edwardian movements as well as the age of Aquarius!