Those who need to invest in business suits for employment often find the cost of most accessories to be prohibitive. Few can afford gold cuff links with diamond accents or an expensive Rolex watch, but silk ties can be surprisingly affordable in the right clothing outlets. Any form of tie can hide shirt buttons or define a vertical line, but a silk tie pulls the entire suit together in an elegant way. A well-designed silk tie draws the eye towards the wearer’s face, leading to a better interpersonal connection.

Business fashion experts say the choice of tie can reflect the wearer’s personality or preferred image. Silk ties offer very bold color schemes and patterns which imply power or security. These ties can also be coordinated with dress shirts to give the impression of organization and personal neatness. Other ties may demonstrate a sense of humor or fashion-forward thinking, but silk ties alone offer a shorthand code for success. Potential employers and customers may subliminally assign more confidence to someone who knows quality when he sees it.

Natural silk is a very delicate material and should normally be cleaned by professionals only. Storing an expensive tie means investing in a tie rack and keeping it protected from the elements. Because tie tacks puncture the material by design, silk ties should only kept in check by non-invasive tie clips. A wrinkled silk tie must be handled carefully- a hot iron can instantly ruin the material. Expensive ties stained by food should be treated with an approved spot remover quickly before the stain sets.

First of all, the proportions, blade width and length, should be 85mm to 90mm x 1540 to 1560mm long. The chosen fabric must incorporate a balance of colour pattern and texture. There is also the quality of interlining. Many consider 100% wool to be best; however, it reacts greatly with atmospheric changes absorbing moisture and can buckle your tie.

According to seasoned tie makers wool blends are the best, they also recommend taffeta tipping instead of silk because it adds weight to the end of ties so it will hang better.

What are the trends that are currently in vogue in neckties?

The current trends vary from brand to brand. There is a strong generic flavour inherent in most mainline brands; stripes are the strongest and most popular, then there are polka dots, some paisley and interesting geometric shapes, the colours, still blues and reds for conservatism.

There’re very few floral’s on the market, they too are generic, which sums up the current state of the market, and everything is pretty much the same. There is a large niche to filled and customers wanting to buy, but few retailers are willing to take the gamble of being truly different.

Where do you see the market for neckties in the next 5 years?

Women’s fashion always has strong influences on men’s fashion, only it is watered down to masculine acceptance. Spring summer 2009 is going to be alive with floral’s for men and women. The skinny tie has withered away and the traditional broader style is back in vogue as always.

The next five years will see men making more of their own choices of clothing style, especially accessories. The demand for luxury, bespoke, handmade silk ties is steadily growing and helping keep a long standing English weaving and manufacturing industry alive.

In keeping with Jean Patou and French designer of the 1920’s who used women’s dress fabric material for his ties and had them displayed next to women’s cosmetic sections. They were a huge hit, so we took a leaf out of his book and thought it time for a return to floral ties in the tradition of Jean Patou.

The brands to watch over the next five years are Vivienne Westwood, Timothy Everest, Victoria Richards and Patrick McMurray; they are true independent’s that set standards of style at both ends of the scale.

What are the points that one should keep in mind in choosing a necktie?

Firstly, the value is in the product not the name. Depending on ones budget, feel for the weight of the tie, rub the fabric gently between your fingers and you can judge quite easily the density of silk and lining.

Well designed silk ties, apart from construction, should contain the right balance of colour, pattern and texture regardless of style type.

How much does a necktie contribute to the style quotient of a person?

A silk tie is the epitome of male self expression; it reflects his mood and character and brings a collection of clothing together. In fact, rather than being classified as an accessory, it becomes a central focal point for comment.

How has public attitude towards neckties changed in the last decade?

In the fashion industry attitudes are changing all the time, concurrent with fashion itself, there was the dress down era, now we are returning to the dress up and dandy era, so as styles change so do attitudes.

Basic Silk Tie Care:

When tying a necktie, make sure that your hands are clean and that your fingernails are well manicured. Silk is a very delicate fabric that has microscopic fine silk threads. Pulling an individual thread out of the tie will ruin it. The most common reason that this happens are long fingernails, or rough calices on the inside of your hands. Also do not side the tie through your hands to further avoid pulling threads.

Untie your tie after each wearing and hand it straight in a ventilated area. This will straighten the tie and remove any wrinkles from the tie know. Also avoid direct sun exposure if not necessary. For travel, it is advisable to buy special travel cases to protect your expensive ties.

Basic Tips to Clean a Silk Tie:

Try to avoid stains in first place. Sometimes, no matter how careful you are, this is easier said than done. Mishaps do happen, and if you do stain your necktie the few basic tips below will help to save your expensive silk tie. Make sure to never use water to clean your tie. Instead use a white cotton cloth with rubbing alcohol on it. Take this moist cloth and tap it onto the stain of the tie.

How to remove wrinkles in a silk tie:

Just as with stains, try to avoid wrinkles in first place. To do this either hang your tie or roll it up with the good side out after each wearing. Also make sure to untie your tie after each time you wear it.

Silk Ties for Big & Tall men:

If you have problems tying regular sized neckties to the right length so that the tip ends near the center of your belt buckle, chances are you need special length ties. Most men that are taller than 6’3″ will have this problem, and for that reason necktie designers make special XL neckties. Extra Long Ties usually measure between 60″-62″. Most brick and mortar stores don’t carry a large selection of extra long ties. The best place to shop for XL ties is on special online necktie retailers. Most of them will offer a wide variety of ties in XL length.

Retro Skinny Ties:

In recent years the skinny tie that was first found in the 60s has celebrated a big comeback among renowned fashion designers throughout the world. A few years ago the skinny tie used to be only popular among hipsters and trend-setters, but very recently the skinny tie has become quite fashionable in conventional business attire with suit and dress shirt.

Ordering silk ties online has never been safer, easier and more convenient. Many merchants will ship directly to the recipient’s address, but don’t forget to fill out the correct mailing information. If you’re shopping online, look for discounts, coupons and sales and be sure not to scrimp on quality.

Another great reason to buy ties as executive or corporate gift is their simple practicality; few corporate gifts are quite as practical as a high quality silk tie. Ties won’t just get lost amongst the desk clutter like an executive toy, and it’s far easier to buy ties which will actually get used than it is to find a good quality briefcase or pen.

Be sure to purchase silk ties however, as they have a higher quality and finish than ties made from cheaper materials. The higher quality will also help the ties stand out from other gimmicky executive gifts which might look expensive, but are usually quite cheap! After all, you are buying a corporate gift for long term repeated use, so high quality silk ties will make their initial expense back while other ties are falling to pieces!

There are also an almost unlimited range of designs available for ties. If you buy silk ties, these tend to feature designs by extremely creative designers, which allows them to be both exciting and vivid but also suitable as corporate gifts. Any executive gift should take into account the workplace environment of the individual that the gift is for, and while this can be a little trickier with ties than it is with more conventional executive gifts, well chosen silk ties will be warmly received and has a clear value above other less individualized executive gifts.

Silk ties are very popular because of their luxurious look and feel; at one time silk ties were only worn for special occasions. Now there are a wide variety of silk ties available for every occasion. Polyester was the most popular choice in ties, as they were always considered easy to clean and care for. Although, silk ties are now made just as versatile as polyester ties, and look far better.

At one time silk ties were considered to be a luxury item and were very expensive, although now they are cheaper than ever due to popular demand. A silk tie will cost around $50 in today’s market.

When choosing a silk tie, the shirt and tie must match each other. Since a tie is used as an accessory to compliment an outfit, it is important to keep in mind that if the shirt you are intending on wearing is loud and colorful the tie needs to be calm and not overly colorful or loud. The same rule applies for a shirt that is plain, you should choose a bold and interesting tie, like one with a pattern.

Be sure that the color of your tie matches with your outfit so that it compliments what you are wearing. Depending on the occasion you may choose a conservative tie such as black or a plain color especially, if you are attending a formal occasion. If you are attending a party or wedding it is ok to wear a more colorful and exiting silk tie, or maybe even a novelty tie that will compliment your personality as well as your outfit.

There are many other accessories that can be used with, or in place of a silk tie. Some of these are silk handkerchiefs, silk bow ties and tie clips. The most important thing to remember when choosing a silk tie is to make sure that it matches what you are wearing. If you are not sure weather the tie matches your outfit asks at the store where you are intending to purchase the tie or bring along a friend who can give their opinion.

Silk ties are available either at department or clothing stores or can be purchased over the Internet. Many online stores offer free postage and handling on their silk ties, they also have a large array of different payment options including pay pal, credit cards or money orders. With thousands of stores available, silk ties suppliers can be found by doing a quick search on your favorite search engine.

Interestingly, the history of silk ties dates back to centuries ago. Any person just might be surprised to know the fact that the use of the usual necktie seen today is actually a product of war.

Way back 1660, a crack regiment hailing from Croatia visited the empire of King Louis XIV of Paris. This monarch is famously known for his sense of fashion when it comes to personal adornments. The soldiers of the Croatian regiment were sporting bright handkerchiefs that immediately caught the eye of the young king, particularly because the clothing items were made of silk.

It did not take long for the clothing items to make their way to England. After which, gentlemen all over the region began taking it upon themselves to wear silk ties, to achieve a dignified and professional image for their own.

It was at the start of the 20th century when men’s neckwear began settling a strong foundation on American soil as well. Up until then, men’s ties were imported from the European hemisphere, But this all changed at the onset of the 20th century. Still, the fabrics used in the production of silk ties were imported from Europe, so the region did not really lose their strong hold on men’s silk ties completely.

However, in the 1960′s, there was a significant decline in the market of men’s neckwear, particularly during the Peacock Revolution. During this time, there was a rebellion against formal wear, which had a significant impact on men’s preferences to wear silk ties. But during the mid part of the 70′s, the market regained its strength, even to the point of becoming stronger.

Of course, over the years, the preferences of men have changed, in terms of length, width, and such. The standard length is still within the range of 52 to 58 inches. As for width, 3 ¼ inches wide is the standard.

When it comes to men’s silk ties, it is very important to seek ties that are of superior quality. There is one effective way of doing this, and this is to feel the fabric of the tie itself. If the tie feels a bit rough, then silk of inferior quality was used to make it. Do not purchase ties that are made of inferior silk. The fabric itself is very brittle, and the edges of the tie will fray too easily. The tie might contain puckers and misweaves as well. Thus, one should be extra careful in choosing silk ties.