Ties with casual striped collared shirts?

May 7, 2009 7:03 PM

I feel that I have terrible fashion sense but I am attached to a habitual wardrobe of jeans and untucked colorful-stripey-patterned cotton button-up shirts. Is it conventionally [_] okay or [_] not okay to wear some kind of necktie with this sort of shirt? If so, what tie parameters should I look for?

Here's a photo of several of my shirts; my favorite is #1. I am a software engineer in suburban Maryland and the office vibe is generally cheerless business casual. I am probably the least polo-shirt-and-khakis person in our relatively small office. The only tie I actually own is a very formal Calvin Klein dark blue silk that absurdly outclasses these stripey shirts. I would probably rather go naked than wear a novelty tie of any kind. I'm just wondering whether I can add ties to the relaxed casual thing in a cool and coordinated way.

My wife has a sweet sewing machine so raw fabric choices and patterns are also totally doable.

Tie me up!

posted by mindsound to clothing, beauty, & fashion (23 comments total)

Personally, given that you'd be wearing jeans and the shirt would be untucked, I would skip the tie. I think it would look silly.
posted by selenized at 7:06 PM on May 7

No tie with jeans unless you are 16 and it's 1990 and you're asking a girl to go steady.
posted by desjardins at 7:09 PM on May 7 [9 favorites]

Also, if you wear a tie, you should wear a jacket - no ties without jackets. Basically, if you wear a tie, you should be fully dressed in tie-appropriate clothes: shirt tucked in, at least the possibility of a sportcoat. You want to avoid this look.
posted by josh at 7:12 PM on May 7

You can wear a tie with jeans, as long as the jeans are classy and dark. And your shirt is tucked in. And you are wearing a belt. And your socks match your pants. And you are wearing a good pair of shoes.
posted by jennyhead at 7:13 PM on May 7

Skip the tie, tuck in the shirt, wear a belt and a cheap sportcoat. I agree with desjardins; a tie looks weird with jeans on an adult. Maybe try a solid, contrasting undershirt if the outer shirt isn’t too transparent.
posted by ijoshua at 7:35 PM on May 7

I think what jennyhead is saying (and I agree) is that to pull off a look like that you really need to look like you know what you're doing. Especially with shirts like that. (I like them, they're just going to be hard to match with ties.)

If you're confident that you can pick the one tie in a thousand that will actually work with those shirts and a pair of jeans, and also put the rest of the outfit together properly, go for it. If you're a member of the 98 per cent of humanity that can't, skip the tie.
posted by hayvac at 7:39 PM on May 7

Conventionally it is not OK and will not be cool or coordinated. How about some cool shoes instead? I think that and upgrading to premium jeans are your better options if you want to stick with those shirts and not leave the jean zone. Also, you can adopt an accent. Bulgarian is really hot right now.
posted by Askr at 7:41 PM on May 7 [1 favorite]

I agree with everyone above that you shouldn't wear a tie with jeans and especially not with those stripey shirts. Seconding trying out nicer jeans - have a look at APC or Naked and Famous.
posted by pravit at 8:06 PM on May 7

That was pretty swiftly universally negative. Thank you for saving me from myself...

pravit, I looked at some of the Naked and Famous jeans... The model with the grey silk (!) jeans reminded me of the guy from Pulp. Who is wearing a dorky tie with black jeans. Yay 90s!
posted by mindsound at 8:21 PM on May 7

I wear something very similar to what you described when I teach. When the weather's right, I try to throw in a nice corduroy jacket, but it's usually too hot and that might be more of a professor vibe than you're going for in your office.

Generally I'd say no tie with jeans, but a GIS for jeans and tie gives some counter-examples. When it comes to fashion, I try to stick with what I know I can pull off, and I don't think I could pull off any of those GIS results.

I am going to disagree with josh about ties without jackets (although maybe my disagreement falls under his caveat: "the possibility of a sportscoat"). I think khaki/blue dress pants + button down shirt + tie is just fine without a jacket.

One question that hasn't been asked is why you want to add the tie? Is it for some variety or do you think work wants you to dress more professionally? If you want to feel a little dressier without going full blown business casual, you could try some cargo khakis. Khakis are generally a step up from jeans (unless you have really nice jeans), but the cargo pockets pull it down almost back to the level of jeans (that's just mho).
posted by chndrcks at 8:23 PM on May 7

chndrcks: I thought the right tie might be a fun accessory to kick things up a notch. I have learned that the sort of person who says "kick things up a notch" should fact-check before doing so...
posted by mindsound at 8:32 PM on May 7

Yes, no ties with jeans. Yes, tuck the shirts in.

It can be difficult to match striped shirts like yours with ties, but there are tricks to it. Here are some tips for matching ties with striped/patterned shirts:

OK, first is pretty basic: the colors have to work well together. Pick up a color in the tie and a color in the shirt that are the same, or go well together. But this doesn't get you all the way.

The trickier bit is that the tie must appear, overall, to be darker and more solid than the shirt. Very thin stripes on the shirt will make this easier - the thicker the stripes on the shirt, the more difficult this is to pull off. But almost all of the shirts in the picture of your wardrobe can be paired with a tie. Basically, in order for it to work, the tie has to have greater visual weight and be the center of attention, not the shirt. As a really extreme example that proves this rule, check out the guys in OK Go. They are wearing insanely clashing patterns that do not match each other at all, but amazingly the outfits work (in a very eye catching and odd way). This is because of the contrast that makes the tie visually "heavier" and the center of attention. Note that the jacket also has to be "heavier" than the shirt.
posted by capnsue at 8:45 PM on May 7 [1 favorite]

I like the cotton shirt + jeans + tie look. Better a more traditional stripe. Goodwill often has gorgeous ties. I also like the striped shirt + jeans + sports jacket look. But what I really advise is that you start picking up GQ or another guy fashion mag, and start being a little more adventurous. Or look for somebody whose fashion sense you admire, and try to emulate 1 outfit. Then see how it goes. Also.
posted by theora55 at 8:50 PM on May 7

To some extent, you can get away with not tucking your shirt in if you have a vest, sweater, or cardigan that is covering the shirt and tie. You still get the horizontal line at the hip that keeps the proportions working. But just jeans+untucked shirt+tie? No, like everyone said.
posted by Schismatic at 9:03 PM on May 7

Esquire likes knit ties! Huh.

You are all awesome.
posted by mindsound at 9:05 PM on May 7

When in doubt, you can always consult how retailers like J Press
put shirts and ties together and then do something similar. It may be a little preppy, but I tend to think striped shirts look good with regimental striped ties or solid ties with subtle patterns. Look around for examples that appeal to you and emulate with thrift store finds.
posted by ladypants at 9:23 PM on May 7

An adult should not where a tie without a jacket. Any event or setting for which you need (or just want) to wear a tie almost certainly calls for a jacket, too.

If you want to take a step up, sartorially speaking, from a jeans and shirt combo, adding a sport coat is a good way to go. Examples: 1, 2, 3, 4. It's a perfectly nice look and the shirts that you prefer can be used to nice effect in this kind of outfit.

Find a two or three jackets in neutral colors: navy, brown, dark grey, tan, etc. (stripes are OK as long as they're subtle). This will allow you to mix and match the jackets and the shirts in various ways. The jackets don't have to be fancy or expensive. For this sort of look I would hunt the sales racks at department stores (the really discounted rack 50% percent off and more) or hit up your local thrift stores.
posted by oddman at 9:37 PM on May 7 [1 favorite]

I'm in the minority here, believing that the look you want is doable. The shirts you show are very much like a few of mine - though mine have French cuffs and those are positively -not- compatible with jeans. Take a look at the Hilditch & Key website (the link goes to their ties) and notice how both the pattern and the scale of the designs on the ties differ from the pattern and scale of the shirts. I think there are three ensembles on that page that will work with jeans as long as the jeans are neither floppy, droopy, nor too short in the inseam. To make this work you will need to tuck the shirts in, though, and ensure that your belt, socks and shoes are black.
posted by jet_silver at 9:42 PM on May 7

My husband usually wears shirts similar to yours with ties, but without a jacket, to his office. What he does though, is wear solid color corduroy pants (generally in dark colors) or khaki pants, not jeans. He tucks the shirts in, and he usually wears solid color ties, or subtly striped ties, often knit ties, with the shirts. He tries not to wear ties that are too wide. For shoes, he will wear something like these. His office is in DC and is kind of business casual, though some people go a bit more formal, and some less. Here are some very reasonably priced knit ties.
posted by gudrun at 1:02 AM on May 8

As a side note, avoid black dressy shoes with jeans.
Do you have some objection to solid color shirts? They dont have to be white--grey or pastel colored shirts look badass paired with jeans or black/gray/navy khakis.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:07 AM on May 8

I too am going to go ahead and disagree with the majority here. You can absolutely pull off the look you're describing. I would suggest, as I think others have suggested, sticking to solid color ties, probably thin ones, quality jeans (fashion as opposed to outdoor or rugged, or whatever), and well-coordinated belt, shoes, and socks. However, the shirt will definitely need to be tucked in. No way around it.

The most important thing is to have fun and wear it well, with confidence.
posted by kingbenny at 6:10 AM on May 8

no ties without jackets

Eh? This isn't true; but for god's sake tuck in your shirt -- you look like a slob with a button-down shirt hanging out. Which is okay, if you want to look casual; but combining that with a tie just makes you look ridiculous, like a man in a tux wearing beat-up running shoes.

Of course, I'm an older guy who favors a classic "collegiate" style at work, YMMV, kids these days, etc.
posted by Rash at 7:43 AM on May 8

Conor Knighton, who hosts InfoMania on Current TV wears ties with dress shirts and jackets with the shirt untucked. I think it's a bit sloppy. (but I think without the jacket, it'd just be casual.)

I think tucking in your shirt (and don't forget a belt, I'm actually more peeved by the lack of belts than anything in fashion today) and making sure the shirt is nicely fitted (not billowy or baggy) will make the tie/shirt combo work.
posted by vespabelle at 11:14 AM on May 8