ties?

August 10, 2009 4:39 PM

In your opinion, what's the best place to buy nice traditional ties (but not necessarily traditional patterns) or modern artistic ties online? Asymmetrical, but tasteful, is nice but not required. Ideally, I want ties I can wear casually or formally, but one or the other is fine.
posted by Pants! to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (14 answers total)

Any reason you're asking about online shops vs. brick-and-mortar places? I went a bit tie crazy at the local Ross a while back, buying for myself and a relative who wanted to dress up more often. If you're not adverse to digging around and checking for blemishes, it's a good deal.
posted by filthy light thief at 4:52 PM on August 10, 2009

Cyberoptix TieLab
posted by logic vs love at 4:56 PM on August 10, 2009 [1 favorite]

Toybreaker on Etsy has good ones. I learned of these on AskMe, actually, and bought one for my guy's xmas present last year. He really likes it.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 4:56 PM on August 10, 2009 [1 favorite]

The Tie Bar
posted by Joannalaine at 4:58 PM on August 10, 2009

Response by poster: I've seen Cyberoptix and like them. I've bought what I want from their offerings.
posted by Pants! at 4:59 PM on August 10, 2009

Ties are fundamentally an individual expression. They separate the herd so to speak. In order to answer the question, it might be best to define what is traditional in your eyes.

Western European or American? Asian? 1980s? 60s? 30s?

First thought is most ties do fit any occasion, on the western front quality is the key. Hand stitched and hand coloured from your better boutiques or tailor usually will provide the cover you need in professional or social circumstance. Designers tend to gravitate towards working with jeans or the suit.

Try looking at Brooks Brothers or Thomas Pink for some ideas. It is a good starting point. The luxury goods market tends to go overboard in either direction. Again, a good tie starts with good quality, utilising a time proof pattern and cut. Both those makers can lend a hand in decision making...However, once you get involved in finding the perfect tie, there are far too many choices that fall into the traditional range and your pocketbook will be much lighter-
posted by Funmonkey1 at 5:04 PM on August 10, 2009

I forgot to add that if you invest in a few good quality ties, they never go out of style.
posted by Funmonkey1 at 5:14 PM on August 10, 2009

At the traditional end of the spectrum: Ben Silver. Plenty of solids and stripes, but also a Vespa tie.
posted by Andy's Gross Wart at 5:16 PM on August 10, 2009

I've found some cool ties at Penney's over the years, eg. stuff like this.
posted by @troy at 5:19 PM on August 10, 2009

I've had a few informal, but cool, ties based on Jerry Garcia designs. Amazon sells them through eTrendz which seems like a reputable vendor.
posted by Sculthorpe at 5:30 PM on August 10, 2009

Nieman Marcus has a great tie store on line.

Look at

David Hart - the sockmonkey tie.

Stefano Ricci

Ferragamo

Psycho Bunny - great striped ties - and I have this madras tie, although it may be a little late in the season to pick one up now.


Yes those Etsy ties are much cheaper -- but they look it.
posted by Zambrano at 5:33 PM on August 10, 2009

I'd go on eBay. A few years back, I bought a few lots of solid color silk ties that I still wear all the time. I think it cost me about $50 for 20 ties.
posted by reenum at 5:47 PM on August 10, 2009

Art galleries/museums often have nice ties like the ones you are looking for.

The Metropolitan Museum
The Guggenheim
The Art Institute of Chicago
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 10:51 PM on August 10, 2009 [1 favorite]

An ex-boyfriend of mine found a number of interesting ties by browsing charity shops, some of them of surprisingly high-end quality. It's an affordable indulgence even after the cost of dry cleaning. Of course, this would be an in-person expedition, but maybe one worth considering.
posted by woodway at 10:34 AM on August 11, 2009