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Proper & Correct Tie Length Explained - How To Tutorial For Stylish Men

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    >> Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette.
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    In today's video we discuss the proper
    tie length as well as the balance
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    of the front blade and the back blade.
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    [ Music ]
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    Whenever we post outfit pictures
    on our social channels,
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    one of the most discussed things
    is the proper length of the tie.
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    It's interesting to see all the
    different rules that come up,
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    the do's and dont's, and
    all the different opinions.
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    And, therefore, our video is here to provide
    some clarity for you so you can find the tie
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    in the right length that flatters you.
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    The first thing to understand
    is the history of the tie.
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    It was purely decorative and served
    no functional purpose whatsoever.
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    So the only goal of it was
    to make you look good.
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    Keeping that in mind, it's hard to argue
    that one thing is more correct than another.
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    For example, if you look at the 1920s and
    30s, most men would wear a vest or waistcoat.
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    And even if they wouldn't,
    their ties were rather short.
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    They would either reach the belly
    button or sometimes not even that.
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    Of course, they would also wear high-waisted
    trousers so they might have impacted the length.
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    Today ties have definitely got longer, but the
    overall length of the tie is hugely impacted
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    by the balance between your front
    wide blade and the back slim blade.
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    Basically, you have three options.
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    You can have the front blade
    be as long as the back blade.
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    You can have the front blade be
    much longer than the back blade.
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    Or it can be much shorter.
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    Because a tie has a fixed length, this balance
    really impacts how long your tie will be
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    when it's tied.
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    But that's not all.
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    Other factors that affect the
    length are what knot you choose.
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    What kind of tie you have.
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    Does it have a thick interlining?
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    It's very thick, if so, it creates a thick knot.
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    For a thinner tie, it creates a thinner
    knot, and therefore, the tie's longer.
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    Of course, these three variations can
    be worn either as short, very long,
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    or just in the middle above the waistband.
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    So as you can see, your variations are endless.
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    And just saying, "Oh, tie your tie so the
    tip reaches your waistband or the buckle
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    of your belt" is much easier said than done.
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    Before we get more into length,
    let's look at the details
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    on the different options
    and how they make you look.
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    When your tie is overall very short,
    it provides you a vintage look.
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    Or in the worst case, it can
    make you look like a child.
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    So keep that in mind if you
    like very short ties.
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    Of course, if you're a shorter
    guy, you need a shorter tie.
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    And to learn more about short man's
    clothing and ties, check out this video here.
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    So when the wide front blade is
    much longer than the back blade,
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    chances are that it extends past your waistband
    and it peaks out underneath of your jacket.
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    That's visually distracting because
    people look down, and the triangular shape
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    of the tie highlights your crotch,
    which is very disadvantageous.
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    Because of that, we suggest
    not to wear a tie like that.
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    But, of course, each to his own.
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    If you decide to go that way, a problem
    that you might face is that your shorter,
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    slimmer blade is not long
    enough to get into the keeper.
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    And if it peaks out to the side, it
    just looks like your tie is too short
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    and you just got it from your younger brother.
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    Personally, I don't use a keeper,
    but I also prefer to tie my tie
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    so both blades have about the same length.
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    That way it looks a little more
    casual, a little more nonchalant,
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    and it's a look that I personally enjoy.
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    So should you use a keeper on not?
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    Well, traditionally it was
    something that was used by people.
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    But if you look at elegant men today, they
    often times want that more sprezzatura feel
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    with their tie, and they intentionally
    do not use that keeper loop in the back.
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    In any case, you should never
    use scotch tape or any other kind
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    of glue because it just looks cheap.
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    Sometimes you can also see ties where
    the back blade is considerably longer.
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    And just like if the front is longer,
    it dangles past your waistband.
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    Because it's a little slimmer,
    it's a little less distracting.
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    But, in my opinion, it still highlights
    the wrong part of your outfit.
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    Originally, this was a style favored by Gianni
    Agnelli, and he definitely popularized it.
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    Today you can see a lot of young men wearing
    it, but also some more seasoned chaps
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    like Francesco Barberis Canonico.
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    Again, the way you wear your tie is an
    expression of your individual style,
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    and there is no absolute right or wrong.
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    What matters is that you do it consciously
    and that you can repeat it every single time.
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    Another important element of the tie
    besides the length is the tie dimple.
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    You can see me wearing here one right now.
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    If you want to learn how to get it in your
    tie, please check out this video here.
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    It works every single time, guaranteed.
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    So what's the proper and
    correct tie length for you?
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    Personally, I think it's
    best when the front blade
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    and back blade tips are roughly the same length
    and they just reach the waistband of your pants.
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    Now, think about that for a second.
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    Every pair of pants is different.
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    It has a slightly different
    rise, and in combination
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    with every tie being different,
    there are lots of variations.
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    Some others argue the tips should be
    slightly longer and reach the buckle.
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    Others like it a lot shorter.
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    Some like it longer and past the waistband.
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    I like the waistband idea because
    that way the tie doesn't peak
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    out from underneath your jacket, and it
    focus the viewer's attention to your face
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    because of the V-shape of your
    jacket and the tie on top.
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    If you always wear one kind of knot and
    all our ties are about the same length,
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    it's relatively easy and predictable how you
    have to tie your tie and how you have to start
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    to get the right length you want.
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    However, personally, I find that
    with the different knots I tie
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    and the different ties I have, I usually
    have a range of different lengths.
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    For me that's shorter lengths for
    high-rise trousers and smaller knots.
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    And about regular length for slightly bigger
    tie knots and pants that don't come up as high.
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    Overall, I'm not a big fan of Windsor
    knots that's why I avoid long ties.
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    But if you like the half-Windsor or the
    full-Windsor, you will need a long tie even
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    if you're just regular height if you want
    to have both blades be the same length.
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    If you want to learn how
    to tie different tie knots,
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    please check out our video series
    here to understand what's going on.
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    Unfortunately, most ties don't come in a general
    length, and so you actually have to try things
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    out until you find out what
    works for and you what doesn't.
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    It takes a lot of trial and
    error, and you have to practice.
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    But once you know what length your tie is and
    how long it has to be with a particular not,
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    it's going to be much easier for
    you to get the tie length right.
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    So what does it mean for the proper tie length?
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    No one will win this argument because
    there is no absolute right or wrong.
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    What matters is what you personally like.
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    I think that most men look best with
    a back blade and a front blade being
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    about the same length, ending
    just above the waistband.
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    And if you want to have different
    ties in short and regular and long
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    so you can get exactly the right length for
    the right pants you have, please take a look
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    at our Fort Belvedere selection here.
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    If you want to learn more about 12
    essential ties that every man should have
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    or anything else [inaudible] classic man's
    style, please sign up to our channel here.
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    [ Music ]
Title:
Proper & Correct Tie Length Explained - How To Tutorial For Stylish Men
Description:

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Video Language:
English (United States)
Duration:
07:27

English (United States) subtitles

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