The Right Length for a Tie

Q. The other day my ballroom dance teacher, who always wears a shirt and tie, kept looking in the mirror trying to fix the length of his tie. When I asked what was the matter, he said, "It doesn't look right. The bottom point is supposed to touch my belt buckle." I thought that was ridiculous. He looked fine to me. Is there really a rigid rule about where the tip is supposed to touch?

A. Well, guess what? He is right! I wouldn’t go so far as to say there is a rigid rule about how far down the tip of the tie is supposed to extend, but there sort of is a rule.

The length of ties, when tied, is relatively constant. The tip should extend down to the belt. Not below it. Nor above it.

Ties are manufactured in lengths that range from 54 to 57 inches. The adjustment for the right length when tied, of course, comes from the balance between the ends before a man ties the knot. Consistency in lengths does not seem to be a high priority in the necktie manufacturing industry. Still, if a man is particularly tall, those three inches can make a difference. If he needs a longer tie, he need not confine himself to the limited choice in a “tall-men’s store.” Here is a better method: When shopping for a tie, it is wise to narrow your selection down to a few best bets, lay them out on the counter, and see which ones are the longest. That should help considerably in making a decision.

When it comes to tying a necktie, some mistakes are not as bad as others. A somewhat too-long tie (that is, one that extends slightly below the belt) is not a terrible mistake as long as it is only “slightly” longer and does not look like a long bib. But a tie that is too short (that does not reach down to the belt) ends up exposing some shirt between the bottom of the tie and the top of the pants. This is definitely a bigger mistake with distracting, unsophisticated overtones: 1.] It appears to be a small boy’s dressing error, and 2.] It draws the eye to the middle of the body, making it seem that the man must be so fat that his tie cannot cover properly.

As to the proper length of the back piece of the tie? It is immaterial, as no one sees it (unless it is left to flap visibly). Just concentrate on having the front piece fall at the belt line.

Incidentally, these days, when tie clasps are once again in style, it is possible to make certain that the tie (including its back portion) hangs down perfectly straight.

While this may seem like a ridiculously lot of fuss over a very small point, it makes more sense than you might think. As I have been saying (and writing) for years, the one item in a man’s closet that is most noticed and that makes more of an impression than perhaps anything else is his tie. It would be a serious mistake to underestimate the importance of this smallest item in a man’s overall look. Once he has gone to the effort to choose a handsome tie and to color coordinate it with his other clothes, he might as well take the time to tie it so it hangs correctly.

Please tell your teacher I salute him!