23 Types of Ties For Both Formal And Informal Occasions

So, you already have a killer suit: ready-made or bespoke. Your shirt fits perfectly on your shoulders; your shoes and belt scream brand names. But is that all you need?

Not at all. Instead, a critical piece is sorely missing.

Yes, this is the tie. In fact, men’s formal attire is incomplete without a tie.

What began as an integral part of men’s formal attire in the early 20th century is now more of a style division.

So today we will be discussing the types of ties as we did with different types of scarves and dresses in our previous blogs. (Types of Ties)

Types of Ties by Design

By design, ties refer to the shape of a tie. That is, does it hang from the collar, wrap around the collar, or simply cover the neck.

Let’s take a bird’s eye view of each of these species. (Types of Ties)

1. Necktie

When we think of ties, the first thing that comes to mind is ties.

Ties are long ties that are tied under the collar of a shirt and hang from the front, with the tails hidden at the back.

Usually when we say tie, it is a normal wide tie and not thin. (Types of Ties)

Tie Types According to Knot Style

1.1 Four-in-hand Knot

It is the most common type of knot that is popular everywhere. It works with all kinds of formal suits because it takes the least amount of time to knot it. (Types of Ties)

1.2 Half-Windsor knot

This is a simple yet loose form of tie knot. Students are often seen in such knots when wearing their school ties. The apparent reason is ease of binding and nothing more. (Types of Ties)

1.3 Windsor Knot

It is sometimes called a full Windsor, not to confuse it with a half Windsor knot. Unlike the knots mentioned above, this knot is triangular in shape and does not have any draping on the front.

It is the most followed node in official situations. Formal institutional meetings, meetings between delegates across countries, etc. witness ties with this knot. (Types of Ties)

1.4 Café Knot

The cafe knot is a little chic. It’s as if the half Windsor knot is tightly closed with a shirt collar of the same fabric. (Types of Ties)

1.5 Ediety or Merovingian Knot

This is another stylish knot that is hard to wear. In this knot, the wide side of the tie forms the background, the narrower one is shown at the front, and a larger knot buries the smaller one. (Types of Ties)

1.6 Eldredge Knot

The Eldredge is an executive style knot with a single drape in the wide panel and a lot of wrap in the knot. (Types of Ties)

1.7 Fishbone Knot

It’s just another version of the Eldredge knot, except that the knot is updo. Such a unique and stylish tie can be worn at one’s own wedding reception to get an artistic touch. (Types of Ties)

1.8 Four Rings Knot

The four-ring tie is not very common among people, but it does not lag behind when it comes to style. It looks like a loose knot where the wide part stays at the back. (Types of Ties)

1.9 Krasny Hourglass Knot

A funny type of knot that mimics the hourglass. If you want to look different at a party this knot is something you should try. (Types of Ties)

1.10 Linwood Taurus Necktie

It can be called a loose version of the cage knot because the collar shaped overlays are very loose giving it a baby elephant shape. (Types of Ties)

1.11 Onassis Knot

The Onassis knot gives an incomplete knot as the tie looks like it is hanging from a string. Suitable for proms and casual occasions. (Types of Ties)

1.12 Pinwheel or Truelove Knot

This is another stylish tie knot whose shape is like a pinwheel. The art of tying this knot matches the interior patterns of the tie; otherwise, it will not look like a pinwheel. It is also suitable for informal occasions only. (Types of Ties)

1.13 Trinity Knot

Trinity is a simple yet elegant knot where the knot consists of three triangles with one vertex of each triangle embedded in the other. Again, its complex shape does not make it suitable to be worn on extremely formal occasions. (Types of Ties)

1.14 Van Wijk Knot

This is another funny knot that looks like the tie is wrapped in a spiral. It can be called semi-formal, which can work at college or school parties. But still, it is not recommended for extremely formal parties.

Are you one of those people who always have a hard time tying a tie? If your answer is yes, watch the video below that teaches you this in an easy way.

2. Skinny Ties

Although the skinny tie is a subspecies of the tie, it is so popular that it is better to mention it separately.

The standard width of narrow ties is between 1.5 and 2.5 inches and looks best on modern European cut suits.

Fashion Tip: The skinnier the tie, the more the skinny stature emphasized.

3. Bow Tie

A bow tie is a type of tie that looks like a butterfly and is tied like a shoelace.

Not every guy likes to wear a bow tie, as it’s more imagined in exciting Bond movies than seeing every picture at a party.

Today, bow ties have gone beyond formal and professional to become a creative and fashion symbol.

Fun Facts: In the business world, a red bow tie symbolizes the reaffirmation of authority, strength, and dominance.

Let’s take a look at the types of bow ties that are in fashion these days.

3.1 Butterfly

The butterfly bow is the most formal bow tie knot, forming an essential part of the tuxedo. A simple and elegant knot that looks like a butterfly.

3.2 Batwing

Batwing, as the name suggests, resembles the wings of a bat. In this knot, the overall look is made less wide by giving more draping in the middle.

The butterfly is considered less formal than the bow, but can still work as formal wear.

3.3 Diamond Point

The diamond knot gives a sharper look than the butterfly knot. It is a type of evergreen knot style as vowels from both the past and present periods are often depicted in this style.

3.4 Skinny

It is the thinnest of all bow ties. Like a skinny tie, it’s more about the width of the fabric than the knot style.

In other words, a skinny bow can adopt knot styles with a butterfly, bat wing, or diamond dots. A skinny bow tie is about 2/3 the width of a regular bow.

4. Western Bowtie or String Tie

We can call it both a tie and a bow tie combination. Let’s look at one of such ties. (Types of Ties)

5. Ascot or Hanker Tie

When you say a tie, it sounds a little weird because the only place it covers is the neck. It neither hangs nor shows a tie like a bow tie. An informal tie tied under the collar. (Types of Ties)

6. Bolo Tie

A pair of string or braided leather that hangs like a tie but has a decorative metal tip instead of a visible knot.

7. Cravat

By definition, a tie is an original form of tie from which bows and ties later evolved. Unlike Ascot, it’s more formal. The style that King Louis XIV adopted from his Croatian mercenaries.

8. Neckerchief

For Men

For Women

It is the only informal tie worn by both men and women with a formal shirt, tee or top.

Do You Know: The beautiful ties seen around flight attendants’ necks are actually scarfs tied like a neckerchief.

Types of Ties by Pattern

Tie patterns are endless, as each manufacturer tries to print a unique one on their product.

For extremely formal events, solid ties are often seen around the world followed by polka dots and criss-cross ties.

Sometimes there is symmetry in a pattern and sometimes there is just a weird or odd pattern in the fabric.

9. Solid Ties

These are solid color ties with no patterns. They make the simplest, most elegant formal dress code.

10. Polka Dot Ties

11. Checked or Plaid Ties

Sometimes striped checks or boxes are part of this pattern, making it elegant when combined with a suit made of any of the colors that make up this tie.

12. Novelty Ties

Novelty ties, a flag pattern, an animal, galaxy, cars, etc. are those that have depictions of some real or virtual objects, including

13. Diagonal Striped Tie

These types of ties have diagonal stripes on them.

14. Geometric Pattern ties

As the name suggests, this pattern can be squares, rectangles, triangles, etc. It follows some geometric shapes such as

15. Paisley Ties

The Paisley pattern is a popular design pattern of Persian origin popular in South East Asia.

It features a teardrop shaped motif with a curved top end. It is still seen on men’s ties, waistcoats and handkerchiefs in England and other English-speaking countries.

16. Floral Ties

Floral ties are made of fabrics with floral print on them, just like the one below.

17. Stamp Print Ties

Types of Ties by Material

Ties can also be classified by the type of fabric they are made from, making the tie inexpensive or high-end.

Let’s look at some ties made with different fabrics.

18. Knit Tie

Knit ties are expensive to buy as most handmade fabrics are. Unlike other ties, they need to be washed carefully like hand wash. Ideally, they are considered less than formal, worn with blazers at a wedding or an evening out.

19. Silk Tie

The good thing about a silk tie is that it continues to shine and can be seen from afar. It makes a beautiful formal tie that is easily available at every tie store.

20. Microfiber Tie

Microfiber is a synthetic fiber made from a blend of polyester and polyamide. Polyfiber fabrics are mostly used for cleaning, but the ties it makes are elegant and worth wearing, made for formal wear.

21. Cotton Tie

Because cotton is lightweight, cotton ties are comfortable to wear in spring or summer. Makes semi-formal wear.

22. Polyester Tie

Polyester ties are the least expensive, which has the added advantage of removing stains easily.

23. Seersucker Tie

The best part about this type of fabric is that it sits a little off other surfaces like your shirt, giving you comfort, more air circulation and breathability. Therefore, it is perfect for the spring and summer seasons.

Type of Ties for Wedding

Your wedding is the most important event of your life, where you and your partner are the stars of the day, all eyes are on you.

Where you do your best to look for the most stylish suit, you need a tie that fits perfectly.

Let us show you some of the most popular types of ties for a wedding in 2022.

Conclusion

There are so many types of ties today that it often becomes confusing to choose one for your dress code. The combinations are in the hundreds, with variations on materials, designs, patterns and knot styles.

Whatever tie, one thing is certain: A gentleman’s look on a formal occasion would be incomplete without a tie.

Which of these ties do you think is the most stylish? What tie did you wear or plan to wear at your wedding and why? Let us know by leaving your comments in the comment section below.