Properly knotted neckties are supposed to have a nice arch at the knot, like the one worn by Ol' Blue Eyes. Said arch is achieved by holding the tie out at a 90 degree angle away from the body as the knot is tightened at the neck but, depending on the construction of the tie, it may need assistance to remain in position. Enter the collar pin.
Worn with club or straight shirt collars, the proper collar pin is a gold safety style that is poked slightly askew through the collar under the necktie to give it support. This may sound injurious to the collar, however the holes close up again in the laundry (I have collars that are beginning to show a bit of wear but they have had perhaps fifty pinnings).
Mind you, a proper pinned collar does not use those collar bars that are made to be inserted through sewn holes in the collar. Author Alan Flusser scorned them and I agree they look entirely too pre-planned. And that is a problem for, if there is a disadvantage to collar pins, it is that in very conservative circles they may be considered a bit fussy or flash, and anything that increases that possibility is to be avoided.
But they do give a nice arch to the necktie.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Arching the Necktie
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12 comments:
Will, I've become a real fan of these:
http://www.wurkinstiffs.com/
Magnetic collar stays that will hold your collar down by means of rare earth magnets. Infintely variable in positioning, they can be adjusted so that the collar is "pinched" just enough under the sides of the knot to give the tie the desired lift.
Once done, the collar looks a bit like a tab collar, without the bother of the tab, or the fussiness of tie bars.
Best,
Michael B.
Hi Will
I have never pinned my collar, but I do find an odd vest (or the matching vest in a 3pc) can be handy to give my tie some "lift."
Best,
eg
Geez... that last line should have been "or the fussiness of collar pins".
I love the idea of an arched tie and plan to do so for my wedding - though I don't have a collar pin yet! Any suggestions for where to get a nice one? I've seen them at Want Les Essentiels de la Vie...but wanted other options.
Love the blog and your style!
In the new biography of Fred Astaire, it is said Astaire wore a collar pin WITH his button down shirts. He could get away with that stuff.
Nice post. Now, do you have any idea where one might buy a decent colar pin? I have been looking for one on and off for years, and short of buying a vintage one, I think I've only seen them at Bergdorf and perhaps Tom Ford on Mad. Ave. I really would love one, but I don't want to pay a small fortune for a solid gold pin.
A good collar saving tip I have long used is to try to insert the pin through the needle holes on a stitched edge collar. These are several holes to choose among already poked in your collar and they launder out best.
A bluffed edge collar, perhaps in the pub style mentioned but also in a cut-away or straight can be short enough so that you will achieve arc without additional hardware; alas.
http://www.broderick.com/
They have them in various lengths in 14 kt gold, gold plate, or sterling.
Will,
You neglected to advise men to also avoid the kind of clip-on collar bars sold in department stores, which are far worse than bars and collars with pre-sewn eyelets.
I will forever be indebted to you for introducing me to Broderick.com; I always wanted a real, safety-pin style collar pin, but I never knew where to buy one!
PS:
For anyone interested in giving real pins a try, they have one size of gold-plated pin on sale for only $7.50.
"... they look entirely too pre-planned ..."
This is a reoccurring theme of your blog,namely,dressing so as to not look "too studied". Obviously some thought into one's dress is necessary and I've often had difficulty deciding whether what I plan to wear looks "too studied". It's a vague and broad standard. A post on this concept someday might be helpful.
I enjoy your blog. Nice work.
I have a tab collar on my favourite shirt and this achieves much the same effect.
I do not think that a collar pin look per se too studied. As always it depends on the wearer. Preppy 117, ebay can also be a good source for vintage collar pins.
In case you want to read a little bit more about the collar pin, I wrote an article about it on http://www.gentlemansgazette.com/the-collar-pin/l
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