Ties in GQ Managzine
Article: Does yours measure up?
WINNING QUESTION
At six-foot, I don't consider myself a giant. But I have trouble tying a knot without the tie finishing two to four inches above my belt. Am I tying it wrong, or buying the wrong ties?
Richard by e-mail
The Windsor Knot
In the unedited version of the e-mail, Richard says he uses a single Windsor knot which he's "been doing since I was five and can't get out of the habit". You knew how to tie a tie at five? What, you all knew how to tie a tie at five? What a rare paradise my primary school must have been! The things I learnt there about matching red quilted gilets with cords!
Clearly, Richard is in need of re-education since, unless he was a freak child, the distance from neck to belt will have extended. For help, we go to the man who makes the best ties in Britain: Michael Drake. "As you are tall and your ties are not being custom-made," says Mr Drake, who graciously gave this advice from his American holiday, "I recommend you forget the single Windsor knot and concentrate on the classic four-in-hand knot, which takes up less of the tie. The front of the tie should reach the waistband of the trousers and, by adjusting the way that you tie the tie, you should be able to achieve this." If four-in-hand is meaningless to you, we've printed a step-by-step guide below.
On the issue of tie length, here's more from Michael: "Drake's ties are made by hand to 148cm, which is longer than average and should be sufficient for most men at 6' and under. For men over 6', it is difficult to find a ready-made tie that finishes at the correct length. Ties can be made to measure from E Marinella in Napoli [www.marinellanapoli.it]." I would add something here, being 6'2"-ish. I've never suffered from this problem, but then, as I've said before, my trunk is average, with all my height in my legs. I know people who are shorter than me, but have longer bodies - it could be that this four-in-hand trick could work not just for the lofty.
Michael Drake's work makes you smile - as well as his ties, his scarves are great. He's also been given fashion's seal of approval, since he added Dover Street Market to his stockists (020-7608 0321, www.drakes-london.com).
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This article features Drakes Ties.