Skinny ties? Forum

[SDviaVA]

Are skinny ties appropriate for a law office and court? Im talking 2 3/4" ties.

[mvp99]

2" 3/4 is not really that skinny or ridiculous like 1" tie.. its probably OK although it depends on how big you are

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/s ... sf=msgonly

[SDviaVA]

2" 3/4 is not really that skinny or ridiculous like 1" tie.. its probably OK although it depends on how big you are

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/s ... sf=msgonly

5'10" and 170 lbs?

[Anonymous User]

I'm essentially the exact same size and certainly wouldn't be wearing a skinny tie, but I guess its all about body shape and how it looks. The tie dimensions you gave wouldn't be obnoxious or out of place.

[Nekrowizard]

Are skinny ties appropriate for a law office and court? Im talking 2 3/4" ties.

I think you're okay. I wear 3" and I'm about 6'2" and ~200 pounds. Presumably, I look fine, or maybe everybody was too nice to tell me I look like a jackass. I do have a pretty thin waist/lower part of torso though.

[SDviaVA]

The problem is that all the ties that have textures and patterns that I like tend to be on the skinny side. A lot of the large ties have horrible patters from the 80s on them.

[foregetaboutdre]

2" 3/4 is not really that skinny or ridiculous like 1" tie.. its probably OK although it depends on how big you are

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/s ... sf=msgonly

5'10" and 170 lbs?

I'm around your same size (a little heavier though) and generally wear 2 3/4 ties or 3 inch. 2.75 in on more casual days and 3 inch when I know I'm going to be somewhere more formal. IMO 2.75 in looks fine and isn't necessarily skinny, but more considered "narrow"/classic. I'll go up to 3.25 in for a maximum, but anything over 3.25 IMO looks ridiculous on me and reminds me of early 1990s Fox Moulder/X-Files.

Anything narrower than 2.75in, I wouldn't consider wearing to a workplace.

[Nat Sherman]

For the best look, the width of your tie should be the same as the lapel on your jacket.

[KiltedKicker]

uhh, do you even watch Suits???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5xb5poO7XE

[Anonymous User]

uhh, do you even watch Suits???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5xb5poO7XE

mmm...leave at 9 pm? Im doing 2 things wrong then!

[Glasseyes]

I'm 5'11 and 170 and wouldn't personally wear skinnier than 3" (3.5 or 3.25 is ideal), but I highly doubt it matters at the office or in court. Definitely avoid it in an interview since you want to be as boring and conservative as possible, but seriously, no one is going to care out in the real world. I did a few callbacks where the attorneys were wearing skinny ties in the office, and while it stood out to me, they looked fine.

To the OP saying you can't find decent ties at a normal thickness... look harder. Go to styleforum or malefashionadvice over at reddit if you need more brands, but you can absolutely find excellent ties at online vendors like these:

http://www.kentwang.com/ties
http://www.chippneckwear.com/
https://www.samhober.com/

Tiebar ties are a lot flimsier, but they still look fine for the $19 they'll run you. They have a million options in 2.5 and 3.25 widths, but the pindot or mini dot ties will always look good.

https://www.thetiebar.com/product/22967

[Anonymous User]

im 6'1", 195lbs. and I wore skinny ties around 2" to all my interviews and callbacks and to my job last summer. I don't think anyone gives a shit unless they are ridiculously skinny or made of that knit material or something

[Anonymous User]

It's fine. Career services specifically told us it was a no no, but in practice looking sharp is never a bad thing. You have to have the self awareness of what works. The lapel point is a good one. I also wouldn't wear it at interviews, not because it looks bad, but because the human brain is hardwired to pick up on anything that's different and to gloss over that which is the same. You're going to be remembered as the skinny tie guy.

[BmoreOrLess]

I'd put it on and ask someone who's not particularly stylish if they think anything looks off. If it doesn't look skinny on you, it should be fine. I don't really think there's any hard and fast rules (but the lapel thing is a decent benchmark) you just don't want to stand out.

FWIW, I wore almost exclusively 3'' ties (i think i had one that was 3.25) at OCI/Callbacks, and my suit has 3.5 inch lapels (suitsupply york).

[2014]

Unless you are at an extremely formal firm, or in a group with extremely formal partners, you can basically get away with any tie size color or pattern you want so long as it doesn't look terrible.

[shouldershoulders]

2.75" isn't a skinny tie.

I'd consider anything ≥2.5" to be pretty safe, office-appropriate, etc.

[Anonymous User]

For the best look, the width of your tie should be the same as the lapel on your jacket.

this. don't fuck it up. you'll look like an idiot. even your boss will make fun of you just because it will look awkward.

[victortsoi]

I am short and kind of stocky, so wearing normal sized ties gives me (in my opinion) a sloppy look. So I wear skinny (like 2-3 in) ties, don't think its that big of a deal

[SDviaVA]

I'm 5'11 and 170 and wouldn't personally wear skinnier than 3" (3.5 or 3.25 is ideal), but I highly doubt it matters at the office or in court. Definitely avoid it in an interview since you want to be as boring and conservative as possible, but seriously, no one is going to care out in the real world. I did a few callbacks where the attorneys were wearing skinny ties in the office, and while it stood out to me, they looked fine.

To the OP saying you can't find decent ties at a normal thickness... look harder. Go to styleforum or malefashionadvice over at reddit if you need more brands, but you can absolutely find excellent ties at online vendors like these:

http://www.kentwang.com/ties
http://www.chippneckwear.com/
https://www.samhober.com/

Tiebar ties are a lot flimsier, but they still look fine for the $19 they'll run you. They have a million options in 2.5 and 3.25 widths, but the pindot or mini dot ties will always look good.

https://www.thetiebar.com/product/22967

Thanks for the links. These ties are nice and affordable.

[BmoreOrLess]

Jos a Bank is also actually pretty good for ties. They usually have more 'classic' patterns and their executive line are a bit more substantial than tiebar. I got mine for like $25 each.

[jimmythecatdied6]

Absofuckinglutely not appropriate for a court room.

Court is not the place for "fashion forward" thinking.

[victortsoi]

2.75" isn't a skinny tie.

I'd consider anything ≥2.5" to be pretty safe, office-appropriate, etc.

wait, there are ties skinnier than 2.5? This thread made me a little paranoid (my trademark, to be honest ) about this nice 2.5er that I got.

[Glasseyes]

I am short and kind of stocky, so wearing normal sized ties gives me (in my opinion) a sloppy look. So I wear skinny (like 2-3 in) ties, don't think its that big of a deal

Do what thou wilt, but that defies conventional fashion logic. Skinny ties look particularly disproportionate the wider you are, and they're meant for tall/lean dudes who might get swallowed by a fatter tie. That said, 3" looks fine on most anybody provided the lapels match. Three more points on skinny ties, which you're welcome to ignore:

1. Some folks that care about things like this consider skinny ties to be seasonal (fall/winter, never spring).

2. They're always more casual than regular-width ties, especially since they look terrible with windsor or half-windsor knots.

3. "Fashion-forward" isn't the word for skinny ties in 2016; as a comeback fad they were already pretty exhausted in 2012 (and honestly way before that), but that doesn't mean everyone got the memo.

Remember: more than dressing well, fashion is about recognizing what others do wrong and laughing at them behind their backs.

[victortsoi]

I am short and kind of stocky, so wearing normal sized ties gives me (in my opinion) a sloppy look. So I wear skinny (like 2-3 in) ties, don't think its that big of a deal

Do what thou wilt, but that defies conventional fashion logic. Skinny ties look particularly disproportionate the wider you are, and they're meant for tall/lean dudes who might get swallowed by a fatter tie. That said, 3" looks fine on most anybody provided the lapels match. Three more points on skinny ties, which you're welcome to ignore:

1. Some folks that care about things like this consider skinny ties to be seasonal (fall/winter, never spring).

2. They're always more casual than regular-width ties, especially since they look terrible with windsor or half-windsor knots.

3. "Fashion-forward" isn't the word for skinny ties in 2016; as a comeback fad they were already pretty exhausted in 2012 (and honestly way before that), but that doesn't mean everyone got the memo.

Remember: more than dressing well, fashion is about recognizing what others do wrong and laughing at them behind their backs.

I just want to clarify that we're talking about the same thing. This thread is honestly a little surprising to me, because (and maybe this just means i have crappy fashion sense) the difference between a 2.5 and 3" tie doesn't seem that huge. Now a 2", i understand being really out of left field. I wore my 2.5 inch tie to several interviews that resulted in offers, and even wore it for an OCS "mock interview" with a biglaw screener who said the tie looked nice.

Are there actually people who would go under 2 inches?

[Anonymous User]

I'd call under 3" a skinny tie (2.75 or less) though it's obviously a matter of degree. 3" is narrow but completely innocuous.

I don't think a skinny tie would prevent you from getting an offer, the same way I don't think you'd typically have a problem wearing a medium grey suit / black wingtips or walnut captoes / button-down collar / tie-bar / diving watch or anything else that is technically inappropriate for an interview. I went through OCI with a beard and did fine, and that's a fucking terrible idea (sometimes you gotta live dangerously). Still, if you run into the interviewer that knows why those are all inappropriate and actually cares, you're fucked. In general, the world is full of people that either don't know anything about style or don't care. For day to day shit I really don't think it matters much; I'm personally more concerned with not looking like a dork.