Black Tie Event - The Bow Tie

Christmas and New Year are near, festivities have started including Black Tie events .

At a glance, it looks as though you’ve got it easy when it comes to black tie attire: all the guess work of what to wear is nonexistent, everyone expects you to turn up in the same outfit as everyone else and you get to wear it over and over again! Plus black tie attire is going to make you look ‘smoking hot’ – no matter what body shape you are.

Eton

But smoking hot can turn in to a damp squib if you don’t follow a few simple sartorial rules. 

So let's start with the obvious: The Black Tie

The colour clue is in the title - black, no other colour is acceptable at a true black tie event.

The tie also should also be a Bow Tie, preferably of silk and should always match the texture of your jacket’s lapels. If your lapels are smooth satin silk then go for a satin silk bow tie but if your lapels are of grosgrain then your bow tie needs a textured finish such as grosgrain, barathea or faille.

Matalan

Go for a self tie one rather than a pre-tied. How else are you going to get that sexy loose draped tie look at the end of the night?

Keep the tie proportional to your face – the ends of the bow should be in line somewhere between the edge of your face and the outer corners of your eyes.  Anything smaller or larger your head will look disproportional.

The type of tie is also important:

Moss Bros - Butterfly style bow tie

The Butterfly tie is a large bow and should only be worn by men with a large neck size, bigger face and chin; otherwise you may end up looking more like a clown than James Bond.

Primark - batwing style bow tie

The straight Batwing tie is narrow and is best for thin men with longish faces and a narrow collar size.

Diamond pointed Bow ties are not as common so are good to add a bit of individuality whilst sticking to the black tie rules.

Eton - thistle style bow tie

However the Thistle or semi-butterfly is the more classic and popular tie.  It is smaller than the full butterfly and thicker than the batwing tie so is a safer choice for most men.

Remember a black bow tie will make you look stylish, a coloured one will take away most of the sophistication.

Part of article as seen in 
http://www.eclipsemagazine.co.uk/NewEclipse/Joomla15/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2026:black-tie-the-bow-tie&catid=48:mens-fashion&Itemid=74


All images from PRShots

Black Bow Ties available on Amazon:

New Look Spring/Summer 2011 Collection for Men

This season New Look is adding their extra details to the three classic looks: vintage work wear; collegiate look and the nautical inspired look.

VINTAGE WORK WEAR

Inspired by 1930's America with double denim still on trend. Here they are pairing the American classic pale blue chambray shirt with a white tee, raw denim jeans and an eagle buckle belt.

Showing you've worked your fingers and jeans to the bone in this grey American motif tee and distressed jeans with braces.

For an alternative to the hard wearing denim, chinos show they are up to the challenge and come in shades of tobacco, ecru and navy. Here seen with a red & white check shirt and dark denim jacket.

COLLEGIATE LOOK

This time the colegiate look is a mix of all -American teens preppy and school Brits casual sports. Here a red varsity cardigan is teamed with a navy v-neck tee and grey cuffed tracksuit bottoms.

Working the look here is no sweat in this white military polo,light beige chinos and grey marl collegiate sweat.
THE NAUTICAL INSPIRED LOOK

And where would spring be without the ever perennial infusion of nautical wear? Here we have a red and white stripe tee with navy blazer and trousers.

Double denim also makes an appearance here in dark wash denim blazer and shorts with white and navy stripe tee.

And make sure you're ready for the high seas and match your Breton striped knitted jumper and cream shorts with an orange mac, brown canvas backpack and red/blue boat shoes.

New Look's collection is all plain sailing in the trend and value for money department.





Alternative looks on Amazon:

Shirt & Ties - the Casual Country Look

For those days when you want a more relaxed look but without looking scruffy and unkempt, where comfort is high on the list rather than trends and fashion:

Eton checked shirt and bowtie

For a smart casual look wear a button down collar shirt – a style introduced by Brooks Brothers in 1900 and the story goes - John Brooks took the idea from wealthy polo players’ shirt collars which were buttoned down so they didn’t flap about during a match. This look was popularised by American businessmen.

Oxford cotton is ideal for less formal shirts  – it is softer heavier cotton than poplin, more comfortable and hard wearing - so ideal for the winter months.

M&S woollen tie

Woollen ties are great for the winter, keeping your neck warm and the ultimate is the cashmere tie.

Viyella Tattersall shirt

Cotton blended with Merino wool combines warmth and durability of wool with the weight and comfort of cotton. Developed in 1890 by Hollins, a Derbyshire mill owner and branded Viyella, it was originally a blend of 55% merino wool and 45% long staple cotton. Now the mix is usually 80% cotton and 20% wool for a fresher and tailored look.

The country check of Tattersall (named after the patterned horse blankets used in Richard Tattersall’s famous market) is still a classic and looks smart with a tie.
You can find a good selection of checks: Cheltenham, Tattersall, Lindfield and Newmarket on www.peterchristian.co.uk

Tesco shirt & tie

Christmas is near and you’ll probably get a shirt or tie from Santa. But please don’t rely on him to choose as he’ll only pick out what he likes and not necessarily what suits your colouring, personality or lifestyle. So give him a hint at least – how else will you have fun showing off the real you?

All  images supplied by PR Shots.

Casual shirts on Amazon:

Shirt & Tie - The Romantic Look

Get in touch with your feminine side with floral and paisley patterns. These have become very  popular in shirts and ties , and give the wearer a softer more romantic look.

Matalan floral shirt from PR Shots

 If you are unsure of this look then Matalan have a white and purple floral shirt at only £16 (at time of print), so if you decide florals are not for you then losing that shirt off your back won’t be a big financial loss. 

And if you find saying it with flowers works for you then go for.......

Eton Hostage of Love shirt

.......this Eton floral print with purple collar shirt from their ‘Hostage of Love’ collection. Very retro which is soooo on trend and going to be big for the summer. The good thing about floral shirts is they look complete even without a tie, but if you do need a tie then either play safe and match with a plain tie in the main colour of the shirt (in this case purple) or pick out an accent colour (pink). Or. ...

House of Fraser tie from PRShots

..... be more daring and romantic with another floral pattern. Again either pair with a purple floral tie or pick out the pink in the shirt. This pink tie has also tiny amounts of lilac to match the shirt.  
But if you're not ready for so much flower power just yet then go more subtle with ...

Ted Baker Pashion shirt from PR shots

Ted Baker ‘Booton’ navy floral jacquard pashion (a merging of passion and fashion) shirt. Uising one colour tones down the floral pattern. 

House of Fraser tie from PR Shots

Then bring it alive with a more flamboyant floral tie. 

If flowers are not your thing then go for paisley

Eton paisley shirt

House of Fraser tie from PR Shots

bring out the accent colours with this contrasting tie.

Simon Carter love bird shirt

If you're all 'loved up', team the tie with this Simon Carter's love bird shirt.

Eton checked shirt & paisely tie

But alas, if it's all too much just go with a paisley tie with a more masculine check, stripe or plain shirt.

And now you've got the romantic look, remember to act the part and be romantic.

Shirt & Tie - The Dramatic Look

For those days when you want to create an impact go for the Dramatic look.
Bright colour block shirts combined with equally bright contrasting colour block ties, or bold patterned shirt and tie combination will give high impact but you need to consider your own colouring and whether you can take such bold colours and patterns.

Eton striped shirt with circle tie

This Eton striped shirt with circle tie is a good choice for the dramatic look. If the colours are too bright and deep for you then go for a Paul Smith shirt in the label’s signature coloured stripes to create a more subdued dramatic alternative look.

Eton Circle Spot shirt

If you don't mind deep colours but prefer them more muted than bright, then check out Eton’s blue and tan circle spot shirt – just don't go to the races or they may mistake you for one of the jockeys.(obviously a very stylish one)

Gone are the days when you couldn’t wear a patterned tie with a patterned shirt – experiment with some of the cheaper brands until you are confident for the more expensive ones.

Eton paisley shirt

The rule is when mixing shirt and tie patterns is to make sure they have one colour in common with each other. For different looks you can match the tie with the shirt’s dominant colour or for a more subtle look match with the least dominant colour. The above Eton paisley shirt could be matched with ...

Simon Carter Nouveau navy tie

Simon Carters nouveau navy tie, bringing out the more dominant blue colour ...

Simon Carter Medallion wine tie

.... or Simon Carters medallion wine tie, bringing out the brown in the shirt and the brown in the tie.

Eton striped shirt & tie

When using the same pattern, you can have contrasting colours, but the pattern should not be the same scale – usually the tie’s pattern is the larger or wider if a stripe.

Eton striped shirt with jazzy tie

And when you are super confident – then there are no rules!!

Shirt and Tie - The Classic Look

The shirt has come a long way from its humble beginnings as an underwear garment when its long tails were used in the absence of underpants.  It is now, along with the always attention seeking neck tie, an item of clothing where you can really experiment with colour and patterns, where you can express your personality and fashion flare, and where you can easily change your look depending on your mood.

Eton white shirt plus striped tie

THE CLASSICS

Take for instance the Classic man – Your look needs to be smart and well groomed.

The crisp white shirt is the epitome of classic. Originally it was the symbol of a gentleman because it soiled so easily and indicated a man who worked at a desk (if at all) and could afford a good laundry. But now you can also achieve the look with the pastel shades of pale blue ( a colour which became standard in the 1920’s but before then was unthinkable for a gentleman to wear), light grey, pink and lilac.

Eton blue striped shirt with striped tie

 Patterns here are the classic stripes and fine checks.

It’s all about quality and not quantity so you’re looking for:

 Good quality cotton: Sea Island and Egyptian cotton both have extremely fine long staple fibres, allowing them to be spun in to tight yarns and so producing a high thread count which gives a silky feel to the finished cloth.  They also hold dyes better.

Attention to detail: Single needle stitching gives strong seams that are more pucker resistant. Buttons (mother of pearl) should be cross-stitched onto the shirt by hand to ensure that they do not become loose over time. Split yokes ensure a perfect fit across the shoulders. And the collar should be handmade (fused or unfused) A well fused collar will give a smooth look with no puckering, and should use cotton interfacing materials. Collars should have removable bones to keep the shape of the wings perfectly straight when inserted.

French shirt makers, Charvet offer bespoke and RTW shirts and are considered the best, as are the Italian brands Brioni and Kiton. However they are very expensive so make sure your luck with the horses is not a flash in the pan before investing in a few of these.

Cheaper options are the British shirt makers Turnbull & Asser, Swedish shirt makers Eton which feature a non iron finish – great for those of you who have an aversion to ironing (me included) and also British

shirt makers TM Lewin who were one of the first to make the 'coat shirt', i.e. a shirt with studs and later buttons down the front. Before this, shirts were cut like smocks and pulled on over the head.

Simon Carter compass grey tie

For the classic look in ties it has to be silk. A quality silk tie should feel smooth and be made of three pieces of fabric to lie better, cheaper ties use only two pieces.  A classic combination would be a white shirt and dark coloured plain tie. This is a good look for you high contrast men but for the lower contrast men go for a lighter coloured tie such as a mid blue or grey.  And for a softer look go for tone on tone e.g. pale blue shirt and light blue tie or a softer contrast e.g. pink shirt and light grey tie.

Sonia Spencer Horse Win cufflinks

And why not add a touch of light humour  to your classic look with Sonia Spencer’s bone china and sterling silver plated cufflinks with their quirky illustrations.

Vertu -the leader in luxury mobile phones

They say “Accessorize, Accessorize” and they’re right because accessories maketh the outfit.
And one accessory that is essential to both man and woman is the mobile phone so why not splash out.

Vertu, the leader in luxury mobile phones, knows that it is important for a mobile to look stylish as well as being functional and have launched the new Ascent 2010 and their first smart phone, the Constellation Quest, which was only launched this October.

The new Ascent 2010 comes in 2 versions:
The cheaper (but still expensive at around 4,200 Euros) and lighter Aluminium model and the more expensive (around 5,900 Euros) Titanium model. Inspiration for the creation of both models was taken from the fast paced lifestyle of motor racing and aviation.
The overall look is sharp and tactile -hard edged and facetted metal styled like aeronautical louver shutters used to reduce drag and then trimmed with either vulcanised rubber or leather in red, orange or gunmetal grey.
The bespoke ring and alert tone is an all new soundtrack created by Unkle and specifically for the Ascent. The exclusive 7 minute track is called “A Darker Shade of Blue”

The Constellation Quest will also come in a choice of materials, the cheapest will combine leather and stainless steel whilst the totally extravagant version will use gold. The handset is designed with the user experience first and foremost in mind so the home screen is uncluttered, displaying only the essentials as chosen by the individual e.g. email notifications, calendar appointments and selected news feed. Vertu will work with you to configure the phone settings to suit your preferences including email accounts, information feeds and social networking facilities. The My key function is also configurable for instant access to four preferred applications. With support for multiple mailboxes this will ensure easy access to all required email accounts from the new handset.
All Ascent mobiles have a chronograph clock face with a stopwatch synonymous with motor racing and military aviation. The clock adjusts itself to its local time location but also always displays an origin location time so you can keep in touch with home.

Luxury services included with all Vertu mobiles are:
Vertu Select- a global service delivering the best in luxury online information, news, reviews, recommendations and exclusive downloads direct to the phone.
City Brief- travel information automatically adapted to the user location, including restaurant recommendations, current events and tips on local protocol.
Vertu Concierge – accessed via a dedicated key on the handset, this service assists, advises and books travel, entertainment, shopping, accommodation, restaurants and events.
Vertu Fortress – will back up all calendar and contact information and store to ultra secure servers at the touch of a button.

And with the new Constellation Quest there’s a few more:
Vertu.me – the new Vertu email account.
Vertu Remote Assist - 24hrs technical assistance where (with the users consent) a technician can resolve a technical or set up query by remote access .

This is definitely a high end luxury, but if you can afford it then why not?

Vertu on Amazon: