So you want to start wearing a tie.
You’ve tossed your hoodies, and you are wearing button-ups these days. You even throw on a sport coat every once in a while. It feels good.
The navy knit tie is the anti-fragile tie for the father of young kids. It’s the fabric and the color.
You are dressing better than 95% of the guys in America in 2024, but you want to go further. You see those old photos, and you want to look like those guys.
You want to wear that mythical garment that was, once upon a time, a staple in every man’s wardrobe. Even the men who worked dirty jobs during the week had ties for church on Sunday and special occasions.
As women wore heels, men wore ties. It wasn’t in the ancient past. It was just yesterday, in the 20th century. But since then, our society has become increasingly informal, and ties have faded from the scene.
You want to wear a tie, but you don’t know where to start. It’s a small piece of fabric, but it’s a big step if you didn’t grow up wearing one. People will notice. It will stick out to some degree. You want to wear a tie for yourself. You aren’t trying to be a show-off or grab attention. You are hesitant.
A beautiful patterned silk is lovely. Ancient madder is luxurious. A bright and bold regimental tie is quintessentially preppy. A kelly-green motif tie is joyous. One can’t help but smile at a light and fluttery bird motif.
But they are all too much for you at this point in your style development. When you imagine wearing all those brilliant ties, an image of you wearing a neon sign around your neck that reads “LOOK AT MY TIE” appears in your mind. You don’t want that. You want to ease in.
So what do you do? Buy a navy knit tie.
A navy knit tie solves the problem perfectly. It’s quiet and simple. There are no stripes or figures that dance around your chest.
The hand is unostentatious. A navy knit doesn’t have any kind of glittery sheen. It doesn’t feel delicate or overly formal. If an elegant micro-pattern feels fine, a knit tie feels coarse. A knit reminds us of a thick rope, something almost utilitarian.
There is a deep texture to it. You can practically see through the fabric of a crunchy knit if you get close enough. When you hold a fine ancient madder, you use your fingers. When you grab onto a knit, you use your whole palm.
A knit tie bridges the gap of formality and informality. Any kind of tie is formal in 2024, but the knit tie dresses itself down. It’s a tie, but it can read as an informal one. A knit gives you plausible deniability in the way a bold motif simply cannot. It doesn’t scream out. It is quiet.
All of this is perfect for the guy who is new to menswear and doesn’t want to stand out. It’s also perfect for the guy who has been wearing ties for years. He doesn’t necessarily want to stand out, either. Clothes aren’t about shock and attention. The beautiful, quiet subtlety of the knit is useful for all men.
And the navy knit is one of my sartorial MVPs. I rely on it all the time. It’s supremely flexible. It works great with a wide variety of shirts and jackets. In many ways, with a navy knit you don’t even need to think. It’s there for you when you need it. When in doubt, I reach for my navy knit.
Maybe you are a father with young kids. They are always jumping on you, pulling on your clothes, and asking to ride on your back. This is no place for a tie, right?
Wrong. The knit tie is kid-friendly. With the more delicate ties you often end up concerned about creases and folds. If your tie falls behind the cushion of the couch and stays there for three weeks, it’s going to end up with some terrible wrinkles and creases.
But not the knit tie. You can crumple up a knit, slip it under your mattress, and wear it the next day. No one will know. Your toddler can pull on it with his little hands, and no damage will be done.
The navy knit tie is the anti-fragile tie for the father of young kids. It’s the fabric and the color. The crunchy, dynamic texture combined with dark, forgiving navy makes the navy knit tie the tie that every new father should buy. J. Press makes a great one.
The navy knit is everything you can ask for. It is versatile, subtle, understated, durable, and classic. It’s the perfect tie to help ease you into the wonderful world of neckwear. Whether you’re a young guy, an old head, a father, or a bachelor, it won’t let you down. Start with a navy knit, and go from there.
O.w. root, Neckwear, Ties, Navy knit ties, Style advice, J. press, Fatherhood, Men’s style
