A Tie Bar

July 11, 2010

Back in the 1950's, almost every American men wore a grey suit, thin tie, and black shoes to work. Occasionally, they would also put on pieces of jewelry like a pair of cufflinks and a tie bar. Nowadays, few men see the need for cufflinks and tie bars, and these accessories has become unnecessary additions in a man's wardrobe. Although, in the last five years, there has been a sudden resurgence of old school American men fashion with the popularity of shows like Mad Men and designers like Thom Browne. Men have rediscovered the use of tie bars once again because of this.

The tie bar's purpose was, and is, very simple. The bar is used to clip the tie to your shirt so it doesn't move around, and stays stationary to one's body. The material can be made from steel, brass, and even gold. My first experience with a tie bar was when I was 6 years old and my class saved up money to buy our assistant teacher one, as his going away present. I did not know the exact function at the tiebar at the time, but I just loved the simplicity of the design. Of course, a tie bar is just one of those accessories to help one stand out a bit from the crowd, but not necessary for a good outfit. Think of it as a great purse to go with a woman's colorful dress.

My favorite tiebar is made by Tom Ford. The tie bar has a very classic design that is inspired by vintage Cartier, as like his cufflinks. It is made from 18K gold and looks lovely against most of my ties. Since Tom Ford ties are usually very wide (3.5-3.75 inches), so this tie bar is very long also. Thom Browne's tiebars are almost less than a inch long since it is made to pair with his super skinny ties. So the major rule is to pair a tiebar with a tie of the same width.

A tie bar does set the bar a little higher.