Ties that bind - and glitter

Diamond-studded ties tempt Aabhas Sharma to tie the knot.

Ties, for me, are among the more complicated pieces of clothing a man can wear, if you discount the dhoti. You have to tie the knot (and knots too are selected according to occasions), check the length and width, how it should match with the shirt, and whether it should be above the beltline. All this requires more effort than you might think worthwhile.

Yet, they continue to remain in vogue and are among the only items in formal clothing that men can genuinely experiment with. After all, how much can you do with a suit or a shirt?

Well, if, unlike me, you enjoy the whole process of wearing a tie, then the choices available are too many to list. More brands, designs, colours, textures are there for you to try out. And what's more, you have got ties fitted using Swarovski as well!

Satya Paul's Swarovski collection has ties studded with crystals and available in a variety of colours. These luxury ties start at Rs 10,000 and go higher depending on how many crystals you want in the tie. In fact, at a fashion show Satya Paul had showcased a tie in pure silk, studded with 261 diamonds of 77 carats each, and 150 grams of goldThe cost? A whopping Rs 1 crore!

Coming to more conventional ties, brands such as Zodiac, Arrow, Van Heusen, Gant and Nautica offer a wide range of ties. From silk textures to block prints to toon ties, Zodiac has them starting from as low as Rs 250 and going up to Rs 2,500 depending on the kind of fabric used. Silk ties still remain an absolute favourite among buyers and almost all brands have an extensive range.

Zodiac has a range of silk ties under its Vicenza collection, which starts from Rs 2,500 and focuses on Italian ties. Architectural designs in ties like squares, building blocks and lines are extremely popular.

Satya Paul also has a tie-box set which comes with matching cuff links and handkerchiefs. The tie-box set range starts from Rs 4,000.

Designers such as Ravi Bajaj too have ties in their collection, and these are priced above Rs 5,000. Mostly, these are silk ties, some using pure silk, which is costlier, and others in crepe silk or poly silk.

Colour plays an extremely important part in the selection of ties. While traditional colours such as blue, red and navy have always been popular, others such as silver, orange and pink are catching the fancy of a zestier generation.

Of course, most times ties have to coordinate with the colour of shirts, and with Indian corporate-wear getting a bit more trendy, bright and vibrant colours are gaining more acceptance.

Foreign designer brands such as Roberto Cavalli or Yves Saint Laurent also have ties in their collection, but these are not available across the country. Mostly silk ties, they cost over Rs 15,000.

Van Heusen has had a range of ties as a part of its international wardrobe collection where designs were inspired by wardrobes from places like New York, Milan and London. For instance, the New York collection had ties with weaves and patterns and the London ties had printed patterns on silk. The price range started from Rs 700 and went up to Rs 2,500 or so.

Ties that have cartoon characters are quite a rage. Popular characters such as the Simpsons, Calvin & Hobbes and Garfield are available locally but not too many brands offer such ties. Yet, they're available in the bylanes of Colaba Causeway in Mumbai or other such places in other metros.

Brands like Nautica and Gant have a vast collection of silk-based ties which are mostly in solid colours and feature block designs. The price range for Nautica ties start from Rs 2,600.

The next time you have to wear a tie, choose a shirt to match with your suit, keeping in mind the occasion you are going to wear the tie for, consider the knot and check the nitty-gritties (or knotty-gritties!) of the ties you have, and then pick the right one.