Tied up in knots wondering what neckwear to choose for a special occasion? We take you through our top tips and best practice regarding tiewear, examining the do's and dont's for an array of events and occasions...

Ignore the naysayers: ties are a gent’s best friend. They’re a great opportunity to add a touch of personal flair to an otherwise regulated outfit, and they can speak a great deal about you. You’ll hear many folk moaning that a tie is a noose around the neck: we’ve always seen it as a sort of creative constraint – a chance, within the parameters, to transcend the drudgery of everyday fashion. We believe the tie maketh the man, and agree with Harry Anderson when he said that ‘neckties satisfy modern man’s desire to dress in art’. But that doesn’t stop the enormous range of styles, types, patterns and choices becoming rather overwhelming when it comes to stocking your arsenal of tiewear, so we’re here to help.

From everyday work to weddings, smart-casual gatherings to parties, first dates, interviews, dinners and dances, allow us to be your go-to guide for whittling down what tie to wear. And if you’re buying a tie as a present, we hope this’ll act as a great guide when it comes to gifts for him. Every tie we recommend you here is a Regent special: uniquely designed, handcrafted from the finest, luxury silk, either by master craftsmen out in Italy or – in those ties with the Regent butterfly stamped on the interior tip – here in the UK. So you’re in safe hands – let’s go.

The question of what tie to wear for a wedding is one that can be satisfied by the old adage: ‘never miss an opportunity’. Weddings and dances are some of the best excuses to crack out your most dazzling ties: love is in the air, celebration is the modus operandi, and an exciting tie pattern flashing between the lapels of a suit keeps the mood energised throughout the day. With a blue or black suit, a floral or paisley patterning is a great way to keep the vibe alive – we’re particularly fond of these naturalistic wildflowers, which look excellent with seersucker, cotton or linen suits, too. For summer weddings, go bright and bold: sky blues are peaceful, cheery, breezy; pinks are bold and signal confidence and a readiness to party; golds and yellows look great with blue. Bold patterns, like a maximal dogstooth or even some contrasting stripes, do great to adapt to, and stay fresh for, each consecutive part of the day.  

If you’re looking for the right tie to tie the knot in yourself, well, there’s an occasion. Something that signals permanence and timelessness – something individual but not too showy – is the way to go. Think muted but unusual colours with simple patterns, friendliness, familiarity, steadfastness in slate blue with spots. 

For a dance, our top tip is a reserved but intricate pattern: it singles you out on the floor, helping people identify and keep track of you without demanding too much attention. Think neatly arranged flowers or geometric but naturalized patterns.

We’ve bunched these two together because they can often feel eerily similar – and the same suggestions apply, tie-wise – you’re after something respectful, reserved, but classy. If patterned, it’s good to go for something Italianate and well-spaced – this helps create the air of peace and wisdom. Something naturalistic but regimented can add a touch of charm for your date. A date can be an excellent opportunity to try out a knitted tie, too: it dares to do different whilst still toeing the line of respectfulness. A silk knitted tie is a subtle way of marking you out, and showing that you’ve thought a little more about how you dress – and that you can dare to do different.

Whilst at first seeming a bit of a no-brainer – go for something rustic, preferably sporting an elegant animal pattern – it can be tricky sometimes to know exactly what to go for when on a weekend away in the countryside. If you’re shooting, it’s solid form to stick with pheasants, or even cartridges, but something with ducks or foxes wouldn’t go amiss either. There are fishing ties for fishers, motorcycle ties for bikers – you can go as specific as you want, here, and that’s the trick. This is your opportunity to be a bit specialist, and there’s no crassness in matching the tie quite exactly to the occasion – it shows you’ve sought out something special. Colour-wise, it’s likely that you’ll be sporting a tweed, brown or mossy suit, so a natural-feeling colour, usually deep, works a treat. We’re talking heather purples, river blues, sandy hues, etc.

Ah, the old urban jungle; the meetings carousel; the daily grind. Even with most meetings still currently being on Zoom, the heat’s still on – perhaps more so than ever – to sport a great tie, as that’s all you’ll have to play with to mark you out on camera, torso-up. The trick with the work tie is show a bit of your character through what otherwise can be a fairly restrictive get-up: a smart, refined but unusual pattern, showing some fashion nous, is our top tip. We love 70’s miniature spots; miniature four-square diamond; little flecks of paisley flora; geometric flowers or even the Regent Skipper butterfly or subtle skull and crossbone. There’s a tremendous range of striped ties here too, and you can’t go wrong with a good solid stripe to show you’re ready to cut through the nonsense in meetings!

If we’re talking black tie – or any kind of bow tie dinner – we've got you covered, but for other occasions, don’t fear: bow ties do not have to be fusty. Whilst we can stock you with a great standard black tie for any such occasion, we’re also proud of our range of tweed bow ties, which are truly charming paired with a casual white or plain coloured shirt for a dinner party. We think a bow tie signals a bit of a playful good nature that’s ready to smarten up when the time is right: it shows the company you’re with that you still hold them in regard, no matter how familiar. A knitted tie never goes amiss for a smart-casual gathering either, and you can bust out the spots or stripes which, paired with a plain jacket of blazer, can be the centrepiece of an outfit, carrying your whole look without making it seem like you’re trying too hard. 

For our standard neckties, all blade widths are approximately 8cm. Regent are proud to offer our ties at an affordable rate in ratio to their material and method of construction: we offer price-beating rates that afford our customers the same quality of tie as found in the Burlington Arcade, or Savile Row for a less inflated cost. We’re proud to be stockists of one of the largest varieties of ties in the South of England: our tie range is second to none, and we’re excited to prove it to you by helping you pair one of our ties to whatever occasion you’ve got coming up, no matter how specific. Just give us a call on 01722 335151, an email on suits@regenttailoring.co.uk, or pop your details into the contact form below, and we’ll get you on the right track.