Remember when it was cool to wear your school tie so it was really, really short? Well, like pogs and yoyos, that’s just not cool anymore. More importantly, nailing your neckpiece so that it sits at the right tie length is an essential piece of the ‘always look great’ puzzle – and one that so many men get wrong. And we can’t say we blame you – if even the most powerful man in the world can’t get his tie length right, why should you be expected to? (Well, aside from the fact that it’s going to make you look 10x better, of course.)

THE ONLY TIE-LENGTH RULE YOU'LL EVER NEED TO KNOW:

Whether you’re wearing a skinny tie, a traditional tie, a slim tie or a knitted tie, this rule never changes: make sure that your tie length just reaches the middle of your belt buckle. (If you’re not wearing a belt, make sure it sits around the middle of your waistband.) There is just one exception – if you’re wearing a flat-bottomed tie, make sure the tie length leaves the flat bottom at the top of the belt buckle or waistband. Why? Because flat-bottomed ties don’t taper to a point like a regular tie, wearing them to the middle of your belt buckle makes them look too long. Wearing them a little higher mimics the acceptable tie length of a pointed tie.

BUT WHY THIS TIE LENGTH?

Good question. There are a tonne of reasons – the most important being that it keeps everything in proportion. It keeps the lines neat and even, and provides that contrast and balance between the top half of your body and the bottom. Secondly, a correct tie length stops the tip of your tie poking out from underneath your jacket when you’re wearing it buttoned up. (This is the quickest way to make even the sharpest suit look sloppy.) And, thirdly – and perhaps most practically – it stops your tie from getting in the way when nature calls and you need to relieve yourself. (This is especially helpful after one too many.) And, as always, GQ have produced a killer video on this subject, that is well worth checking out: And that clears that up! If you've got any other menswear questions you'd like us to answer, hit us up on social media and we'll answer them on the blog!