Some guys HATE the tieless look. And that’s fine, no one is asking the tieites to burn their collection. But when one side spits vitriol like the zero-tolerance for tieless crowd does (not those who just don’t like the look, those who think EVERYONE should hate the look), you gotta think there might be some jealousy there. Fact is: Tieless can work and does work for plenty. But it’s not as simple as taking a tie off a full spread collar under a pinstripe suit and calling it good. Here’s a few suggestions on how to maximize your chances of tieless success.
1. Collars are completely key
No tiny or full spread collars here. You need something that’s gonna get close to vertical and frame your face (try Target’s Merona Ultimate Dress shirt or the Nordstrom Trim Fit). You’ll probably need wurkin stiffs or really good collar stays. What you DON’T want, is Tiger-Woods apology press conference collar.
2. So are your shoes and accessories
These things lend some balance to the outfit. For the shoes: now’s the time to take some risks. Try out some monk straps or suede, and if it’s summer? Consider sockless. Wear a watch that’s a little busier than a standard, minimalist dress watch. Try a pocket square. The tie is obviously not there, so now’s your chance to try some new things with that visual space.
3. Keep the suit solid or subtle in pattern
One way to avoid that “I was wearing a tie, but I ripped it off so I can get on the wedding reception dance floor” look is to choose your suit carefully. A peak, wider lapeled chalk stripe is too boardroom ready. Stick with solids like navy, light grey, or khaki for summer, and subtle, hardly noticeable patterns if any. Two button here with a medium or lower button stance and slimmer notch lapels also helps.
4. Get your fit right.
Should go without saying, but without the tie, everything else is on display. Especially sleeve length. Show some cuff.
The obligatory Clooney as Danny Ocean mention. Lots of great tielessness in Ocean’s 11, 12, & 13.
5. Try unbuttoning that second button on your shirt
This is tricky for some. Plenty just don’t like their shirt drifting open. But if your second button on your shirt is up pretty high, it’ll look stiff if it’s closed. Good news is there’s a way to create another “button” between #1 and #2.
6. Wear a shirt with a small pattern
Tiny tattersall, pencil stripes, etc… Solid shirts when tieless looks great too, but a slight pattern helps keep your outfit from looking too minimalist (if that’s a concern).
7. Flip the contrast script
It’s a little flashy (probably not the right word) for some, but a black shirt under a grey suit, or a grey shirt under a navy suit looks more than at home without a tie.
8. Be in great shape
Always helps.
9. Be a little bit ugly
Ugly… as in… not totally clean cut (or for some of us, just a little bit ugly). If you’re impeccably groomed and/or just naturally look like you fell out of a Brooks Brothers catalog, then the lack of a tie might look a little too smooth.
10. And when in doubt, wear a tie.
One of the major causes of the anti-tieless sentiment is when someone goes tieless to a formal or business function. You gotta know your surroundings and dress for them. Tieless is a great way to wear a favorite suit more, but don’t over reach and look inappropriate. If you’re interviewing for a job at a well dressed workplace, tieless projects arrogant playboy. Again, there’s nothing wrong with wearing a tie. It looks great on everyone.
Shirt by Target, Suit by Indochino, Pocket Square by Fifth & Brannan
Good tips (especially number nine, wouldnt have thought of that but it explains why it works on an unshaven Clooney or Ahmadinejad) and thanks for posting these at o dark thirty.
I got some of these adhesive things from Kickstarter last year. They are supposed to be an alternative to the wurkin stiffs. I have also used them for #5, to stop the drift between the second and third button. And in a pinch I fixed a hem with them on my way to a wedding. They’re not perfect and can be a little tough to get the adhesive off. It’s sort of like the gummy sticky stuff that they use to attach the fake credit cards in all those credit card applications you get in the mail.
Worth keeping around though.
I’d toss a recommendation to check out Ledbury shirts (ledbury.com) for the suit/no tie look. They have lots of great patterns that look really good without ties, they fit great, have very strong collars, and have a lowered second button so you can ditch the magnets. I have a few of them and ALWAYS get compliments. Just my $0.02
Slick suit and great tips.
This never struck me as a terribly out there look. Is it that uncommon? I’d probably do it more if my offices dress code weren’t so conservative.
Really appreciate the workin stiffs recommendation since my collar tends to go kinda wild when I unbutton the top two buttons
When I was over on the TM Lewin website looking at shirts, they offer many different collar types. For someone who is wearing a dress shirt but without a tie, what collar type would you recommend?
Works for Sir Ricard Branson.
Already emailed Joe, but couldn’t post in the forum–it’s taking too long. Great sale at shoemetro.com 50% off all AE’s (McTavish, Neumok, Park ave, Madison ave, Larchmont, etc. lots of others too) Hurry and try to snag something before sizes run out.
Code is ALLEN50, enjoy!
I’m putting this here as it’s suit related. J.Crew just added their Ludlow light gray cotton suit to clearance, so it’s like 350 now. Maybe you can talk a sales rep into adding 30% off. Last I checked they had a ton of sizes, too!
I swear by T.M. Lewin shirts, and the Francomb (standard) collar on their fully fitted shirts works great without a tie. It’s slightly smaller and more spread than their traditional collars, but it’s long enough to produce the desired effect Joe describes.
How about wearing a shirt with button down collars tieless with a suit? I got a J. Crew Ludlow for Christmas that I haven’t worn yet, and I’m itching!
Timbo, I can’t find that on the site! Can you link to it?
Agreed. They’re pricey, but worth it in my book.
Holy crap it’s gone already. It’s back to full price on the regular site. Must have been a mistake on their part, they tend to do that at seasonal shifts.
You’d be surprised how many people appear to be allergic to even the idea of wearing a suit without a tie.
See Dennis Farina in that Comcast Xfinity commercial to see how it’s done.
…unless you’re a hipster with the rolled selvedge denim look (which, incidentally, isn’t me). Point is, I’ve seen people make it look really good. Diff’rent strokes for diff’rent folks.
I’m sure I would. I feel like I see it all the time, and it’s one of the ways I dress down when I’m going out after work: take off the tie, one (maybe two if the stance isn’t too low) buttons off, and a pocket square. I feel very comfortable like that.
But it may be a function of my location too; NYC is probably more liberal in that regard than many places.
I think it so much depends on your body shape. People with long necks somehow always look weird without ties (me included), while those with a more compact build somehow seem to be able to pull off the look much easier.
Joe, to be fair (about Tiger Wood press conference), I don’t think Tiger wanted to look like that. I think his PR agent might have something to do with that. You cannot looking dappered on an apology press conference and come off sincere. You have to look as sorry as you can and as “not put together” as possible. I get your point though!
In real life or in stills for fashion blogs?
>>Diff’rent strokes for diff’rent folks.
Pffft.
Hipsters aren’t walking around in suits to begin with (with or without ties).
Wearing a nice pair of chinos and a jacket sans tie looks great. Same thing with a nice pair of jeans and a jacket. But when I see a full, matching suit with a nice shirt and pair of shoes without a tie, it just comes across as someone who ran out of time in the morning, or maybe someone who spilled something on themselves at lunch.
Amazing tips and the last one sounds me a bit comic. Its being challenging for you when you decide to go with out a tie in suit. You may not look as dashing as you wear a tie. But a proper style of suiting would change the results. Surely your tips work for many.
My main question is if you think it’s OK to wear a suit without a tie instead of wearing dress pants, shirt and tie without a blazer? I’ve always been one to think that the coat trumps the tie sans coat. Without a tie you may look like an arrogant playboy, but without the coat you really are saying that you work in IT or some menial job where looking like an arrogant playboy has its advantages.
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