Here is yet another necktie that I acquired last summer. When I replaced my worn out suits, I found a couple in colors and patterns that I had never had before (solid tan, and blue windowpane). So naturally, I had to find a shirt and tie combo to go with each one. This month’s necktie obviously pairs extremely well with the tan suit, but will also compliment the blue windowpane suit as well (pretty awesome). And while this tie matches well with my beige and brown shirts, it will also go nicely with the blue/white/beige check shirt I recently acquired. And, while this necktie borders heavily on the conservative side (not very flashy or colorful at all), you cannot argue with how good it looks with the tan suit.
Here is another necktie that I acquired last summer. This one was actually a gift from a friend. On a background of golden yellow is the street grid of our nation’s capitol with all of the landmarks and buildings in a light blue or gray. And, everything is beautifully labeled so that you will always be able to navigate without an additional map. Talk about a fun and functional gift! Now, I just need to create the opportunity to find myself in DC to put this necktie to work for me. The unique hues of this tie will pair nicely with my beige and brown suits and all of my blue, white, and beige dress shirts.
Now that I am caught up on posting my “Necktie of the Month,” my purchasing of new neckties is not keeping up with the calendar (my acquisitions have slowed way down). But here is a wonderful floral necktie that joined my collection in the summer of 2023. I just so happened to be in the market for some new suits (to replace a few of my older and “worn” suits) when I ran across this wonderful floral that I could not say “no” to. I don’t normally gravitate to “blue,” but I found a great blue windowpane suit and found this necktie to compliment the suit. This tie will pair well with my light blue shirt, my dark blue shirt, my blue check shirt, my white shirt, my grey shirt, and my grey stripe shirt. Ah the versatility never ceases to amaze.
It has been more than a year since I have posted a new necktie (wow, my purchasing has really slowed down). So without further ado, here is the newest tie added to my collection. The yellows, oranges, and reds of this tie will certainly pair well with my yellow, orange, beige, and brown shirts quite well. Before the end of the year, I am going to have to beef up my suit collection as well (my current suits are all showing the wear and tear of their ages and will need replacing, soon). And, every time I purchase a new suit, I always purchase a “killer” new tie that matches with that suit perfectly, leaving nothing to chance. However, the chances of having existing ties in my closet/collection to compliment any new suit I purchase are pretty good considering the large number of neckties I currently own. But, finding some new ones is never a bad thing either. I am definitely a clothes horse and can never have enough clothes in my closet. I love having a variety of choices when getting ready for work in the morning. Although, despite the number of possible clothing combinations available to me (shirts, ties, suits . . . ), I do find myself gravitating to certain neckties and shirt combinations more frequently than some less favorite pairings. Often times, a certain necktie that combined well with one shirt (that has since worn out) does not always looks as great with another shirt or suit. Alas, that’s life.
Here is a necktie that I acquired a couple of years ago out of my dad’s closet as we were sorting through the estate. This one is a little more on the sentimental side as it has an embroidered Boskydel logo on the front. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Boskydel, this was the Rink family vineyard and winery in northern lower Michigan (Leelanau County, northwest of Traverse City). This beige necktie pairs really well with my brown and tan shirts, but not much else, alas. I can think of all sorts of occasions on which to wear this particular tie — trips to wine country (any state or region), significant family anniversary dates, or even just for fun. Of course, the logo would be an excellent conversation starter whether they are familiar with the winery or not (I will definitely have to try this out one of these days). The winery was closed at the end of 2017, after 42 years in business. Dad was the wine industry pioneer for the area and certainly provided us with an excellent work ethic for which I am eternally grateful. One of the dad’s lasting legacies was placing the farm into conservancy status, which was finalized in 2020. “The Conservancy works with private landowners to permanently protect, for future generations, natural features and working landscapes on their property by creating individualized legal agreements that place certain permanent development restrictions on the property. The Rink easement was purchased by the Leelanau Conservancy with the help of our donors as well as funds from the federal government.” (Carolyn Faught, Senior Writer for the Conservancy).
This month I am highlighting one of the more whimsical neckties from my collection. And, to be honest, I don’t recall when or from where I acquired this one. Based on the Dr. Seuss children’s book, The Cat in the Hat, this tie is best paired with a simple white shirt, but I can also see my red shirt possibly providing an excellent background as well. As to “when would I wear” such a necktie, I was thinking about a couple of dates (both in March): March 2nd, the birthday of Dr. Seuss (aka Theodor Seuss Geisel), or March 12th (The Cat in the Hat was originally published on March 12, 1957). Of course, I could always wear this necktie any time I find my self in a whimsical mood (which is surprisingly more and more frequently as I age). Having parents who were both librarians (Dad was the Library Director at the local community college, Mom had been a children’s librarian at the public library), there was never a lack of reading material in our house, and we all got our start with the host of books by Dr. Seuss. A couple of my all-time favorites: Horton Hears a Who, and Fox in Socks. Come to think of it, Green Eggs and Ham was a pretty entertaining one as well. Ah, the memories.
Here is the necktie I purchased last winter during a sale at Kohl’s (buy one, get one half off). The bargain was just too good a deal to pass it up. And, being a clothes-horse, I can never have enough neckties (or shirts, or slacks, or suits, etc.). This particular necktie was very similar in nature, pattern, and color, with the other purple necktie that I purchased that day, but with slightly muted, not as bright, coloring. This shirt will pair nicely with all of my purple-hued shirts, my light pink shirt, my assorted gray shirts, and my white shirt. I must have been on a purple/pink kick of late, my last four or five necktie purchases have been in these colors. Alas.
Here is a colorful necktie that I acquired when I was out shopping the other day (it was a buy-one, get one half off deal). I like the geometry as well as the seeming randomness of the color scheme. This necktie will complement my assorted purple dress shirts (dark purple, medium purple, light purple) as well as my light pink shirt (perhaps) and my gray shirts. The more possible combinations or pairings, the better. And, when all else fails and I want to go with a more business-like approach, a plain white dress shirt will work just fine as well. The one thing I never lack for is pairing options.
Here is a necktie that I obtained while I was on vacation last summer. There is a men’s shop in Traverse City, Michigan, Captain’s Quarters, that offers quite an assortment of everything one could want in the way of clothes and fashion, whether formal, business, or casual. A most excellent haberdashery! I make a point of visiting at least once a year when I am in town visiting family and I rarely walk out empty handed. Here is a necktie that I found last summer (and the shirt as well). Just the right shade of pink to brighten up even the dreariest of days. I have purchased Hawaiian-patterned shirts, dress shirts, neckties, bowties, suspenders, and full suits and actually look forward to these trips for just this reason and I have never been disappointed. The selection is always excellent.
About a year ago, as I searched my closet for necktie options to wear with my black and gray suits, I came to the conclusion that I needed to bolster the number of ties that would compliment these dark-colored suits. Well, following last year’s tie-buying extravaganza (I acquired more than twelve (12) new neckties in a single month) I can now say that I have many more options to pair with my black and gray suits. Pictured here is one of the more simple/conservative patterns I acquired — a black and white floral pattern — that can be worn with any of my black, white, or gray-toned dress shirts (solid or striped or checked). And while I have four suits that currently are either a black or gray/charcoal tone, I still need to replace a suit that wore out last year — a black suit with a white pinstripe (classic look). I also need to replace my tuxedo in the coming year(the joy of losing enough weight that alterations alone will not suffice). Hopefully I will get this done prior to my next scheduled cruise, now that travel options have opened back up a bit. When I purchased this one, I also picked up the exact same pattern with maroon and blue tones. I was a little disappointed — from the picture (and the description) I was expecting “red” and not maroon, but alas, it will still offer me a changed look just by swapping out the tie.
The Gun-Carryin' Librarian 