Founder & Creative Director of Men's Style Pro, Sabir has…
It’s been just over a month since Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat released a neckwear collaboration with menswear accessories brand, Armstrong & Wilson called, Mr. Nice Tie. The ten piece collection features an assortment of neck & bowties all done in luxurious wool and tweed fabrics. Armstrong & Wilson, was one of the first brands that I’ve featured when I launched Men’s Style Pro in 2010 (even slightly before that when I use to write for The Examiner) and it’s been great to see the growth in the brand every year.
Being that A&W is a Philly-based brand and that the founders have become trusted friends of mine, I took a trip over to their showroom to see the full collection first hand. After picking the brain of Ontario Armstrong for about an hour, I came to the conclusion that the Mr. Nice Tie collection was crafted with the care that you’ll see in all A&W pieces and it really captured the vision of Chris Bosh of creating classic pieces that are actually wearable.
Before I left the showroom, I picked up the Hunter Green “Mr Nice Tie” Necktie. The rich color is unexpectedly versatile, the weight of the fabric is sturdy (which makes a strong knot), the herringbone pattern of the fabric add some visual depth and the hidden brown houndstooth lining is dope style secret. Of course the quintessential A&W button is hand-sewn on the back as an added, yet, familiar detail of the brand. Below you’ll see two ways I decided to rock this tie for a bit of inspiration. If there’s one thing I can say about this collection, quality and attention to detail were not skimped on in the process. This tie will definitely be passed down to my future “Men’s Style Kid (we’ve still got some years to wait on that one though!).
Herringbone With Cords
Custom Mid-Grey Corduroy Suit – StudioSuits| Hunter Green Wool Tie – Mr. Nice Tie (Chris Bosh x Armstrong & Wilson) | Brown/Blue Gingham Shirt – Twillory | Lorenzo Briefcase – Maxwell Scott Bags | Calf Skin Loafers – Paul Evans | Green Tips Pocket Square – The Tie Bar
There was no way that I could not pair this beautiful herringbone wool tie with this corduroy suit. When pairing ties with suits, being aware complementary textures should be your first thought.
A quick guide to suit/textured tie pairing success:
- A textured suit like – corduroy, tweed, worsted wool should also be pair with a textured necktie. Leave the flat silk ties for your flat textured suits.
- Hearty earth-tones can standout in a subtle way against softer earth-tones. It’s a way of adding some pop to the look without having a bumble-bee to flower effect
- Understand your fabric patterns. This tie has a chevron herringbone pattern that adds some great depth to the piece
- Depending on how pronounced the pattern of your tie’s fabric might be, a non-matching suit fabric will probably be your best complementary option because you won’t look one-dimensional
Fall Colors
Hunter Green Wool Tie – Mr. Nice Tie (Chris Bosh x Armstrong & Wilson) | Orange Parka – Uniqlo | Vintage Denim Trucker Jacket – Levi’s | Hunter Green Suit Corduroy Pans – Onassis Clothing | Plaid Shirt – Commonwealth Proper (Ready To Wear) | Carson Commando Sole Wingtip Shoes – Beckett Simonon |
There’s no reason that ties should be relegated to only being worn with suits or formal situations, however; some ties should only be worn in those situations (ie, flat silk ties). Textured ties pair best with denim, non-formal outerwear and casual pants.
The “Rules Of Casual Tie Engagement”:
- Textured wool, tweed, raw silk and knit ties lend themselves to be worn “casually”. To be honest, they’re less stuffy
- This particularly tie pairs well with like colors in the fall spectrum (burnt orange, maroon, brown, wash denim blue)
- If you’re wearing some type of “jacket”, use this as an opportunity to leave the tie bar at home
Photo Credit. Quentin Washington – @AvenueSwank
Best,
Sabir
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Founder & Creative Director of Men's Style Pro, Sabir has a deep passion for menswear and all things manly. Selected as one of the "5 Best Dressed Men In America" by Esquire Magazine in 2010 & as #GQFall 2013 Best Dressed Man. As of 2014, Sabir serves as a freelance brand ambassador & executive stylist for GQ Magazine & GQ Report. Outside of that partnership, Sabir serves as an independent brand consultant as well. Reach me directly at SABIR@MENSSTYLEPRO.COM