The London Lounge

I was curious about how you recommend to handle textures in your dress: i.e. do you match or contrast?

As an example, when wearing a tweed coat, do you wear a smooth silk tie or a rougher wool/cashmere tie?

With a tweed coat, would you wear a silk pouchette or cotton.

With a gabardine or worsted suit, would a grenadine or knit tie be appropriate?

Are there rules guiding this matter, or is it a matter of personal style?

Anonymous wrote: I was curious about how you recommend to handle textures in your dress: i.e. do you match or contrast?

The rule says (and I also personally prefer) to contrast.

Anonymous wrote: As an example, when wearing a tweed coat, do you wear a smooth silk tie or a rougher wool/cashmere tie?

Smooth silk. Or knitted silk.

Anonymous wrote: With a tweed coat, would you wear a silk pouchette or cotton.

Silk.

Anonymous wrote: With a gabardine or worsted suit, would a grenadine or knit tie be appropriate?

Not sure about the knit tie. Here it's not just a matter of texture, but also of appropriateness. You don't wear a sober, city worsted suit with a knitted tie, regardless of textures. But you may wear a linen pocket square if you want to break the smoothness of gabardine and silk.

Anonymous wrote: Are there rules guiding this matter, or is it a matter of personal style?

Yes

Costi

Costi makes good points- but let me point out something else that works: matching the "flatness/dullness" of textures.

For example, tweed coat, wool tie, cotton or wool square. one with the right mix of patterns and colors, I find something inherently attractive, even warm about attire that is wholly "flat" in this way.

CG

Not sure about the knit tie. Here it's not just a matter of texture, but also of appropriateness. You don't wear a sober, city worsted suit with a knitted tie, regardless of textures.

Not sure about this: Should knit ties then only be worn in the country?

Anonymous wrote:

Not sure about the knit tie. Here it's not just a matter of texture, but also of appropriateness. You don't wear a sober, city worsted suit with a knitted tie, regardless of textures.

Not sure about this: Should knit ties then only be worn in the country?

Certainly not!

pvpatty

No, not only in the country, just not with a worsted business suit, in my view. They are fine with tweeds (often worn in town, right? ) or sporty coats and slacks. I also like to wear them with blazers (reefer jackets for correctness).

Costi