-By Dwijendra Kumar
New Delhi (NVI): With its roots in Victorian era in European countries when bow ties were worn with a scarf, the ties have today become part and parcel of the wardrobe of an urban man. Though initially restricted to use in offices only, the ties are very much in vogue in social gatherings as well.
The young generation today is wearing ties over jeans, thus giving semi formal look to their attire. No wonder then, ties are the most important amongst neckwear products.
“An important dress code, a tie is like a soul in the body and one does not look complete unless he wears one,” says Ajay Mehra a leading name in menswear. According to an estimate, it constitutes 90 per cent of the total neck wear products.
In fact, ties complete the suits which look incomplete without it. It is as indispensable as a belt and a shoe for the modern man. Not only that it enhances the overall look of the wearer but also the personality, and the wearer exudes a certain amount of confidence too. And thus we have all those occupying senior positions in government and private sectors wearing it.
As far as trends in the field is concerned, plain and striped ties are mostly used with single breasted suit. However broad ties with big motifs and designs gel well with double breasted suits where the visibility is less. Those in maroon and navy blue colours are all-time favourite with people. Those in gold and yellow colours are also in vogue. Even hand painted ties are in vogue amongst fashion conscious. A harmony of intricate asymmetric styling elevated with accessories like modern designs in ties makes for perfect suits to live up the celebrations, adds Mehra.
Ties come in plenty of designs– verticals, polka dots, horizontal and stripes. However, those with abstract designs and floral prints are more popular . The colours of the ties now contrast with the attire. Earlier, people used to prefer to wear the tie in a colour matching the dresses. It is advisable for those of short height to opt for long, striped ties as it would provide a taller look to them. Again, taller ones should go in for plain, broad ones.
In India it is the Zodiac which has the credit of introducing ties in the 1960s. Since then, a number of brands have been introduced in the market which have come out with variety of designs in the field making it more and more fashionable accessory. Some of the leading names in the segment besides Zodiac are Bentley, Park Avenue, Snowwhite, Vivaldi, Van Huesen, Blue Chip etc. However, Zodiac and Bentley continue to be leading ones. While Zodiac is a multi-product brand, Bentley is an exclusive neck wear brand.
A variety of fabrics are in use by the tie manufacturers which also determine the price of the product as well. While those in polyester are available at moderate prices, the silk cost more. The more popular executive ties are priced between 500-800 per piece, though the range starts from as low as Rs 200 and goes up to Rs 2000. Ties have also been made in cottons and wools in the past, but they could not gain popularity among the people. Polyester happens to be maximum in use.
As for exports, global trade of neck wear is projected to be work 4 billion US dollars by 2025. Recent trend of teaming up ties with casual dresses is one of the reasons behind growth witnessed in the business of ties across the continents. ” Wearing ties over jeans too provides an interesting semi formal look, ” adds Mehra. Indian manufacturers too are exporting ties in good quantity to USA and other European countries.
