Necktie Construction

In 1924, U.S. tailor Jesse Langsdorf created and patented the tie's modern look – with a bias cut and three-piece construction. It’s a design that the finest ties still follow today

Fabric
Today, neckties can be found in a variety of natural and synthetic fabrics. But the finest ties are generally 100% silk. Depending on the type of silk and the processing method the resulting fabric can range from smooth to somewhat stiff. Typically, smooth and “liquidy” almost always drapes better than stiff.

If it feels rough to the touch, then the silk is of an inferior quality. Silk that is not supple is very much like hair that's been dyed too often. It's brittle and its ends will fray easily. If care hasn't been taken in the inspection of neckties, you may find weave errors and puckers.

Bias
Before Langsdorf entered the scene, neckties were cut straight down the piece of material – making them inelastic, and prone to premature wear. But the American tailor discovered that by cutting the tie on the bias of the cloth, the tie would be much more resilient and long-wearing. Cut slightly off bias, the tie would pull off-centre and fall crookedly, but if cut at exactly 45 degrees, the aprons of the tie would drape elegantly, straight down from the knot.

All premium neckties manufacturers, such as Rialto, cut on the bias. Neckties that, when held, begin to twirl in the air probably aren’t cut precisely at 45 degrees. These ties should definitely be avoided.

Three-section construction
A fine tie consists of three pieces of silk fabric:

• Front blade (also called the apron)
• Tail (also called the under blade)
• Neck gusset – a small piece that connects the first two
  
  

Lining
After the three pieces of silk fabric are hand-sewn, they’re wrapped around the lining. The lining is the piece of material that’s inserted into the tie to give it body and shape. A wool lining is always preferred in a hand-made tie since wool is much more forgiving to the weather and tends not to warp. Alternative fabrics such as linen and cotton are also commonly used.

Tipping
At each end of the tie is the tipping. Tipping is simply a finishing touch to cover up the work below and give each end a clean look. And if a designer's name is woven into the tipping for branding purposes, it's called custom-tipping. (If you don’t already know, a Rialto tie’s custom-tipping features a rather unique image.) Unlike other ties, Rialto’s custom-tipping runs the length of the tie and completely encompasses the lining.

Details
A well-made tie has a special stitch (usually hidden) that runs the entire length of the tie. This slip-stitch allows the tie to stretch slightly and thus tolerate the stress caused by frequent tying and untying. Better ties will also have bar tacks – noticeable stitching at both ends that keep the two sides together. Finally a decent tie will have a keeper of some sort—this is what holds the tail in place behind the front. The best ties, Rialto among them, will often have self-loops – this means that the keepers are made from the silk fabric itself.