Tall Guy Tie Hacks

We’ve all seen this before.  Every-10-years-or-so your uncle gets dragged to a wedding--and although your aunt laid out a great outfit for him, she left him to tie his tie.  Inevitably, when you see him at the wedding, his tie barely makes it halfway down his shirt!  My Hispanic friends call this unique look “una corbata de oso Yogi” (a Yogi Bear Tie, after the cartoon character) --because the bear’s tie was quite short, if you recall.

The consensus on the proper length for a man’s tie is that it should hang down to the top of his waistband, or with the pointed end reaching to the middle of his belt buckle.  You could very well know this, but could still have difficulty achieving it for a variety of reasons.

If you are big or tall, or if you prefer to tie a full Windsor knot, you may not be able to wear your tie at the proper length and still have enough ‘tail’ left over to tuck into the keeper loop on the back of the tie.  For men of average height, or those who tie a smaller knot (that takes less material), this may not be an issue.  But if you struggle with striking this delicate balance and can’t seem to make both ends of your tie reach their respective homes, we have some solutions for you:

• Have your ties lengthened.  If you have a great tailor, they may be able to add material to the middle seam of your tie and buy you a few more inches.  This is a service also provided by Tiecrafters.com.  For $31 they will make your tie shorter, longer, narrower, or wider.  They will also clean them for an additional $6.  Give their website a try or reach out to them at (212) 629-5800.
• Consider a different knot.  I personally spent years wearing a tie every day and constantly struggled with a tail that was too short to reach the keeper loop.  Then one day I stumbled upon a tie tying tutorial that was a game changer!  There are at least 18 different necktie knots; perhaps one will fit your needs.
• Wear a sweater or a vest.  This look isn’t for everyone (or all seasons), but for those that can pull it off--a three-piece suit, an unmatched vest, or a sweater can allow you to tie whatever fancy knot you want without worrying about tie length.  This is kind of like a Zoom call, how the upper half looks is all that matters. :)
• The Total Tie Keep.  This is a product that appeared on Shark Tank; It is a strip of fabric that buttons onto your shirt and holds your tie in place.  It is probably not the solution for big or tall men, but may have some value if you live in a windy city.  We have not tested one of these, but it does look like a good alternative to the tie bar.  Check it out at totaltiekeep.com.
• Add another keeper loop to your tie using Tear Mender.  This is an upgrade you can make without having to use needle and thread.  Simply order a roll of bias tape from amazon (or stop by a fabric store), cut a 2-3” strip, then use Tear Mender to adhere it to the back of your tie.  Place it high enough that you will be able to fit the tail of your tie into it.  After 3 minutes of drying time, you will be back in the game with a tie that functions the way it was meant to.