5 Ways To Wear A Knit Tie

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A knit tie is something most men are not always familiar with. Most men know regular neckties and 3-fold neckties with a pointed tip. In this guide, we show you how a knit tie can elevate the look of your outfits!

A traditional knit tie is flat at the bottom because that’s the way it’s knitted and it’s also straight on the sides, that means the top of the tie is as wide as the bottom. Sometimes you can also find knit ties in a shape of a traditional tie meaning it has pointed tips and it gets wider as it goes down, however, that’s very difficult to make because you have to manually remove the knots of each line on top to create a traditional three-fold tie shape.

Knit tie with pointed tips
Knit tie with pointed tips

Why Do You Need Knit Ties In Your Wardrobe?

Knit Tie in Solid Light Blue Silk

Fort Belvedere

Knit Tie in Solid Light Blue Silk

Knit Tie in Solid Tobacco Brown Silk - Fort Belvedere

Fort Belvedere

Knit Tie in Solid Tobacco Brown Silk

Knit Tie in Solid Burgundy Red Silk

Fort Belvedere

Knit Tie in Solid Burgundy Red Silk

Adds Texture To Your Outfit

By that, I mean it’s three-dimensional when you look at it but also when you touch it because of that, it is less formal and therefore, it’s very well suited for most outfits today which are more casual and relaxed.

When you go with silk knit ties, I always urge you to go with cri de la soie knit ties which means the “cry of a silk” and it gets its name because when you touch it and move it between your fingers, you hear a crunch. This crunch means that the tie is thicker, it’s not as fluid, it stands up when you hold it up, and it’s just a very sophisticated look.

How a knit tie is made
How a knit tie is made

To get a knit tie in that way, it has to be made on a very old machine. They are first knitted flat then put on a wooden form so they get the shape, then they’re steamed and sewn together by hand in the back. It’s much more time-intensive to knit them round like a sock which is what most manufacturers do today but we believe in quality and therefore, we go the extra mile.

Wrinkle-Resistant / Great For Travel

Because they’re made from a high twisted silk yarn that really crunches when you touch it, it won’t wrinkle at all so it’s a perfect tie for travel or if you are prone to just throwing your ties somewhere and not storing them properly.

Sets You Apart From The Crowd

Even though knit ties are popular with well-dressed gentlemen today, I would say the general public or the average Joe is not quite familiar with knit ties and so if you wear one, it automatically makes you stand out in a sophisticated and subtle way.

Cri de la Soie Knit Ties by Fort Belvedere
Cri de la Soie Knit Ties by Fort Belvedere
Magenta, Pink, Grey Mottled Knit Tie Cri De La Soie Silk

Fort Belvedere

Magenta, Pink, Grey Mottled Knit Tie Cri De La Soie Silk

Light Blue Mottled Knit Tie Cri De La Soie Silk Fort Belvedere

Fort Belvedere

Light Blue Mottled Knit Tie Cri De La Soie Silk

Beige Brown Mottled Knit Tie Cri De La Soie Silk Fort Belvedere

Fort Belvedere

Beige Brown Mottled Knit Tie Cri De La Soie Silk

Orange Red Mottled Knit Tie Cri De La Soie Silk Fort Belvedere

Fort Belvedere

Orange Red Mottled Knit Tie Cri De La Soie Silk

Endless Outfit Combinations

Another reason you should invest in knit ties is that they’re so versatile. They can be worn with a formal business suit and because of its more relaxed character, they bring down the formality, at the same time, they can be worn with regular sport coats, and even if you don’t have one, it might be just a Harrington jacket or a linen jacket.

How To Incorporate Knit Ties Into Your Outfits

1. Business Suits

Most men wear regular neckties with them, however, a knit tie can add an element of texture to it, especially if you have a solid business suit in charcoal or navy. For a business suit, I’d stay away from wool knit ties and stick with silk knit ties because the difference in terms of formality is just right.

The wool would be too casual and it would be clashing. A silk knit tie, on the other hand, is different enough to make it look interesting without being totally over-the-top and different. For example, if you wear a knit tie with a rope striped suit, it definitely softens the look, especially when you go with something like a burgundy color, or maybe a navy that is a traditional business color.

If you want to be a little more advanced, you can wear something in a tone of purple and pink but the yarns are different in color and similar to tweed, it’s just a very rich color experience. At the same time, there is a light background and so it can work with a solid business suit or with a subtle pattern.

3-piece suit Navy Suit
3-piece suit Navy Suit
Pink Mini Carnation Silk Boutonniere Buttonhole Flower

Fort Belvedere

Pink Mini Carnation Silk Boutonniere Buttonhole Flower

Knit Tie in Mottled Silver Grey Silk

Fort Belvedere

Knit Tie in Mottled Silver Grey Silk

Other colors I think are great for a formal business suit are a malachite green, maybe a bottle green, a rust orange, a pale yellow, or if you really want to be extra special, you could also go with orange mottled tones, maybe light blue mottled tones, or something that’s very out there such as purple.

Mohair Blue Suit Folded Silk Pocket Square in Brown with Blue Paisley and Knit Tie in Solid Tobacco Brown Silk by Fort Belvedere
Navy Suit Jacket with contrasting tie and pocket square.
Silk Pocket Square in Brown with Blue, Green, Red Large Paisley Pattern- Fort Belvedere

Fort Belvedere

Silk Pocket Square in Brown with Blue, Green, Red Large Paisley Pattern

Knit Tie in Solid Tobacco Brown Silk - Fort Belvedere

Fort Belvedere

Knit Tie in Solid Tobacco Brown Silk

Another easy color to combine with blue suits is brown and therefore, a tobacco brown knit tie is also a great investment, at the same time, you can wear it with a lot of items in your casual wardrobe. So definitely a good tie to have in your tie closet.

2. Blazers

full canvas vintage rowing blazer made in England with red knit tie by Fort Belvedere
full canvas vintage rowing blazer made in England with a red knit tie by Fort Belvedere

A knit tie is the perfect companion for a blazer because it’s less formal than a suit, at the same time, it’s still anodd jacket combination. No matter if you wear with chinos or maybe flannel pants in off-white, the knit tie ties everything well together.

Navy Suit paired with gray and yellow stripe shirt and Fort Belvedere accessories
Navy Suit paired with a gray and yellow stripe shirt and Fort Belvedere accessories
Purple Carnation Silk Boutonniere Buttonhole Flower

Fort Belvedere

Purple Carnation Silk Boutonniere Buttonhole Flower

Two-Tone Knit Tie in Black and Magenta Pink Changeant Silk - Fort Belvedere

Fort Belvedere

Two-Tone Knit Tie in Black and Magenta Pink Changeant Silk

Pale Yellow Linen Pocket Square with Yellow Handrolled X Stitch - Fort Belvedere

Fort Belvedere

Pale Yellow Linen Pocket Square with Yellow Handrolled X Stitch

If you like it bolder, you can go with your navy blazer and maybe a striped shirt and a magenta-colored knit tie, especially with a two-tone. It’s a pop of color and it definitely makes you stand out from the crowd. In the summer, I suggest going with mottled yarn knit ties.

Alternatively, you can go with a lighter blue for a fresher airy look, maybe with some orange, or with a kind of pink purplish tone. One thing that’s a little more subdued would be to go with a brown mottled knit tie or maybe even a silver-grey one. That being said, a navy blazer with its solid background is the ideal stage for you to wear a knit tie in a color at your heart’s content.

3. Tweed Jackets

In my opinion, the ultimate best way is to wear a knit tie with a tweed jacket. By definition, tweed is a more casual garment with a nice texture and rich colors. Because of that, knit ties are the ideal companion because they add a strong texture and just fit in very well in the overall scheme.

Tweed Jacket paired with a white and red striped shirt and a blue knit tie
Tweed Jacket paired with a white and red striped shirt and a blue knit tie
Knit Tie in Solid Light Blue Silk

Fort Belvedere

Knit Tie in Solid Light Blue Silk

Edelweiss Boutonniere on a white background

Fort Belvedere

Edelweiss Boutonniere Buttonhole Flower

Tweed is an ideal garment for winter outfits and because of that, I urge you to wear it with more subdued and earthy tone knit ties. That could be a rusty bronze orange, maybe a bottle green, or a very dark purple, you could also go maybe with a tobacco brown, maybe a pale yellow.

Casual tweed outfit
Casual tweed outfit
Knit Tie in Solid Pale Yellow Silk

Fort Belvedere

Knit Tie in Solid Pale Yellow Silk

Collar Bar Clip in Yellow Gold For Classic Narrow Spread Collars

Fort Belvedere

Collar Bar Clip in Yellow Gold For Classic Narrow Spread Collars

Brown Madder Silk Pocket Square with Turquoise,Green, Brown Large Paisley

Fort Belvedere

Brown Madder Silk Pocket Square with Turquoise,Green, Brown Large Paisley

I would stay clear of very bright tones and also from very light ones such as the mottled ones in maybe light blue because it’s too summery and too airy. Also, I’d stay clear of navy ones because they’re just more suited to slightly more formal outfits.

4. Casual Suits

Now some will say, “Wait a minute, a suit that is casual? How does that go together?” Well, there are business suits that you wear to the office but then there are also suits that you wear not to the office.

flannel
Flannel Glenn plaid suit with a striped shirt, knit tie, and pocket square.
Knit Tie in Solid Light Blue Silk

Fort Belvedere

Knit Tie in Solid Light Blue Silk

White Linen Pocket Square with Navy Blue Handrolled X Stitch

Fort Belvedere

White Linen Pocket Square with Navy Blue Handrolled X Stitch

It could be a flannel suit in a Glenn check pattern for example, with a blue overcheck. Unlike a worsted cloth which can be pretty much worn year-round, flannel is particularly good during the cold months of the year because it has a fuzzy texture, it’s heavier so it makes you warmer, and it’s usually made of these mottled tone yarns which means you have a very interesting color depth.

Houndstooth flannel with solid red knit tie and Orange, Green, Blue, Yellow, Silk Wool Medallion Pocket Square by Fort Belvedere
Houndstooth flannel with a contrasting knit tie and pocket square.
Knit Tie in Solid Red Silk

Fort Belvedere

Knit Tie in Solid Red Silk

Orange, Green, Blue, Yellow, Silk Wool Medallion Pocket Square

Fort Belvedere

Orange, Green, Blue, Yellow, Silk Wool Medallion Pocket Square

Probably the most popular flannel suit out there is the gray flannel suit. It is business-appropriate but you can also change the look with your accessories to make it more casual and informal. A great color to wear with a grey flannel suit is, in my opinion, a solid burgundy tie, or a rust orange tie, or even a purple tie. At the same time, it can also be green, you just need something with enough of a contrast that is not too strong but overall, that will make you look very very dapper.

5. Relaxed Outfits

Red and white dress shirt paired with a vest and blue knit tie.
Red and white dress shirt paired with a vest and Knit Tie in Solid Light Blue Silk from Fort Belvedere.

Maybe you’re the kind of guy who doesn’t want to wear a jacket but still wants to be more dressy and likes to wear maybe vests, in that case, a knit tie is ideal because it closes the V gap of the shirt and the vest you’re wearing and it just ties everything very well together.

Now the knit tie has an extra texture that is perfect for an informal ensemble of that nature. On the other hand, maybe you don’t like vests but you like casual jackets such as a Harrington jacket, or maybe a linen Safari jacket, and you can wear knit ties with that as well because of the casual nature.

A green linen jacket and white dree shirt accessorized with knit tie in moltted orange and brown from Fort Belvedere.
A green linen jacket and white dree shirt accessorized with a knit tie in mottled orange and brown from Fort Belvedere.

I encourage you to go with bolder colors, maybe two-tone colors and just be playful and go with something that you enjoy. Try to pick up colors in your outfit, it could be your shoes, it could be your shirt, it could be your pants, or maybe even your socks.

Green V-neck knit sweater with plaid dress shirt and burgundy knit tie by Fort Belvedere
Green V-neck knit sweater with a plaid dress shirt and burgundy knit tie by Fort Belvedere

Another great relaxed way to wear knit ties is to combine it with a sweater. Personally, I really like the combination no matter whether it’s a cardigan or maybe a heavy knit cable sweater. Just bear in mind if you wear ties with a sweater go with a V-neck because they really highlight the tie knot and a crewneck will simply hide it and it looks bad.

Outfit Rundown

I’m wearing a tweed suit which is not something you find too often because tweed has a tendency to wear out pretty quickly especially in the thigh area simply because the weave is oftentimes much looser than let’s say worsted. It is a grey Donegal tweed that has an undertone of blue. Because of that, I paired it with a mottled blue knit vest and blue suede boots. Because the blue color is in the suit, it all looks very harmonious at the same time the vest is contrasting and so are the shoes. It’s very unusual to have blue suede shoes but it is ensemble it works quite well because I pick up the color in other elements.

A vintage tweed suit that Raphael acquired not too long ago.
A vintage tweed suit that Raphael acquired not too long ago.
Magenta, Pink, Grey Mottled Knit Tie Cri De La Soie Silk

Fort Belvedere

Magenta, Pink, Grey Mottled Knit Tie Cri De La Soie Silk

Wine Red, Yellow,Blue, Green, Orange Silk Wool Medallion Pocket Square

Fort Belvedere

Wine Red, Yellow,Blue, Green, Orange Silk Wool Medallion Pocket Square

Monkey Fist Knot Cufflinks - 925 Sterling Silver Platinum Plated - Fort Belvedere

Fort Belvedere

Monkey Fist Knot Cufflinks – 925 Sterling Silver Platinum Plated

Pink and Grey Shadow Stripe Ribbed Socks Fil d'Ecosse Cotton

Fort Belvedere

Pink and Grey Shadow Stripe Ribbed Socks Fil d'Ecosse Cotton

My shirt is a light blue dress shirt. I’m wearing it with French cuffs and the cufflinks are silver Monkey Fist cufflinks. My tie is a silk cri de la soie knit tie and it has these mottled tones that you can also see in the jacket yet it has enough of a contrast in purple magenta and pink to make it stand out at the same time it’s not too bold and over-the-top. I pick up the color tones of my tie and the pocket square and also in my boot laces that way everything is tied together and harmonious. Likewise, the socks I’m wearing are grey and pink shadow stripe which goes very well with this tie, my ring, on the other hand, is a silver ring that goes well with my cufflinks and a blue lapis lazuli stone which picks up the blue tones in my outfit.

I haven’t brought this suit to the alterations tailor yet and while a jacket is quite okay you can see that the pants have a little hole in the front so I’ll have to get that fixed and I think I also want them to be less of a bootcut and more tapered at the bottom. What other things do you think I should have changed at this suit? Please leave a comment below.

What’s your take on knit ties? Share your favorite knit tie combinations below!

Reader Comments

  1. Thanks for yet another interesting video.
    I would argue that since a knit tie is casual by its very nature, a navy knit tie can never really be called “formal”.
    I comfortably wear a navy knit tie with sport coats and suit jackets in any material and in any color (other than navy, of course).
    With a navy blazer, I choose burgundy out of necessity and can’t wait to get back to my navy knit ties in silk and wool.

  2. An interesting piece and some stylish combinations.

    I like knitted ties and have a selection of them in both plain and patterned material. On the back of this, I might rethink some of the combinations I wear: thank you for the ideas.

    A few years ago, I went to Harvie & Hudson in Jermyn St to buy a black silk knitted tie, as worn by James Bond whom Ian Fleming dressed in knitted ties.

    I tried a silk knitted tie, maybe I use the wrong knot, but I could knot get the tie to sit well.

    The salesman suggested I try their knitted wool tie. At first, I was very reluctant to countenance the idea: I wanted that cri de la soie you refer to above, but I tried the woollen tie and much to my surprise the guy was right: he knew his wares and the tie knotted better than the silk and sat at the collar much better.Perhaps because it was slightly stiffer. And it was cheaper!

    It lacked the sheen of silk but is still nicely finished, so I would respectfully suggest to your readers that whilst silk is a great material do be prepared to try wool and be prepared to listen to sales staff who know their stuff.

    1. As a postscript, I note you do not feature any button-down collars.

      I have always thought that a good look is a b-d collar with a knitted tie although as I note above the combinations you have used with more formal shirting looks good.

  3. The guide comes at the perfect timing as I have ordered (and waiting for) my Fort Belvedere knit tie. Raphael, would you do a video guide on the Harrington jacket and safari jacket?

  4. Useful article, Sven. I always toss a silk knit tie in my bag when I travel to a supposedly casual destination in case an unexpected invitation to someplace more dressy than expected appears. Black or silver will go with practically any shirt.

  5. Great article and video.

    That looks like a large hole in your pants – how well do you think it will repair?

  6. In my opinion, the ultimate way to wear a knit tie it to pretend to be a clown; that is how you dress. Good way to make an extra buck by doing kids birthday parties though.

Comments are closed.