If there’s one accessory you don’t to skip when wearing a suit, it’s the necktie. Consisting of a slim and narrow piece of fabric that’s wrapped around the neck, it completes the man’s formal appearance. But if you’re unfamiliar with neckties, you may feel out of place wearing one. Don’t worry, because we’re going to walk you through the basic steps of wearing a necktie.

Getting the Right Length

Don’t underestimate the importance of wearing your necktie at the right length. The great thing about neckties is that you can adjust their length. So even if it’s too short, or too long, you can often make it fit by tweaking the knot. Ideally, your necktie should stop right at the top of your belt. If there’s any visible fabric between the bottom of your necktie and the top of your belt, it’s too short. Consequently, if you cannot see your belt because your necktie has extended beyond it, it’s too long.

Wrinkle-Free

Some men have a tendency to toss their neckties on the ground after wearing them. In doing so, it creates wrinkles that are hard to remove. So the next time they wear it, their necktie is a wrinkled mess. To prevent this from happening, always hang your necktie up on a coat hanger after you wear it. If you notice any wrinkles, use a steam iron to safely remove them.

Use a Tight Knot

I always cringe when I see someone wearing a necktie that’s wrapped loosely around their neck. Perhaps it’s more comfortable, but it looks like a mess. This is why you need to secure your necktie with a relatively tight knot. You don’t have to tie it so tight that it constricts your neck and causes pain, but your necktie should be tight enough to prevent any abnormal shifting when you move. Feel free to adjust your necktie to find the perfect balance between security and comfort.

Match Knot Size and Collar Size

A good rule of thumb to follow when choosing a necktie is to match the size of the knot to the size of your shirt’s collar. Certain shirts look better with certain neckties. You can match the two with relative ease by comparing the knot size to the collar size. If your shirt has a large collar, choose an equally large necktie. But if your shirt collar is small, choose a smaller necktie.

References:

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/02/20/necktie-tips-for-men-a-visual-guide/

Whether it’s cotton, linen, wool or any other fabric, shirts are bound to develop wrinkles. The good news is that you can eliminate most wrinkles by pressing your shirts with a hot steam iron. The steam smooths out wrinkles and creases, leaving your shirt nice and crisp afterwards. While ironing may sound like a simple enough, however, many men do it wrong, leaving behind wrinkles or even damaging their shirts in the process. So, what’s the right way to iron a dress shirt?

Choosing the Right Iron

First and foremost, you’ll need to choose an iron that’s suitable for the job. You can identify the “power” of a clothes iron by its power consumption, with most consumer-grade irons ranging in power from 420 watts to 1800 watts. Conventional wisdom should tell you that an 1800 watt iron delivers more heat than a 420 watt model. And when there’s more heat, you can iron clothes in less time.

You should also look for a steam feature on an iron. Basically, this allows you to spray steam directly onto the fabric; thus, helping to eliminate wrinkles and creases. When you come across a stubborn wrinkle, simply spray a mist of steam over the fabric to smooth it out.

Read the Care Label

Before ironing any shirt or garment, read the care label for the manufacturer’s recommendations. Some shirts may contain delicate fabric that cannot be steam-ironed, in which case you should take it to the dry-cleaners.

Prepare Your Shirt

When you are ready to begin, lay your shirt flat on the ironing board, with the ironing board running through the middle of the shirt. Doing so protects the rear side of the shirt from wrinkles, allowing you to iron only one side at a time.

Collar First

Most experts recommend ironing the the collar of your shirt first. Pop up the collar and iron from side to the other. If any wrinkles appear, run your iron to the bottom to minimize their appearance. When you are finished, flip the shirt over and repeat these steps to the outside.

Cuffs Next

After ironing the collar, go ahead and iron the cuffs. Make sure the buttons are unfastened, flip the cuff inside out, and iron the fabric to eliminate wrinkles and creases.

Now the Front.. and Back

Last but not least, you’ll need to iron the front and back of your dress shirt. Assuming your shirt has buttons, you should begin with this side, using caution to iron around the buttons, not over them. As you finish the front of your shirt, iron over the shoulder and work your way back down. Repeat these steps on the back, at which point you shirt should be crisp and wrinkle-free!

References:

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/04/06/how-to-iron-shirt/

It’s frustrating when you spend an entire week’s paycheck on a new wardrobe, only to discover your new clothes have faded after washing them just once in the washing machine. The fact is that all clothes are susceptible to fading, regardless of color and fabric. It’s a natural process that occurs through the breakdown and degradation of its fibers. But there are ways to preserve the color of your clothes and protect against this phenomenon.

Read the Care Label

I know this probably sounds like common sense, but it’s still worth mentioning that you should read the care label on your clothes before washing them. This reveals the manufacturer’s recommendations on how to clean and care for them. Some manufacturers may recommend tumble-dry only, or others may recommend dry-clean only. The only way you’ll know what’s recommended by the manufacturer is by reading the care label.

Wash with Similar Colors

The golden rule of laundry 101 is to wash clothes of similar color together. It’s not uncommon for clothes to “bleed” colors, meaning some of their dyes leak and seep onto other nearby colors. Assuming you wash similar-colored clothes together, this shouldn’t cause any problems. But if you wash reds with whites, you may discover some of your white clothes having more of a pinkish tint — and that’s never a good thing.  Always separate your clothes according to color before washing them.

Wash Clothes Inside Out

Another tip I’ve learned over the years is that washing your clothes inside out can help preserve their color. By washing your clothes inside out, it protects the exterior (the front) from fading. The interior may still fade — at least some — but being that no one really sees the inside of your clothes, this shouldn’t be a problem. It only takes a couple of minutes to turn your clothes inside out before washing them, but doing so can make a world of difference in preserving their original color.

Wash with Vinegar

No, that’s not a typo. Washing your clothes with vinegar can actually protect against fading. Granted, vinegar has somewhat of an unpleasant smell, but it goes away, after which your clothes will be nice and fresh. Simply add 1 cup of white vinegar to your washing machine, and wash your clothes like normal. The vinegar works to protect the fabric from fading.

These are just a few tips to help preserve the original color of your clothes.

References:

http://housekeeping.about.com/od/laundry/tp/8colorfadetips.htm

http://www.organicauthority.com/sanctuary/4-natural-ways-to-keep-colors-bright-clothes-laundry.html