Save On Ties Blog

Tie Mind Twister

Edible Ties????

Found this article in the “Voice of Russia”.  What do you think? Is this the next rage?

How to Tie a Tie – Half Windsor Knot

Here’s the next character tying a tie – the duck.  So cute.  Thanks Kim!

Croatia builds Tie Sculpture and Controversy Erupts

From the Croatian Times:

Historians and art critics are livid over gigantic neck tie sculptures recently erected in several locations in Croatia’s capital Zagreb.

A joint project of Zagreb Tourist Board and Cravatica Academy was supposed to give the capital a recognisable image, daily Jutarnji List writes. It has however inspired a heated debate over whether Zagreb has anything to do with neck ties.

Tie or “kravata” in Croatian, is the country’s symbol, but debate remains open as to which part of Croatia can truly lay claim to the accessory’s origins. Turopolje region adamantly claims it was there that the tie was invented, when local girls decorated their men as they were headed for wars. The town of Velika Gorica says however that “kravata” was really born there.

Art historian Zvonko Makovic says that the project is absurd as Zagreb has nothing to do with neck ties. Historian Snjeska Knezevic also believes that the idea to present Zagreb as “capital of the neck tie” is shameful.

“People who made this up don’t know Zagreb. The tie has nothing to do with the city’s cultural and artistic identity. That is a campaign from an institution, which wishes to impose it as a brand,” Knezevic says.

The leader of the project however says that the history of the neck tie is tied to Croatia and that the monuments should remain in Zagreb, daily Jutarnji List writes.

I think this is a great idea whose time has come.  What do you think of getting the folks in Washington DC to build one?  They seem to have lots of money for worthless projects. LOL.

How to tie a Tie – Windsor Knot (another unlikely character)

Today we illustrate the Windsor knot.   The Windsor knot is a symmetric and large tie knot that suits wide collar shirts.  It looks fabulous in business and political occasions.  However, the Windsor knot is not suitable for narrow collar shirts.  Also, if you use a tie made of thick materials, the resulting tie knot will be too large.  Kim has chosen to show this one on a long necked flamingo.  Way to go Kim!

How to Tie a Bowtie (on an unlikely candidate)

Here from our website is an illustrated how-to on how to tie a bowtie – shown on a penguin no less.  Let us know what you think of it.  We are lucky to have a wonderful graphic artist Kim on staff.

How to fold a pocket hanky

Take your brand-new suit to the next level with a pocket square, also known as a pocket handkerchief. A pocket square helps make a suit stand out, and it also gives the wearer an air of refinement and sophistication. The pocket square should coordinate with the tie or suit you are wearing but does not need to match exactly. If you are wearing a solid blue tie, for example, your pocket square can have blue edges. Fold your pocket square using one of the three basic types of folds to get you and your suit noticed in a crowd.
Square Fold
1
Lay the pocket square flat. Fold it in half, lengthwise, so that it is now a rectangle. Crease the edges as you fold to maintain shape.

2
Fold the rectangle in half again, so that it becomes another, smaller square.

3
Fold the bottom half up about 1/2 inch below the top edge.

4
Place the pocket square in the jacket pocket with the longer, unfolded edge facing out. Adjust the pocket square so that some of it is peeking out of the pocket.

Puff Fold
1
Lay the pocket square flat. Pinch the material in the middle and lift up.

2
Use the thumb and index finger of your other hand to create a ring around the pocket square immediately below where you are pinching it.

3
Pull downward about halfway to form a flute shape. Still pinching the middle, lay the pocket square down in its flute shape.

4
Fold the pinched end of the pocket square to just below the fluted end.

5
Put the folded pocket square into the jacket pocket with the fluted end protruding.

Triangle Fold
1
Lay your pocket square flat so that it looks like a diamond. Fold the left corner of the pocket square over to the center.

2
Fold the right corner to the center so it just overlaps the left corner.

3
Fold the bottom corner up to the center, covering both the left and right corners.

4
Tuck the pocket square into the jacket pocket so that the top corner triangle is showing and the folded corners are hidden in the jacket. Adjust as needed so that it fits properly into the pocket.

Source: EHow

Healthy Snacking for Back to School

Totally off the subject of ties and bowties, but I came across this article and teaching our kids to eat healthy is so important, that I just had to post it here.

School will soon be back in session, which means that there will be homework to do, sports teams to contend with and ravenously hungry mouths to feed. With a little preparation and conscious shopping you can choose healthy, quick foods that will leave your kids asking for more.

Let’s start with snacks. The outer aisles of the grocery store are where all the fresh foods and produce live; this is where you want to be spending most of your time and hard earned dollars. You want portable? Meet the banana! It’s high in potassium and fiber to help keep you satisfied. Not a banana fan? What about blueberries (antioxidants), carrots (beta carotene) or Clementine mandarins (vitamin C). These are all portable, refreshing snacks, plus kids love them!

Lunchtime is a speed eating feat. Most kids only get about twenty minutes a day to power up, so how do you make sure your kids are actually going to eat their lunch? First, give them control. Allowing your kids to choose their food makes them feel grown-up and they will be excited to dig into a lunch they created. Next, keep foods simple like whole grain crackers and healthy spreads or sandwiches. If they have to put the food together, it will inevitably end up in the trash can. Lastly, make sure there is fun food. This year, swap fruit snacks and cookies for fig bars to make sure that each part of your little one’s lunch is brimming with brain boosting benefits.

With these simple changes you will be instilling good eating habits while making sure your kids have enough energy to sustain their busy days. Also, you may avoid a few sugar short-outs along the way!

Source: WebMD.com

Back to School Shopping

The summer season is passing by quickly and parents of school age children should begin planning the back-to-school season. Many kids and parents are feeling growing anxiety over getting back to school, the morning rush, the homework, the quicker pace of life. The advent of the busier lifestyle, along with the new changes that ‘back to school’ time brings (new teachers, new classmates, and new material) can all lead to increased stress.  In just a few short weeks the kids will be heading back to class and now is the time to think about back-to-school shopping. As with many special shopping seasons throughout the year, there are plenty of deals to be had by those who hit the stores early.

As most parents will tell you, nothing alleviates stress like a good shopping trip. While this can be said half-jokingly, there’s some real truth in the idea that back to school shopping can help kids get more excited about school starting, at least for most kids. If your child really couldn’t care less about shopping, you can make it quick and painless, but for kids who relish the annual decisions of which clothes, backpacks, and other supplies will be theirs this year, the back to school shopping trip is to be savoured. But the array of choices in the children’s department can be intimidating, especially when your little fashion plate claims she needs those chunky pink suede platforms for 2nd grade.  Online shopping can help.  With online shipping you can limit the choices.  Pick out several styles that are fine with you as a mom and let your child choose from among those.  This way your child is not overwhelmed by the available choices, feels empowered choosing their own clothes and you don’t have to fight in a store or every morning before school.  Online shopping offers the advantage too of shopping when it’s convenient for you, which can be early morning before stores are open, or late at night after the stores close.  When looking for neckties for school be sure to check out our selection at SaveOnTies.com.  We have those hard to find boy’s ties in stripes, pattern. Zipper ties, clip on ties and bowties too.

Getting back to getting ready for school – you may also want to get your routines ready; as you get back into an earlier schedule, have your kids start laying out their clothes the night before, keeping their shoes by the door, and get back into other morning habits that help you get out the door with less hassle. This can help refine your routine, and make the back to school transition easier.

Clip On Ties – New Designs

We just received a new batch of clip on ties in this week.  I am so excited.  These are a little different than the ones we had before this.  These are actually a little longer than the conventional clip on ties.  Most clip on ties are 18-19″ long.  These are 22″ from the top of the knot to the tip of the tie.  That’s the way you measure for clip ons – you include the knot.  Since clip on ties are pretied, there is no fuss or bother in the morning trying to get a presentable tie.  Just clip it on to your shirt, adjust your collar and you’re good to go. 

 Anyway getting back to the length, these are just long enough to be perfect for the in between sizes.  If you’re one of the men that the regular length was to short but x-long were too long, these are for you.  We have about 10 designs in 3-4 colors each.  Find the perfect one for you.  Just clip on the tie shown here to go to our website.  The link will take you to this particular tie but the full selection is at your fingertips with a few clicks.