Tipping - What the hell is it?
The tipping of a tie refer's to the back piece of fabric at the bottom of both ends of the tie that covers the rear of the blades fabric. Today we are going to explore the different types of tipping and why they are used and the advantages and disadvantages of the different tipping styles. The 3 most common ones we'll discuss are self-tipped, un-tipped and silk/satin tipped.
Self tipped
Self tipped ties refer to the tipping being made in the same material as the tie is made in. Usually found in more expensive ties due to having to use the fabric of the tie rather than cheaper silk/satin tipping. There's no real disadvantages to self--tipping apart from making very heavy silks and wools too thick, but we'll cover that a bit further down. The biggest advantage of a self tipped tie is it's the strongest construction and will no doubt last longer than other types of tipping.
Un-tipped
Un-tipped ties are currently very in fashion with the #menswear market with lot's of companies now making them. They are a clothing enthusiasts tie as in my experience the average joe thinks they are inferior due to the lighter weight compared to other tipping methods.
So yeah, they look cool with the hand-rolled edges and all but that doesn't mean all ties should be un-tipped. Grenadines are not ideal to be un-tipped because the open weave causes the fabric to be susceptible to stretching and an un-tipped tie is more fragile already so the 2 don't make a good combination unless you like replacing ties after a year. Un-tipped ties in my opinion are best on plain fabrics like twills, linen/blends and printed silks and wools, that have clean backings. Used on woven jacquard fabrics they can look very messy as the back of the front blade is exposed. Hand-rolling should be uniform, tight and even, not wonky and loose.
Silk/Satin tipped
This type of tipping is mostly found on cheaper ties because it's the cheapest way to tip a tie, but there are exceptions as to why it can be used on higher end ties also. The most common one, and the only time we've ever used it is for heavy wools and cashmere's that would simply make the tie too heavy and thick if self tipped and aren't suitable for being un-tipped.
So there you have it, it might sound like a small part of what makes up a tie but you can now see what differences the different tipping methods make when considering buying your next tie. Next week we'll cover interlining and I'll be dissecting a couple of ties to explain how they affect the knot, weight and drape of a tie.
