How do I take care of a Silk Necktie?

As we all know silk is a very delicate fabric and therefore needs to be looked after carefully.

Over the years I have been asked on numerous occasions how to take care of a necktie.

I have listed a few of the most common questions and the answers we generally give to those who ask.

Can I dry clean my Silk Necktie?

Dry cleaning a necktie is NOT recommended. The reason is while dry cleaning may remove a stain the dry cleaners will iron the tie. By doing this the rolled edges of the tie will be ironed flat and what you will get back from the dry cleaner is a clean piece of flat silk.

Can I fold my Necktie?

Generally it is not a good idea to fold your necktie. If you travel and need to take your necktie these are the best ways to transport the tie.
1) Fold the necktie in half and then in half again and keep it in the pocket of your jacket or coat.
2) Roll your necktie. If you do this you will need to get a cylindrical tie case to put the tie in.
3) Purchase a necktie case which will allow you to store a few ties when folded. These cases are light and can be put in any suitcase or travel bag.

A good tip is when you reach your destination hang the ties in the bathroom while taking a shower. The steam will get rid of any wrinkles.


What is the best way to remove a stain or spot from my Necktie?

The answer to this is simple. Don't use your necktie as a cloth or napkin. When eating take your tie off, flip it over your shoulder or tuck it into your shirt and then tuck a napkin in your shirt collar. There is nothing more noticeable than a tie that has a stain on it.

How do I remove a wrinkle from my Necktie?

Wrinkles can be steamed out with a small hand steamer or as previously mentioned hang it in the bathroom while taking a hot shower.
If you try to iron it make sure you put a damp cloth on top of the tie and then with the iron setting on silk or delicate lightly iron the tie. Be careful not to press too hard as you do not want to iron the edges flat.

In conclusion treat your neckties as the delicate piece of clothing they are. Make sure you undo the knot at the end of each day the same way you make it. Carefully!
If you pull the knot to undo it you will stretch the interlining thus causing the tie to lose its shape.

Please keep in mind that these are merely our suggestions. We are not dry cleaners or fashion consultants. Speak to people who wear ties on a daily basis and ask them how they take care of their ties. It is amazing on how creative some people are when it comes to taking care of their belongings.

Silk Tie Printing Process

This article shows the steps involved in printing a piece of raw silk better known as a Greige Good ( See below for definition. ). This needs to be done before a single tie can be made.

The Manufacturing of a necktie is not as simple a process as one thinks. During a trip to China I took a few pictures not of the actual making of the tie but of just of the process of printing a piece of raw silk. I have written a short explanation next to each image.

This is part of the Printing process where a design is printed on raw silk using a series of screens. Each color requires a new screen. This is a very dirty and tedious process. To help with the drying of the ink the temperatures in these printing factories are extremely hot. Roughly about 100+ degrees Fahrenheit.

In this picture is where the dyes which you see in the red containers on the left are put onto a piece of silk to get the color match correct according to the customers color requirements. Workers will lay pieces of raw silk on the table and test different colors to get the right mix for each screen. On the bottom right you will see a few more screens for the particular design resting against the table. Each screen is for a different color. The average printed pattern has about 7-9 colors.

Once the colors are all tested and corrected it's off to the printing table. Raw silk fabric is laid on tables each table being 100ft long. The screen is then laid on the silk and the ink is poured on and spread evenly on the screen. ( Hence the term screen printing. ) The screen is then lifted and moved to the adjacent piece and the process is repeated until the entire length is complete. This process is repeated with each screen which adds another color to the silk until all the colors have been added.

Once the silk has been printed and is completely dry the silk goes to the washing plant where it goes through a washing process to remove all enzymes and particles left on the raw silk. From this image you can see that this is not just a big washing machine but a carefully built washing plant. The silk is fed in on rollers so it is kept flat and straight throughout the washing process.

Once through washing its off to be dried.

Once washed the printed silk goes through a series of dryers on rollers and comes out the other side ready to be sent to the factory where it is made into a necktie, bow tie, Ascot or for that matter any garment that uses a printed silk.

From the above one can see that the simple tie that one wears has gone through transformation from the silkworm it came from to be that elegant tie, or bowtie that you see on BuyYourTies.com.

Definition of Greige Good as referenced above

Textiles that have not received any bleaching, dyeing or finishing treatment after being produced by a textile process (pronounced gray).

New College Stripe Bow Ties in stock.

BuyYourTies.com has just received their new shipment of College Striped Bow Ties. These Striped patterns are perfect for Fraternities and Groups who want to look the same when meeting and represent their chapter wearing it's traditional colors.

From our experience when one chapter buys these bowties and and wear them to a gathering we get a lot of other chapters calling wanting the same.

Uniformity among brothers is what makes one group different from the next. Why not be the trendsetter and purchase a few
College Striped bowties today.

At Buyyourties.com we do our best to have every color combination available for immediate delivery. If you have any suggestions or see some color combinations that we are missing please do not hesitate to call or e-mail us and we will make every effort to fulfill your request.