Knit Ties Can Be Woven Into Casual Combinations

Knit Wit: They were born during the casual clothing wave of the ‘70s and hung on into the early ‘80s. For a guy who wanted to dress up and still wear blue jeans, he’d put on a casual plaid shirt and knot up a solid color cotton or wool knit tie, leaving the top button undone and the tie loosely suspended below.

Cool guys of the ‘70s such as John Denver and James Taylor wore the look, and it quickly caught on. But after the Reagans and “Dynasty” began reintroducing “proper” dress clothing, the knit tie was scorned as the adornment of the Birkenstock crowd. About the only guys who still wore them were leftover hippies and smirking telemarketing closers.

But with autumn in full swing, signs of a knit tie comeback are appearing.

Some chic and traditional clothing stores are reporting an increase in requests for the knit. “There appears to be some interest in the knit tie, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can bring out the knit ties you haven’t worn in years,” says Bill Snyder of Posh Gentlemen’s Clothing in Newport Beach. “Today’s knits use some interesting designs and a pointed bottom as well as a squared-off one.”

Knits can be a great addition to your collection, but remember, there is no democracy in the tie world, and knit ties must stay in their place. Wear them with casual shirts, pants and sport jackets. You should never send out mixed messages by wearing a knit tie with a dressy suit or outfit.

Lapel Hell: Extremes seem to be out nowadays; the favorite colors, designs and even politics seem to be middle-of-the-road. This perhaps explains the movement of lapels into a medium width. “Not too wide, not too narrow,” says Armen Murazyan of George’s Fashion for Men in Orange. “They’re kind of in the middle right now.”

Double-breasted suits usually have pointed lapels and single-breasted jackets usually come with notched lapels. If you find a double with a notched, or a single with points, it’s probably been sitting on the rack too long.

You can still get away with a narrow-lapeled jacket by possibly wearing a tie that’s a little wider than usual to offset the appearance of the lapel. But a wide lapel jacket? If you find one in your closet, it’s probably time to pass it along to a thrift shop.

Hip-Hop Hype: Street wear is usually the kind of clothing you see on skateboarding kids cruising the mall. It’s big, oversized T-shirts, long shorts and black basketball shoes.

It’s hip, it’s in, but does it work when you’re 30?

“You don’t have to be a certain age to get away with a look,” says fashion designer Bill Martin of Huntington Beach. “It doesn’t matter how old you are; as long as you can fit into clothing and you like it, go for it.”

The only time to give it a second thought is when the hip-hop look goes extreme. “The Kris Kross look of wearing clothing backward doesn’t look good on those two kids, and it’s surely not going to look good on anyone else.”