How to Care for Silk Neckties

A good silk necktie adds the finishing touch to every suit ensemble, but it is also often the one that is least taken care of. While your shirt gets laundered and the suit gets preserved in a case, the tie is usually just pocketed and forgotten until the next event. Good silk neckties are hard to find and expensive to purchase, so you should take care of them with the diligence due to any style staple.

Post-Party Necktie Care
Undo the knot and hang up your silk necktie as soon as you get home from the party. Leaving your tie or storing it knotted in a Windsor will make the creases permanent, so the tie will look like a tired old thing the next time you use it. Use a tie hanger or container, if you have one, so that the tie conforms to the right shape.

Stains are the biggest enemy of silk neckties. If wine or sauce happened to drip on your silk necktie, you have to take countermeasures as soon as possible. Dry cleaning is not the solution to a soiled necktie, as that will likely just rub the stain even further into the fabric. Washing or wetting is not a good idea either because the water will just create an indelible discoloration.

While the stain is still fresh, try to dab off (not wipe) as much of it as possible using a clean napkin or handkerchief. Repeat as necessary, using a clean portion of the napkin each time. Try creating a crease in the tie at the spot to lift the substance off the fabric. If the offending substance is oily or greasy, a little talcum powder on the spot might help in making it easier to get off.

Traveling with Ties
Improper packing and long traveling can do a lot of damage to your clothing, especially to silk neckties. If you intend to take any trips soon and plan to take a full suit and a silk necktie along, you would be better off making sure that none of them get creased too badly in your carry on.

While you are packing all your clothes, loosely fold your silk necktie into quarters and tuck it into your suit jacket is inner pocket. This will protect it from the worst of creases. The best solution, though, is still to have a hard container like a box or a cylinder for your tie. Some ties are sold with hard containers like these, so use them for traveling if they are available. You can also find suitable alternatives at the dollar store or the nearest Ikea.

Release your necktie from your bag and smoothen it out as soon as you get to your hotel room. Steam it down at the lowest setting to get all the wrinkles out. Alternatively, you could just hang it (along with your shirts and your suit) in the bathroom before you take a long, hot shower. The steam created by your shower will sufficiently smooth down your clothes.

A necktie might seem like a very minor thing, but it is actually one of the most delicate and most finicky articles of clothing you could own. Take proper care of your silk necktie and it should continue making a good style statement for you at many more cocktail parties to come.

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