The Skinny on Skinny Ties

When Hedi Slimane at Dior Homme audaciously reintroduced the skinny tie in the early 00's, it created such a dichotomy among the fashionable -- some were overjoyed that they had appropriately slimmed-down accessories to match their severely low-fat suits, while others outright eschewed the idea as an ephemeral accoutrement that would fade by the time the next season hit. But then something happened: Other designers caught on.

Buckler stepped in. Band of Outsiders made it their trademark. And when Prada dared to slim down one of its men’s furnishings staples, you could tell it was for real. The skinny tie went from the serious, austere black to more whimsical colors and patterns, thus adopting traits of the traditional tie, but in a different size. Suddenly it seemed that ties weren’t “one size fits all” anymore. Different sized ties fit different sized boys, and, occasionally, girls. And a good six years since the skinny tie made its comeback, it’s stronger than ever.