Charvet in Paris, a 165-year-old purveyor of fine menswear, boasts more than 100,000 silk ties, along with thousands of elegant fabrics for custom-tailored shirts and neckwear. From left, Jean-Claude Colban, CEO of Charvet, and Gordon Elliot, host of "The Genuine Article," pose inside Charvet in Paris. RELATED LINKS The Genuine Article TV Series

By Morris Dye

Alan Flusser, author of Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion, believes that the first step a man should take when shopping for high-quality neckwear is to set aside the latest fashion magazines and take a good hard look in the mirror.

"You have to know what looks good on you before you can make a decision about what kind of tie to choose," he says. "It has nothing to do with fashion. It has much to do with the architecture of the person wearing the clothes."

As the owner of a custom menswear shop in New York City, and wardrobe consultant for several major motion pictures (he's the man behind the quintessential power suits Michael Douglas wore in "Wall Street"), Flusser takes a conservative approach to neckwear based on the belief that a man's tie should not draw attention away from his face. "A tie, much like a shirt collar, can be thought of like a frame to a painting," Flusser says. "You want to have a frame that complements or strengthens the picture without distracting from it."

The origins of the modern necktie can be traced to 17th-century Croatian military uniforms, which typically featured a silk or linen scarf knotted loosely around the neck. Croatian-style neckwear gained popularity among French aristocrats during the reign of King Louis XIV, and later spread to England. Tie fabrics, shapes and knotting techniques have changed radically over the centuries, but the necktie endures as the only purely ornamental component of male business attire throughout much of the industrialized world.

There's no better place to explore the extraordinary diversity neckties have achieved than at Charvet in Paris, a 165-year-old purveyor of fine menswear that boasts more than 100,000 silk ties, along with thousands of elegant fabrics for custom-tailored shirts and neckwear.

Charvet vice president Jean-Claude Colban says that a good tie always begins with thick, high-quality silk. "A nice silk, when you make a knot, will be fluid, and at the same time it will come back and still be flat." All Charvet ties are assembled by hand from at least three pieces of fabric cut at a 45-degree angle across the weave, and loosely stitched so the fabric will lie flat below the knot. As for the knot itself, Colban says that a knot that is too big or too small can throw an entire outfit out of balance.

"The balance will be between the knot size and what we call the V-zone," he says, referring to the area where the lapels of a jacket converge across the wearer's chest.

Other factors to consider when selecting a tie include width, color and contrast. "The width of a necktie ideally should relate to the width of a man's lapels," Flusser explains. "If you have broad shoulders, and therefore your lapel is a little wider, then you need a little wider tie, meaning 3-3/4 of an inch to 4-1/2 inches. If you have narrow shoulders and narrow lapels, you wear a slimmer necktie, meaning 3-1/2 inches or so."

Flusser emphasizes that the color and pattern of the tie should complement the wearer's complexion. "If you have dark hair and light skin, so you have contrast, you can wear a tie that has more color or more contrast without diluting the face. But if you have blond hair and blond skin — not much contrast between your hair and skin — and you wore a bright-colored tie, you'd never see the person's face."

Caring for ties is largely a matter of preventative maintenance. When removing a tie, Flusser recommends untying the knot at the neckline instead of pulling the short end all the way through. This prevents unnecessary stretching of the fabric and seams. Once removed, the tie should be stored on a hanger to avoid creasing or curling. It's also wise to take special care when eating to avoid stains before they happen.

"It's generally not a good idea to have ties cleaned," Flusser says. "This is not without exceptions, but generally speaking, the cleaning process flattens and deadens the tie."

With proper care, a good silk necktie can last for many years, and if chosen properly, will never go out of style.