Silk, Microfiber or Polyester Ties

Tie manufacturers often experiment with different types of fabrics to find an alternative to the fine and delicate silk fabric. Silk has been manufactured for almost 5,000 years with its roots in China. For Necktie manufacturing Silk has been the fabric of choice since the late 1880s. In more recent years however advances in the textile industry and the technological advances in the development of weaving machines made using other fabrics quite attractive.

Polyester:

Polyester fabric is a very care free fabric that is also very cheap to produce. The thread is made from a plastic compound. Polyester ties are not just cheap to purchase, but also have a quite noticeable different feel when compared to the silk tie. The fabric doesn’t feel as soft, and the tie feels much stiffer and is harder to knot. In addition after wearing the tie, the area of the knot often times stays somewhat wrinkled. The only benefit of the Polyester tie is that it is cheap and very stain resistant. The cheap look and feel of the necktie however really outweighs the benefits, making polyester a bad choice of fabric for the tie.

Microfiber:

Microfiber is a made from a blend of polyester and polyamide. Fabrics made with microfibers are exceptionally soft and hold their shape exceptionally well. Another benefit of this fiber is its ability to absorb oils exceptionally well making it easy to dye in a extremely wide range of colors. The manufacturing process is much higher than polyester but still less expensive than silk. When compared to the silk tie, a microfiber necktie is much more stain resistant, and this without sacrificing an elegant shine and luxurious feel. Combining these advantages with a lower cost of about 30% over silk, makes the microfiber tie the preferred choice for the company uniform tie and the service industry. Restaurants in particular prefer a tie made from microfiber.

Silk:

All exclusive and luxury brands use this fabric exclusively. The very fine thread of silk fabric gives an incomparable shine and soft feel. The delicate fabric must be cared for correctly however. A silk tie should not be worn two days in a row to ensure that the tie can go back to its original shape. Untie the tie after each wearing, and always hang it long-ways over a hanger in a closet. Do not leave this tie laying in the sun as colors fade more easily. The silk tie is a luxury accessory and needs to be handled with care.