This article may be a bit of a refresher course for most you beaner’s reading because – as you may well see – we have covered both of these items before. However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t go over and re-enforce the knowledge you’ve learned (or forgot for that matter).

With Autumn well and truly upon us, now more than ever, is the time for guys to start think about accessories. With the weather no longer restricting how we layer, it’s time to let our imaginations run wild. And there is no easier way to do this than with a tie or a pocket square.

Both these pieces are great because they are the quint-essential masculine accessories. The fact that they’ve been around for years proves this and they are also the only true accessories that women can’t use… or if they do, they are just trying to seduce you. So why wouldn’t you want to incorporate them into your outfits?

Ties

Now for the rules on how to wear a tie check out the other articles that I’ve written on them. But for a quick run-down follow these simple rules:

• Use your tie as an anchor or a statement – so if you are wearing plaid/striped shirts stick with a solid tie to anchor it in. The same applies with a pattern tie, use a solid coloured shirt.
• Keep it in the family – if you are wearing a pink shirt, try something in red or orange. Blue? Same principle. What about white? Black, brown or navy. Black? Stick with either navy or grey. A white tie just makes you look like an Italian mobster.
• Make sure your knot suits your collar – this one is real easy. If you favour a wide-spread collar then start learning a Windsor knot. It will balance out your shirt. For narrow-spreads stick with a four-in-hand.

For this season, I would recommend buying a couple of wool-based ties in striped patterns. They really are the ‘tie of the season’ and as well as being stylish and on trend, will keep your neck warm as well. I tend to favour them in dark neutral colours when the temperature drops because I prefer to us my shirts to add colour to my wardrobe, but you may like it the other way around.