How to Tie a Tie-Blogging for Books Review

This is a good book to judge by its cover. Enclosing 127 helpful and well-illustrated pages is a beautifully bound nylon cover with a sharp Repp pattern. (If you don't know what a Repp pattern is, you can learn about it from the book.)

For those of us who didn't grow up in the world of high men's fashion, this book is a wonderful introduction to the many worlds beyond the half-windsor knot. It's always difficult to print instructions on something complicated and kinesthetic, like attempting your own bow-tie. But even if this book can't take you all the way there, it can give you an idea of what knots may lie within your grasp (and eventually around your neck) and you can perfect your technique on Youtube.

What I found most helpful were the introductory section (a tutorial on how to pair fabrics, colors, and styles) and the final fifteen pages. (A guide to "finishing touches," including square folds, cuff-links, shoes, etc.)

Unfortunately, the book is as depressing as it is instructive. My ties don't match my suits particularly well, my suits aren't well made or well fitted, and I don't have any of the fine accessories that I ought to be a well-dressed man. At least this way, however, I know better.