Observational Warning: Stretching of Grenadine ties

Greetings gents,

I would like to share with you my observations regarding daily wear of a grenadine tie. First, if you are unfamiliar with grenadine ties, then I would like to refer you to an excellent video explaining the history, the craftsmanship, and types of grenadine. Please see: https://youtu.be/n-MVQpg_tjM?si=nXYDWxLHhMEblM0q

Now onto my observation:

I have been wearing a solid color navy grenadine (garza fina) for daily office wear. I have had the pleasure of receiving a few compliments of the tie. I usually use a Shelby (aka Pratt) knot when tying my navy grenadine tie. This knot produces a slightly larger and more symmetrical knot than the ubiquitous four-in-hand (aka schoolboy) knot. Recently, I have noticed that my navy grenadine tie has stretched. As the posted image reveals, I’ve compared it against a burgundy grenadine tie (garza fina) – which gets little wear. The navy grenadine tie, though originally the same length as the burgundy, shows a serious stretch!

The impact of this stretching has forced me to either use lower waisted trousers (which I refuse to do), or increase my knot size from Shelby to full Windsor. This has been a temporary solution since I have detected that the bigger knots (more turns & pulls) puts greater strain on the grenadine material, which in turn stretches the fabric!

Why did my grenadine tie stretch in the first place?

Researching for a potential solution to reverse the effects of grenadine stretching, I discovered that the primary reason for stretching has to do with how the tie is stored. Yes, improper tie storage will stretch the grenadine. ☹ Why? The particular grenadine weave, unlike the popular silk (satin or madder), shantung, wool, blends, is looser in comparison and takes longer to produce. The loose structure can result in stretching over time by improper storage. I discovered improper storage consists of hanging a grenadine tie - if it is worn daily; since, it does not give the tie proper care to reset/recover if its stress of being tied/untied.

The secondary reason for stretching has to do with how you (un)tie your knot. If you apply the same technique (pressure/force) (un)tying a knot like you do with a satin silk tie, then you will stretch the grenadine. Moreover, certain knot types risk stretching the grenadine since it requires more twists, turns, and pulls. In all, grenadine is a far more sensitive fabric than what most gentlemen originally take it for. I found this research to be especially accurate when you wear a grenadine tie daily.

Proper storage consists of rolling the tie (loosely) and setting on its side.

Can it be reversed?

Sort of. According to GG, you can apply steam to tighten the weaves and fabric to reverse the effects of stretching. This will not completely reverse what was done, but it may help.

For now, I hope you all have a pleasant evening. Cheers.

5 comments