Are you one of those folks that occasionally wears a ’silly tie’? I’m assuming not, but in case you are: Shame on you! Ties are serious business, and not intended to be a way for you to be humorous. If you want a way to be funny in the office, then you should clip out your favorite ‘Dilbert’ cartoon, laminate it, and keep it in your wallet. Then, whenever you need a chuckle, you may take the comic out (on your break, or when you’re alone in your car during your lunch hour) and look at it. That will be a fun time, and also allow you to remain professional. Questions about what tie to wear? In most cases, you can refer to this list to find out what tie NOT to wear to any important event or somewhere you want to leave a positive impression on your style.

However, these are just a FEW of the ties that need to be kept hidden until Halloween. If you are ever curious what kind of tie to go with, always go with something simple and plain compared to ANY of these, and NO shapes.

If you must have this collection of ties, you’ll want a tie organizer to keep them them hidden in between your dress shirts. This is very serious, and of paramount importance: these ties are for fun only and should never be worn in any kind of serious situation. Remember: first impressions are lasting impressions.

That’s right, people, we are at a full force AHTRA!! Remember this post from a while back, Displaying your Tie Collection in Style? It featured a picture of a homemade tie shelving system. Well, faithful Tie Racks Blog follower Neuron84 was so inspired by this tie storage system, they decided to make their own (sorry for the improper grammar, but I’m not sure if Neuron84 is a gal or a guy, and I don’t want to offend). Anyway, Neuron84 posted a picture of the rack s/he built in the comments, but I wanted to make sure that all of you saw it, because it looks awesome!

I am seriously impressed! Not only is there ample storage for ties (and, sweet collection of neckware by the way) but the extra spaces can be used for watches, cufflinks, cologne and more! Neuron84 - I tip my hat to you! Let’s see what the audience thinks:

Well, I think they approve!

If you’re not as crafty and handy as Neuron84, there are other options for finding a great tie rack. But if you are - let me know about your tie rack creations! I’d love the chance to share them!

Any new tie racks in your life? Let me know in the comments!

Ever curious who in the heck invented the necktie or where it came from? Who cast the spell of neckties to the business professional’s attire?

It appears that the necktie originated in 210 B.C. when the first ever Chinese Emperor decided to make life-like replicas of all the soldiers in his army - that’s literally thousands of terracotta replicas of his army - and each one had a cloth around its neck.

Read the rest of this entry »

One of the poorest and least developed countries in the world, Haiti in recent years has struggled with problems ranging from near-constant political upheaval, health crises, severe environmental degradation and an annual barrage of hurricanes, which killed an estimated 800 people and caused vast damage in 2008.

On Jan. 12, 2010, a massive earthquake struck Haiti, reducing much of its capital to rubble. It was the worst earthquake in the region in more than 200 years. Since then, there have been aftershocks, causing even more devastation.

It’s far too easy to feel powerless to help in the face of such heartbreaking news. But you can help!

To give to the Red Cross, phone users can text the word “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10, and when prompted, hit “YES” to confirm the donation.

The donation is added to the cell user’s bill, and receipts are available.

Other text-message codes for donations include:

• Text the word “HAITI” to 20222 to donate $10 to the Clinton Foundation Haiti Relief Fund.

• Text “HAITI” to 25383 to donate $5 to the International Rescue Committee.

• Text “HAITI” to 85944 to donate $10 to the International Medical Corps.

Also, some of my favorite companies have started donation campaigns for relief work in Haiti. Through January 28, StacksAndStacks.com will be donating $10 on every order over $100 dollars to the American Red Cross. You can make this a philanthropic double whammy - buy some organizing supplies for a local charity in your neighborhood, and if you spend over $100 dollars, you’ll be helping Haiti as well! It’s a new version of “Think Globally, Act Locally” - it’s “Act Locally, Act Globally”!

So, it’s the holiday season. It sure feels like a lot of things are extending: store hours are getting longer, shopping lists are getting longer, and belts need to be extended because of all of those delicious holiday treats. Well, if you’re getting more belts, you may need more belt storage. Check out this Extendable Sliding Belt and Tie Rack!

This fully extendable belt rack mounts to the wall or closet door, and slides out with ease, making the task of belt selection more convenient! The belt hanger slides smoothly on a concealed track, that is completely hidden when retracted. In addition to belts, ties, and scarves, the heavy-duty posts can hold robes, jackets, and more! Discover the convenience of not having to reach deep into the closet for belts; this belt organizer reaches to you, for simple and easy belt selection! Best of all, it’s proudly made in the USA!

A belt rack would make a perfect gift idea for the gentleman in your life. After all, if he wears pants, chances are he wears a belt! And if he has a belt, chances are he actually has a couple of belts (dressy vs. casual, neutral colors vs. brights, fabric vs. leather). So, this belt rack is a great choice for keeping all those belts neatly organized!

In the wide world of tie racks there are so many different styles to choose from. No matter the size of your collection, there is a tie rack style for you! These are only 5 examples of ways to store and organize your tie collections. Check back for more styles to make a good decision!

This is one of the newer and more fun styles of tie racks. The motorized rotation of the rack makes it a breeze to browse through a large collection of ties quickly. This particular one holds 64 ties and 8 belts, perfect for the avid tie wearer.

This cedar, wall mounted tie rack is a classic way to organize a tie collection. With a double row of hooks along the piece of wood, you can quickly and easily hang your tie up after a long day. The aromatic cedar scent will keep your ties smelling fresh.

To save on space go with something like this. In the shape of a hanger, this tie rack fits in nicely with your other clothes in the closet. The double row of hooks offers ample space for your tie and belt storage. Your ties hang freely and will remain unwrinkled.

This is another cool option for a tie rack. Mounted to the wall, the bar holds tie hangers. The tie hangers are just like the ones you’ll find in department stores, making this the perfect way to keep your ties in brand new condition. (Just don’t drop any mustard…)

This very fun tie rack is great for any tie collection! It hangs nicely in the closet and easily holds many ties, keeping them straight and wrinkle free. This tie rack is a creative approach to a classic rack. Not only can it hold your ties, it can also double to hold belts or scarves as well.

Like I said, this is just 5 of the many options out there for tie racks. There will be another showcase of some popular tie racks as well as a how-to on maintaining your tie collection and taking good care of your ties.

Have a favorite tie rack? How many ties are in your collection? How do you take care of your ties? I’d love to hear your advice!

Perhaps you just don’t have room for a tie rack. Even though space is sometimes a premium, you can still hang your favorite ties. Never let a lack of closet space make you disorganized! In every closet, there’s room for a hook. Stylish and functional, this Bach Hook is the perfect way to hang some of your favorite ties.

Even though this hook is designed for coats and jackets, you can still loop a few select ties through the loops. It’s the perfect way to have ties a la carte! Or is it a la mode? I can never remember.

Here’s another wall hook! This is the Flip Wall Hook. It’s called the flip wall hook because the hooks flip down when you need them, and flip up when you don’t! Plus, with five hooks, you’ll be able to hang a tie for everyday of your work week. Just don’t get any overtime! And if you do, use that extra money to buy some new ties!

Hey everybody, I’ve been hearing a lot about this recession. In fact, the other day, my friend said “Nicole, I’d like to get a tie rack, but it just seems too expensive! What should I do?”. Well, I’m going to tell you guys the same thing I told my friend - just because money is tight, doesn’t mean you can’t keep your ties organized! Also, think about it: you invested good money into your collection of ties. If you let your ties get ruined, it’s like you’re wasting money! And nobody likes that. So, let me show you a low-cost, low-effort way to keep your ties neat and organized!

This Double Sided Tie Hanger is the best way to keep your ties and belts organized, without a traditional tie rack. Plus, it will hang in your closet! This Solid Oak Hanging Belt and Tie Rack helps prevent wrinkled, creased ties and tangled-up belts. Each belt and tie hangs separately so your accessories are safe and easy to find. Sturdy 1/4″ solid oak hanger with brass hooks and pegs is designed to hold 24 neckties on one side and 10 to 15 belts on the reverse.

So, there you go! It just goes to show that there really is a tie rack for every budget out there! So, don’t wait for the stock market to go up before you start taking care of your ties and belts! Do it today!

Knowing how to tie a tie becomes second nature over time. But at first? Man, that is one sharp learning curve. Finding instructions on how to tie a tie can be difficult. A lot of the time, they look a little like this:

Not very helpful, right? Luckily I found some clear directions at How to Tie a Tie. These guys do a great job of demystifying the tie tying process. First, check out their great visual instruction:

And if you click over to their site, you’ll find terrific written instructions, as well.

Now that you know how to tie a tie, where are you going to keep your ties when you’re not wearing them? How about this Light Up Rotating Tie Rack? he mechanical wonders of this item allow it to mount and secure to your closet rod.  It holds up to 64 ties and belts safely and securely — and when it comes time to use them, you can easily pick one!  This tie and belt rack rotates and lights-up while in operation!  The Light-up Rotating Tie and Belt Rack requires 4 “C” batteries.

Plus, since it lights up, you can pick out a tie in the dark! It’s perfect if you have to get up early to go to work. In fact, it’s a lot like something James Bond would have! A cool gadget, some stylish accessories - all you need is a martini, and you’ll be all set to channel your inner spy!

So, my coworker gave me this great idea of multi-purpose use for tie racks. Once I started looking, there were lots of products for kitchen organization that would be great for tie racks oddly enough.

The winner of the most unpredictable kitchen storage item as a tie rack is the under the cabinet cup holder!

Now, I know you don’t hang your ties in the kitchen but if you are anything like my dad and brothers, you will use anything from the kitchen if it works. My dad has used my mom’s liquid funnels and hand mixer and beaters all for a cement project. For some reason, kitchen products just seem to work well.

I think this cup holder will be a great tie rack hanging from a closet shelf. You can’t buy a tie rack for as cheap as this cup holder is. There are 5 hooks on each side, allowing you to hold an ample amount of ties, scarves or belts.

So, keep in mind that you may have household items around the house that could work perfect for something else. If you have any other multi-purpose alerts let me know and we’ll post them up for others to take advantage of!