The grenadine tie is a staple of any classy man’s wardrobe. It was the tie of choice for Sean Connery’s James Bond, and adds texture, richness, depth, and just plain class to any outfit. What exactly is grenadine, you ask? Well, it is a special silk weave that produces an incredible and unique texture. They are often made in subdued, solid colors, so as to let the weave and pattern speak for itself. Because of the high level of labor and work involved in making grenadine ties, they are usually pretty pricey. They are basically impossible to find for less than $50 or so, and that is absolutely the low end. Some high end grenadine ties can cost hundreds of dollars. Do you need to spend hundreds of dollars on a grenadine tie? No, but you absolutely should have at least one in your wardrobe. If you don’t, you’re missing out on bringing some tremendous class, style, texture, and richness to all your outfits. There is truly nothing like a proper grenadine tie. They make incredible tie knots, look fantastic with any sort of suit, and add a whole new layer of subtle visual interest. It’s the sort of tie people will compliment and love, and not even know exactly what they like it so much. Grenadine ties are a must-have. Luckily, we have your back, and have put the best affordable contenders through the wringer to tell you which ones are the best.
Chipp Neckwear Grenadine Tie — $55 + shipping
Chipp grenadine ties are handmade in NYC using a Fina weave. This is a slightly looser weave, and it’s also a smaller weave, as you can see from the pictures. The color is great and deep, and the grenadine texture is excellent. This is a very well-made tie. It is perhaps slightly more see-through at the edges than the other options listed here, but that is, again, due to the nature of its weave. There is no right or wrong, here, just personal preference. The “best” tie for you will be the one with the type of weave that you like the most. I have not noticed any fraying in a number of wears. The Chipp comes to a 3.25” width, which I sometimes find a touch too wide, though the proportions on this tie are perfect, and make this width actually pretty close to ideal. Once more, due to the nature of the weave, the knot it ties is a bit smaller, though it holds a dimple all day, no problem. For the price, this is a tremendous value grenadine tie (though you must factor in shipping costs, which put it at over $60).
ModaMatters Grenadine Tie — $69
Disclosure: ModeMatters sent this tie to The Peak Lapel for free for the purposes of this roundup review.
ModaMatters offers some truly unique colors and patters in their grenadine ties. While most companies offer only solids, ModaMatters offers some fantastic looking patterns. Unfortunately, they were sold out at the time of this review. The brown we had a chance to look at is truly beautiful in its own right, though. While not as versatile as a navy or as classic as a black, the brown still goes with a whole lot, and will instantly take a plain navy suit up a notch. The weave is very similar to the Kent Wang tie below, and is layered and thick. I have not noticed any fraying in a few wears, and it ties a very nice and substantial knot, as well as holds a dimple very well. The tie is 3.00” wide, which I like a lot, and is well-proportioned throughout. Is it worth the few dollars more than the Chipp tie? It all comes down to which weave and style you prefer. ModaMatters does not offer as many color options, but the ones they do offer are more unique. Additionally, the ModaMatters weave is thicker and more layered than the Chipp tie, and so they both have different appearances. It will come down to personal preference. For a difference of just a few dollars, it really will come down to your own taste, and which you like more.
Charles Tyrwhitt Grenadine Tie — $69.00
You might not have expected Charles Tyrwhitt, the famous shirting company, to make a grenadine tie at all, but not only do they, but they do a damn good job at it as well. I went with a silver/grey for this review, and was super impressed when I got the thing out of the box. It has a nice thick, rich weave that is beautifully layered. But it also has a lot more going on than any of the other ties in this roundup. There are multiple colors in the weave, and the closer you get, the more intricate the tie’s weave becomes. It’s really something to behold. I absolutely love it. It is also a great example of how different one grenadine tie can be from another. A Chipp grey grenadine tie would be a lot more uniform and single-colored than this CT option. That is neither good, nor bad, but comes down to personal preference. This CT tie comes to a 3.25” width, and is well-proportioned as well, so it looks really good and not at all too wide. It also ties a great, hefty knot and will hold a dimple no problem, all day long. I should also point out that I noticed some very minor fraying with only a few wears. The fraying is very minor though, and has not gotten at all worse with time. It’s remedied with a quick, but careful, trim. This is a very, very classy tie, and uses a grenadine weave that is quite unique amongst the other contenders here. If you like what you see, it’s well worth the money.
Kent Wang Grenadine Tie — $75
This is a very well-made grenadine tie and uses an Italian Grossa weave. It is super thick and rich, and you can feel the heft the second you pick it up. Again, this is just a whole other class of ties from what you might get at Macy’s for 15-20 bucks. The weave is beautiful, and layered, and is a bit “deeper” than some of the other ties here. The color is rich and vibrant and deep. It ties a wonderful knot, a touch on the thick side, and will hold a dimple all day, no problem. In the few months of testing it, it did fray very, very minority in one or two places. (This is a common problem with grenadine ties. It’s usually super, super minor though, as is the case here. I just left it as is, it’s so minor. Should a fray happen that is a bit more severe, you can trim it carefully with small scissors.) This tie has a 3.00” width, which I tend to think is perfect. It is also the most expensive tie in this roundup, and given how excellent the other options are, it’s hard to say that this is worth the extra money, per se. Still, if you like their color options, and want the thickest, heftiest tie of the bunch, Kent Wang is your winner.
BONUS: The Tie Bar Grenafaux Tie — $19
As you were likely able to deduce from the name, this tie is not a real grenadine. It’s just a standard silk tie textured to resemble a grenadine. If you can’t afford a true grenadine tie, then this is a good option to get a similar look. But, it is also the biggest proof of all that there is nothing like true grenadine. The texture is not actually in the same league. the the closer you get — quite the opposite of real grenadine — the worse this tie looks. You can get it in any width you would like, which is nice, but it’s super thin and does not tie a nice knot. Plus, the material is slippery, and so it has a hard time holding a dimple. Again, if you want the grenadine look without spending the grenadine money, then this definitely is the closest you can come. It adds texture and visual interest. But, if you get too close, it’s apparent that it’s not the real deal.
Conclusion
We recommend, for your first grenadine tie, you go with a classic, versatile color, like a navy or a silver. This way, you can dress it up or down, get a lot of wear out of it, and be confident pairing it with almost any outfit. For this, we would suggest looking at either Chipp or Kent Wang. For subsequent grenadine ties, check out some of the more intricate and beautiful ties from Charles Tyrwhitt or ModaMatters. In the end, every single one of these grenadine ties are wonderfully well-made, and you you won’t go wrong with any of them. In all honesty, we don’t have a favorite. They are all excellent for different reasons. There is no single tie that is clearly better than others. It mostly comes down to personal preference, and what you’re looking for specifically, as we have outlined above. Considering the price differential is so small, these are all good options for your first, second, or fifth grenadine tie. Happy shopping!