How to Organize Ties

Pick one out and tie one on.
Pick one out and tie one on.

If you're lucky enough to have a job that doesn't require wearing a tie every day, then you probably don't have much of a tie collection. But for the majority of the working stiffs who don't have the luxury of spending the day in their PJs, a suitable selection of ties is a must. And, of course, they need to be clean and wrinkle-free, so your storage system is an important consideration. There's nothing worse than hopping in your car and catching a glimpse of your creased tie as you're heading out to an important business meeting.

How you decide to organize your ties will depend on the method you use to select a tie to wear each day. It also doesn't hurt to take into consideration the different occasions you have ties for. If you're just a work tie guy, you can probably get away with sorting by color. Solid blue goes with blue stripes, while solid gray and gray checks become mates. If you really want to go all out, use the rainbow organization scheme that magazines use in ads. Remember ROY G BIV? Store your ties in this color order, starting with red, then orange, yellow, green and blue and indigo and ending with violet. In dude language, that would be purple. For quick access, keep work ties separate from casual ties and super dressy ties.

Tie Rack Plans

Depending on how many ties you actually own, coming up with a proper tie rack plan is essential. Your basic tie hanger is made of metal usually with five to seven hooks on the bottom, and it fits in your closet like a regular clothes hanger. If you're a guy with five to seven ties, then one hanger will suit you fine. You can also get multiple hangers and organize them by color. That way when you're wearing a shirt that your red ties go best with, you can pull the entire hanger out and lay them next to your shirt and suit.

If you're a mood dresser, you'll probably end up choosing a tie on the fly, so you'll want to be able to view your entire collection pretty easily. You can find inexpensive motorized tie racks that will spin your ties around until the right one catches your eye. If you have wall space in your closet or even on the back of the door, hang hooks to store ties and belts for easy access. Just remember that any tie rack plan needs to ensure that your ties stay wrinkle free and protected from falling on the floor and getting dusty, dirty or faded. And it can be easy to lose track of when, or even if, you've dry cleaned your ties, so try to come up with a system to keep you on track.

Related Articles


  • "Organizing Ties for Father's Day." Feb. 11, 2012.
  • "Tie and belt hangers." Feb. 11, 2012.