Merry Christmas from Ties Planet

Well it is almost upon us again, how exciting!? Christmas Day in just two days!

All of us here at Ties Planet would like to take the opportunity to thank you all for your continued interest in us and wish you all the best for the Christmas period and 2010.

Ties Planet

X Factor Tie Watch - Live Show 6 Weekend

Lloyd Daniels may have been forced to sing-off on tonight's The X Factor results show, but he was still the weekend's winner in our eyes.

Yes, you've guessed it the Welsh singer wore a tie for his performance. A skinny tie in fact. You may also have been mesmerised by Lloyd's red and black checked shirt. It certainly caught our eye as not only do we think it was one heck of a shirt... we also have the black and red checked skinny tie and cap to match!

See you next week for more exciting X-Factor tie news.

X Factor Tie Watch - Live Show 5

Olly Murs clearly took heed of our advice from last week and wore a tie for tonight's live show. Murs donned a black skinny tie as he performed the old classic 'Twist and Shout'.

It was a skinny tie night as host Dermot O'Leary and Irish judge Louis Walsh watched on with thin ties around their necks. We thought Louis looked particularly suave in a super skinny tie.

Want a skinny tie of your own? Check out our great range today...

40th Anniversary of Sesame Street

It is the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street... and we have a great tie to help your child celebrate.

Check out our Elmo & Oscar Sesame Street Clip-On Boys Tie.

Celebrities that have been on Sesame Street include Robert De Niro, Denzel Washington, Stevie Wonder and even legendary tie wearer David Beckham.

Watch Beckham on Sesame Street

Beat The Royal Mail Strikes

We have just created a new guaranteed next day delivery option so you can beat the Royal Mail strikes. For just £3.99 your order can be with you the very next working day! Superb news.

We are finding that most of our standard parcels are still reaching customers very quickly indeed, so be sure to also take advantage of our free standard delivery if that's the right option for you!

Full details of our delivery service can be found here: Delivery Info

Ties Planet

The X Factor - Louis Walsh Smartens His Act Up For Results Night

Louis Walsh has clearly been reading the Ties Planet blog. It seems more than plausible to us that the Irishman read our post last night and understood our disappointment at Dermot O'Leary being the only person to wear a tie for Saturday's show.

Louis wore a skinny tie for tonight's results show. A sure fire sign that our blog does make a difference to men's style!

It wasn't such a smart night for young singer Rachel Adedeji as she had to leave show. Rachel received the fewest public votes despite receiving positive feedback from the judges during Live Show 4.

We'll be back next week to see how many ties are on show in Live Show 5!

X Factor Tie Watch - Live Show 4

Only presenter Dermot O'Leary came out of the fourth live show of X Factor 2009 with any credit this evening. The Ties Planet team were sad to see O'Leary was the only person who saw it appropriate to dress up and wear a tie for the blockbuster show.

Dermot looked dapper as always in a plain skinny tie. Should you want to look equally smart, Tiesplanet.com has a huge range of skinny and narrow ties for you to choose from.

Oh, and just a quick word for Olly Murs... please keep the chest hair out of sight next week! It's not like you don't have plenty of ties to choose from at Tiesplanet.com!

X Factor Tie Watch - Live Show 1

The Ties Planet team's eyes were wide open last night as the first live show of this year's X Factor competition took place. As usual we were keen to see which smart chaps (or indeed chapesses) wore ties.

It was a Robbie Williams influenced night with Olly Murs and John & Edward making it into our good books. 25 year old singer Murs wore a square-end skinny tie for his performance of She's The One.

Controversial duo John & Edward pleased us also (or at least one of them did) by sporting a fetching skinny tie for their version of Rock DJ. Will they survive tonight's first public vote though?

Host Dermot O'Leary as usual looked smart in fitted suit and skinny tie... and to top off an excellent evening's viewing, the star of the show, Simon Cowell wore a sharp wide black silk tie.

Ties Planet Becomes Socks Planet

Peter Jones is known for being one of Britain’s most successful entrepreneurs, for his appearance on Dragons’ Den and particularly for his taste in bright and stripey socks.

The Peter Jones Collection is a collaboration between Peter and the UK's leading sock manufacturer HJ Hall. All the socks are manufactured in the UK and are available in 2 sizes 7-10 and 11-14.

Available at £9.50 per pair at Tiesplanet.com

Tie, Hanky & Cufflinks Sets

At just £11.99 our tie, hanky and cufflinks sets are a great way to look ultra-smart on a budget this summer.

Choose from a wide range of colours and styles. You can even have your set in a can!

Full range of ties at Tiesplanet.com

Free Delivery At Ties Planet Throughout August

Great news! We are offering free delivery on all orders throughout August.

Not much we can add to that... just be sure to check out our fantastic range of ties at Tiesplanet.com.

The Lucky Tie

Emmerdale watchers will have tonight seen Terry Woods ask, 'Have you seen my lucky tie anywhere?' Woods went on to claim he couldn't see the bank manager without it.

Putting Terry's clear bad taste in ties aside, we were delighted to see the trust he had put in the humble necktie. Woods was hoping to convince his bank to lend him money to purchase Emmerdale's finest B&B.

Time you got yourself a lucky tie? How about our My Lucky Tie novelty tie?

Full range of men's ties available at Tiesplanet.com.

The Knitted Skinny Tie Is Here!

Tiesplanet.com are delighted to launch our new range of this season's must-have fashion accessory... the knitted skinny tie.

A great item for casual wear, these square-end knitted ties look the business.

Choose from a wide range of styles and colours 24 hours a day on our secure website.

Full range of ties available at Tiesplanet.com.

What's your tie size?

The tie is back. No point denying it, everyone knows it. The tie is the coolest accessory in town. For men and women alike. The only question is: what is your tie size?

Yes, no longer is a tie just a tie. You can get just about any tie width you want at Tiesplanet.com.

Power dressing? How about a 9.5cm width designer tie?

Tie for the city? 7cm narrow ties look good!

Night on the tiles? 4cm skinny tie for you.

Think a tie is just a tie? We think you're wrong... but the 8.5cm width current industry standard tie is probably the for you.

Need advise on what tie will suit you best? Feel free to email us 24 hours a day at sales@tiesplanet.com.

See you soon at Tiesplanet.com

Last Chance To Win A Tie and Fabric Paints Set

Ties Planet are celebrating Father's Day by giving you the chance to win a Tie and Fabric Paints Set from our website.

This unique set gives your child the chance to create their own tie design for Dad or Grandad this year! Included in this set are a standard size men's plain polyester tie and pack of 5 fabric paint pens.

To enter we want proof that the man in your life really does need a new tie! Send a picture of his worst tie to us at sales@tiesplanet.com. The one we judge to be the most shocking will win a Tie and Fabric Paints Set.

There will also be 5 runners-up prizes of £5 gift vouchers for Tiesplanet.com.

How to enter:

Send a picture of your man's worst tie to sales@tiesplanet.com.

Please make subject line: FATHER'S DAY COMP

Closing Date: 12th June 2009

Full details here: http://www.tiesplanet.com/index.asp?function=WEBPAGE&page=12

Father's Day Gift Idea - Create Your Own Tie

With Father's Day only 10 days away we thought we had better give you another idea for a nice gift this year. Our great new 'Create Your Own Tie - Tie & Fabric Paints Set' allows your child to design their own tie especially for Dad.

At just £9.99 it is a great way for your kids to say 'I love you' by drawing whatever they like on ther tie. They could sketch a picture of Dad, their pet or perhaps even a nice drawing of Mum for Dad to treasure/adore/cherish (delete as applicable)?

Each set includes a standard size men's plain polyester tie and pack of 5 fabric paint pens. Adult supervision will be required.

Full range of ties and gift sets available at Tiesplanet.com. Don't forget Father's Day is Sunday June 21st 2009.

The Apprentice Winner Announced

Yasmina Siadatan has been crowned this year's winner of hit BBC show The Apprentice. In an all-woman final, she beat Kate Walsh to earn the six-figure role as Sir Alan Sugar's apprentice. After the chocolate task, Sir Alan Sugar decided that Yasmina was the best candidate, saying he had to go with his instinct.

We were a bit disappointed for Kate as she had gone to the trouble of wearing a tie for the final. Ties Planet's latest recruit Knotty Bear was particularly taken by the outfit.

Obviously Kate will be distraught at having not won The Apprentice but if she is short of offers (as we are sure she won't be) she can always model our ties for us! The offer is there Kate if you are reading!

Women in ties... what's your opinion? Let us know in the comments box below.

Which famous dad is most like your real dad?

With Father's Day fast approaching on Sunday 21st June we want to know which famous dad is most like your real father.

Is your dad a couch potato like The Royle Family's Jim Royle or a doughnut eating slob like Homer Simpson? Perhaps he is a cool dad like footballer David Beckham?

Let us know by answering our current poll question to the right of the page.

Britain's Got Talent Tie Watch - The Final

Diversity shocked the nation this evening as they won ITV talent contest Britain's Got Talent. Bookies' favourite Susan Boyle and saxophonist Julian Smith were beaten into second and third place respectively.

We were anxious to see if Simon Cowell would finally (pun intended) wear a tie on the show. Unfortunately he didn't. Never mind... plenty other people did wear ties for the show. In fact it was very much a black tie event.

Hosts Ant and Dec, judge Piers Morgan and contestants Flawless and John of 2 Grand all wore black ties as the Queen found out who would be performing for her at this year's Royal Variety Show.

Each member of Flawless wore a black bow tie as part of their snazzy ensemble. 2 Grand's John followed suit (again pun intended) as he went for a traditional look as he sang with granddaughter. Piers Morgan went for a regular width black satin tie as hosts Ant and Dec both wore slim black ties.

Young singer Shaheen Jafargholi completed the show's tie wearing as he sported a plain blue skinny tie to match his blue shirt.

A great series completed with some great tie wearing. We like it!

Britain's Got Talent Tie Watch - Semi Final 5

It was a dramatic last semi final this evening on Britain's Got Talent as we were once again on tie watch. Aidan Davis and Hollie Steele earned places in tomorrow night's live final.

We were delighted to see Ant and Dec and Piers Morgan complete a full set of tie-wearing semi finals. This time Ant chose a black patterned skinny tie whilst fellow host Dec went for a plain black narrow tie. Judge Morgan wore a lovely red narrow tie.

Also pleasing was contestant Martin Matcham's decision to wear a plain black tie for his performance. The guitarist looked very smart as he strummed away to Robert Palmer's 'Addicted to Love'.

The big question we have ahead of the final is... Will Simon Cowell wear a tie?

Britain's Got Talent Tie Watch - Semi Final 4

Once again we were watching out for tie wearers on Britain's Got Talent this evening. We were left distraught when not one of the eight contestants on show wore ties for their acts.

Thankfully last year's winner George Sampson turned up to cheer the Ties Planet office up a little. Sampson gave a performance after the fourth set of semi-finalists had all appeared and wore a nice tie in the process. The dancer opted for a schoolboy look as he strutted his stuff. The tie he wore was rather like our Burgundy & Gold Striped Skinny Tie 'Harry Potter Tie'.

For the fourth semi final in a row, hosts Ant and Dec and judge Piers Morgan wore ties also. Ant opted for an ultra-smart black skinny tie. Dec went for a standard width black tie and Morgan donned a narrow red satin tie.

We will be tuning in for the last semi final tomorrow evening to see if Morgan and Ant and Dec keep up an 100% tie wearing record.

Stylish Barcelona Tie Up Treble With Champions League Win

La Liga champions Barcelona claimed an unprecedented treble as they lifted the Champions League trophy in Rome this evening. The Spanish giants who had already tied up a cup and league double outclassed Manchester United for long periods of European football's showpiece event.

As promised yesterday we kept a close eye on the neckwear of Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola. As expected the veteran Manchester United boss Ferguson wore club tie with traditional suit. Guardiola opted for a rather fetching floral patterned tie as he watched his team triumph in Rome.

Guardiola may have come out on top in footballing terms, but we'd say the tie battle was a score draw!

Europe Awaits Crucial Tie

It is the Champions League final tomorrow evening between Spanish giants Barcelona and English champions Manchester United. The mouthwatering contest kicks off in Rome's Stadio Olimpico at 7:45pm.

Bookies, pundits and fans alike are struggling to split the two sides and far be it for us to start making bold predictions. What we will be doing instead is keeping a keen eye on respective managers Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola's neckwear.

We are always impressed by both coaches looks. Ferguson generally opts for traditional club tie with classic suit. Guardiola on the other hand tends to wear contemporary narrow blade ties as he observes the action from the sidelines.

We will report back after the final with our opinions on the clobber of the managers.

Want a tie in Barcelona colours? Or maybe Manchester United red? Whatever colour of tie you require, be sure to check out Tiesplanet.com.

Britain's Got Talent Tie Watch - Semi Final 3

Shaheen Jafargholi disappointed us despite booking himself a place in Saturday's final of Britain's Got Talent in tonight's third semi final.

The 12-year-old singer's performance was magnificent, but what left the Ties Planet team slightly let down was his decision to not wear a tie for his second appearance on the show. When Shaheen wowed Simon Cowell and co. at his audition, the youngster wore a lovely black satin tie. We fully expected Shaheen to again wear a tie on tonight's show, but unfortunately we were wrong.

Never mind, he may well buck his ideas up on Saturday evening.

Ant and Dec and Piers Morgan wore ties for the third consecutive show. This time Ant opted for rusty brown, Dec striped and Morgan plain navy blue.

Wide selection of ties available at Tiesplanet.com.

Britain's Got Talent Tie Watch - Semi Final 2

Flawless were flawless in performance and style as they progressed to Saturday night's grand final on this evening's Britain's Got Talent show. The second live semi final saw dance group Flawless and singer Sean Smith progress.

We were pleased to see Flawless earn their place in the final as they became the first contestants to wear ties for their semi final performance. The group wowed the judges and audience alike with their sharp dance moves as they all donned plain black ties to complement their military look.

For the second night running, hosts Ant and Dec and judge Piers Morgan also wore ties. All choosing narrow ties, Ant McPartlin opted for plain black, Declan Donnelly for striped black and grey and Morgan for plain light blue.

A mention should also go to ventriloquist Gareth Oliver who did at least dress his puppet Pava in a black bow tie.

Be sure to keep checking out the Ties Planet Britain's Got Talent Tie Watch.

Britain's Got Talent Tie Watch - Semi Final 1

It was the first semi final of popular ITV talent show Britain's Got Talent tonight. Among the acts on show were bookies' favourite Susan Boyle and violinist Sue Son.

Boyle and dance act, Diversity won place in Saturday's final, but as usual we were more interested in the ties on show. We were actually quite disappointed to see not one of the contestants wearing a tie for their performance.

Thankfully, presenters Ant and Dec and judge Piers Morgan were smart enough to wear ties throughout the show. Former Daily Mirror editor Morgan wore a plain burgundy tie, whilst Ant and Dec chose red and navy blue narrow ties respectively.

If we do say so ourselves, they all looked rather dapper. We hope to see a few contestants wearing ties tomorrow.

Father's Day Gift Idea - Novelty Ties

Father's Day is almost upon us and no doubt as Sunday June 21st looms you will be stuck for gift ideas for the old man once again.

Have no fear, the novelty tie is making a renaissance. Yes you heard right. We at Tiesplanet.com are making sure that the novelty tie maintains a place in the heart of the Great British public.

We have made sure, by only offering novelty ties in high quality fabrics, that displaying your favourite hobby, sport or pastime (or anything else for that matter) can be done whilst remaining dapper.

So, be sure to check out the Tiesplanet.com novelty tie range. With themes ranging from Scarface and Elvis Presley to rugby and cricket, that perfect gift for your Dad might be there this year!

Niomi Sent Packing In First Live Hell's Kitchen Vote

Niomi Daley (aka Ms Dynamite) became the first person to fall victim of the public vote on popular ITV show Hell's Kitchen tonight.

Niomi had to leave the show on a night that was of much interest to us all at Tiesplanet.com. Yes, the Ties Planet team watched on with delight as each of the contestants wore a bandana like head chef Marco Pierre White. The bandanas were in fact shemagh scarves, much the same as those available at Tiesplanet.com.

So if you want to adopt the look of Marco Pierre and his team of trainees, then check out our range of colours now!

Shearer Aiming To Lose 'Boring' Tag?

Alan Shearer, has battled with a 'boring' reputation throughout his footballing life. Who can forget former chairman Freddy Shepherd's 'Mary Poppins' remark in the national press? The legendary striker even celebrated pretty much every one of his 409 career goals with the same one-handed salute to the crowd.

Well, the times are-a-changing. The new Newcastle United boss is clearly aiming to ditch the dull image. "How?" We hear you ask. Well guess what? The Geordie gaffer showed his eye for fashion by wearing a skinny tie for his side's Premier League clash with Stoke City last weekend.

Shearer, who is in charge of Newcastle until the end of the season, chose a modest patterned grey skinny tie for his second game at the helm. Oh yes, Alan Shearer is with it. Boring? We do not think so. The only thing we can suggest for Shearer to heighten his street cred further is to wear one of our bright lime green skinny ties.

Rocky Knocked Out Of The Apprentice

Sandwich shop owner Rocky Andrews has become the second contestant to be fired from reality show The Apprentice after his team lost a catering task.

The 21-year-old captained the men's team, Empire, as they made a loss of £160 catering for a corporate function. The women's team, Ignite, made £651.

Firing him, Sir Alan Sugar said he had assumed "this was the right bloke to do the job because he runs 15 shops".

Andrews blamed "city bosses down south" for not appreciating his pitch.

Read full story here.

Here at Ties Planet we were just glad to see how smart the male contestants were as usual. Ties were worn by all. Sir Alan Sugar even showed just how trendy he is by sporting a skinny tie.

With fashion sense like that Sir Alan, should you ever come for a job interview at Ties Planet... You're hired!

Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway Series Finale

Double act Ant and Dec have decided to wrap up the current series of their hit TV show Saturday Night Takeaway in style... by wearing ties of course.

The Geordie duo famed for wearing open-neck shirts with their tailored suits have clearly realised the error of their ways and chosen to sign off the series by smartening up. Both have decided to wear narrow black ties.

Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have come a long way since their days together as PJ and Duncan in BBC kids' series Byker Grove. We're sure it won't be long before they are back on our TV screens again... let's just hope they keep those ties on!

Ross and Moyles face pay cuts in new £400m BBC squeeze

With BBC director general Mark Thompson yesterday announcing the broadcaster must make make further painful budgets cuts of £400m over three years, Jonathan Ross might be wise to check out our Budget Tie Zone.

Ross, along with other top talent such as Chris Moyles, is expected to be asked to take a 10% pay cut. The chatshow host is reported to be earning £6m a year. A wage drop of £600,000 a year will see Ross needing to cut down his spending somewhere along the line... and what with his love for ties, we think we can help!

Our Budget Tie Zone features quality ties priced at just £4.99. Patterned and plain ties available at less than a fiver! Some of the patterned ties will probably cater best for the extravagant tastes of Ross though, we feel.

Read full story of BBC budget cuts here.

Ties get thinner, as economy shrinks

From: 06 March 2009 - Daily Telegraph

By Harry Wallop, Consumer Affairs Editor

While fashion experts have long noted women's hemlines rising, as gross domestic product falls, now they reckon the country's slimming finances are responsible for ties getting thinner.

According to John Lewis, in the last six months 15 per cent of the ties they sold were thin versions, at 2.5 inch wide, with the remainder 3.5 inch or thicker.

This compares to same period a year before when just 5 per cent of the ties were thin.

Menswear has been getting noticeably more streamlined in recent seasons, with celebrities such as the singer Pete Doherty and the actor Jude Law sporting the look, pioneered by the fashion designer Hedi Slimane.

One of the best-selling ties at the clothes chain Topman is now the ultra-skinny tie, at just 1 inch wide.

However, some believe that it is not just fashion trends and celebrities that are encouraging the slim-line look.

Charlie Allen, a tailor based in North London, said: "The impact of economic turmoil on tie design can be traced back through the previous recessions of the 20th century. While post-war Britain and the swinging sixties embraced exaggerated prints and widths of up to 5 inches, the downturns of the 1930s and 1980s saw sizes reduce to as little as an inch."

Many retailers have noted that hemlines rise during economic downturns, while sales of lipstick increase strongly. The trend was first noted in the 1930s depression, when women said they wanted to cheer themselves up by looking smart in the downturn.

Join the Skinny Tie Revolution... Visit Ties Planet today!

Esquire Magazine Crowns Prince Charles Best Dressed Man

Who do you think of when it comes to male style icons? David Beckham? Brad Pitt? Perhaps even US President Barack Obama?

Well, think again because esteemed fashion magazine Esquire has awarded Prince Charles the title of 'Most Fashionable Man in the World'. Ignoring those who follow trends, the style bible has opted to crown the Prince of Wales thanks to his polished looks. Rarely his Charles seen without double-breasted suit, shirt, tie and polished shoes.

Prince Charles is noted for his love of British tailor Gieves & Hawkes. Take a look at our Gieves & Hawkes ties in our Designer Ties section.

Dress Like Sean Penn

Sean Penn walked away with Best Male Actor from this week's Oscars. Penn fought off competition from bookies' favourite Mickey Rourke to win the gong for his performance in the Gus Van Sant-directed movie, Milk.

Whilst Penn and his fellow Hollywood stars soaked up the glitzy ceremony, we were keeping an eye on the ties the fellows were wearing. As you can probably imagine, there weren't too many variations on the plain black tie or plain black bow tie.

Not to worry though, as the main man Sean Penn wore a tie with a subtle difference. Penn's narrow tie had a self-stripe to it adding a lovely texture to his outfit.

Want a tie much like Penn's? Try our Semi-Plain Black 7cm Skinny Tie!

Your Chance To Win...

Tiesplanet.com have teamed up with the Yorkshire Evening Post to give away six limited edition ties.

We have just launched our first ever exclusive tie range. Featured in this series of six ties are sights from the city of Leeds. Designed by University of Leeds graduate Claire McDonald, the images are manually screen printed on to elegant white satin ties.

Only ten of each design have been printed and can be viewed here.

And now for your chance to win one...

The Yorkshire Evening Post has six of the limited edition Leeds ties to give away.

To enter send a postcard with your name, address and daytime telephone number to Leeds Tie Giveaway, Features Department, Yorkshire Evening Post, Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 1RF.

Entries should arrive no later than 12pm on Tuesday, February 17.

The first six entries drawn on the day will each receive one of the ties.

Fraternal ties

Grant Woodward reports... NEVER was there a bigger bane of a schoolboy's life than the hated school uniform.

And the worst part was always the tie - a striped symbol of the metaphorical chains keeping you shackled to dull maths lessons and dodgy school dinners.

Or was that just me?

Anyway, times change and though brothers Chris and Andrew Bragg were never too keen on neckwear either growing up, they're now making their livings out of it.

Read full story here.

Tiesplanet.com

It's Snow Joke, You Really Can Get A Free Pair Of Gloves

The UK is suffering its second day of disruption following the heaviest snowfall in 18 years. Over 4,500 schools have closed across the land, with one in five workers said to have not made it into work.

So, what to do with your day in the snow then? Build a snowman? Go sledging? Simply go for a stroll?

Whatever you decide to do, you'll need to keep those paws warm. With our free magic gloves offer, you have no excuse for cold hands!

Read all about the day's snow caused havoc here.

What Should I Wear To My Job Interview?

A common age-old question. And it is true, first impressions count for a great deal in job interviews. A vital part of that being your choice of attire. You should always dress up a notch whether you will be wearing smart clothes in the prospective job or not.

Alongside your new clean shirt and best dark suit comes your choice of tie. And yes a tie is vital for a job interview. Think about it. Two equally qualified people turn up. Each perform well in interview. One wears tie, one doesn't, who gets the job?

Here are the Ties Planet tips on what tie to wear:

• No novelty ties - Themed ties may be a fun Christmas gift, but they are not appropriate for job interview. By all means let your prospective employer know your interests in your CV, but don't emblazon it across yourself on the day of the interview.

• Choose primary colours - Yellow, red or blue are the way forward. You want the interviewer to notice you have taken the effort to wear a tie, but you don't want your neckwear to be the most recollected thing about you. So don't wear anything too loud like oranges or neon greens. By the same token a black or white tie will not leave any impression whatsoever. In fact, black might leave them thinking that you were that bit too serious about the job.

• Plain/Striped - Plain or striped ties are best. A plain red or blue tie will pretty much complement any shirt. Striped ties will work well with plain shirts, but not with striped or checked shirts.

• Skinny ties for women - For an ultra-smart look, women can wear a plain skinny tie with their best suit and blouse. Worn loosely or tied to the collar, a skinny tie will look great on a lady in interview.

Follow these simple tips and make sure you prepare for the interview and that dream job will be yours in no time!

Free Pair of Magic Gloves

What do Dimitar Berbatov, Carlos Tevez, Aaron Lennon and Kaka have in common? They all often wear black gloves to play football in.

If you fancy a pair of black gloves of your own then now is the time to get some. Why? For one the British cold snap is probably still months away from ending knowing our luck! But mainly because we are giving them away!

Yes, you can get a free pair of black gloves on Tiesplanet.com. Either add a pair to your order free of charge, or if you just want the gloves, then just pay delivery.

We can't guarantee you will then have the earning power of Kaka, but at least you will have warm hands.

Swansea Secure Fulham FA Cup Tie

It has been FA Cup 4th round weekend, with Swansea City earning the result of the round by defeating holders Portsmouth 2-0. As reward for their impressive victory, The Swans earned an home fixture against Fulham in round 5.

But it wasn't just the football ties that we were interested in. As usual we were keeping tabs on any ties being worn. Arsene Wenger, Dave Jones and Rafa Benitez, to name but a few, all wore fetching ties as they managed from the sidelines.

Legend defenders, Gary Pallister and Gary Mabbutt made the draw for the 5th round... and of course they decided to be smart... by wearing ties.

Want a tie to celebrate Swansea City's cup success? How about our Black and White Swans Silk Tie...

Letterman Gets Aniston Tie

Jennifer Aniston appeared in nothing but a necktie on the cover of the January 2009 issue of GQ magazine (We were only interested in the tie, honest).

And when the Friends actress went in to see David Letterman on his talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, he got more than he bargained for! No, Aniston didn't appear on the show in nothing but a necktie... she did however present Letterman with the tie used in the raunchy photoshoot.

Lucky Letterman! Will it become his new lucky tie?

Need a lucky tie of your own? Full range of ties available from Tiesplanet.com.

Grey Is The Way

Grey is the way to a woman's heart, reports Maria Groce in today's Daily Record. Celebrities like Simon Cowell, Jose Mourinho and George Clooney are living proof that the mature looks of a silver fox are preferred by women.

And apparently it is no coincidence. Dr Kerri McPherson, health psychologist at Glasgow Caledonian University, said there are inbuilt evolutionary mechanisms that lead us to make judgments on attractiveness on a non-conscious level.

Women of child-bearing age apparently opt for men eight to 10 years older than themselves rather than those of the same or younger age, as they think older men will be better providers for a family. And that's apparently why we can find those grey-haired guys irresistible.

Full story here.

If you're planning to ditch the hair dye and go grey, you'll need a grey or silver tie to match and complete the sophisticated look. Our current favourite is the Plain Silver-Grey Satin Tie... and priced at just £5.99 it is probably cheaper than the hair dye!

Need Tie Style Tips?

Matching ties with shirts is an age-old dilemma. Well have no fear any longer... we are here to help!

We are starting a new feature on our blog called 'Questions and Answers'.

Need help matching shirt styles/colours with tie patterns/colours? Then email us with your questions and we will answer in our 'Questions and Answers' section, offering our advice and tips.

Of course it doesn't have to just be about shirt and tie matches any tie related queries you might have, we are here to help.

So do not hesitate, email us at sales@tiesplanet.com and you could be the star of our fantastic blog!

Smart/Casual? What's your view on ties?

The traditional image of ties has been associated with such people as politicians, newsreaders and lawyers. And whilst there is the odd cool person in those professions (think Ron Burgundy), the tie has been regarded as a ultra-smart accessory to get that professional appearance across.

However, skinny ties have been consistently popular now for such a length of time it would seem the tide is turning in the necktie world! Celebrities such as David Beckham and Justin Timberlake are rarely seen on a night out without a tie draped around their neck.

It isn't just skinny ties either. Fashionistas the world over are finding new ways of looking the business (if not for business). Take American actor, Penn Badgley for instance. The photo inset shows Badgley sporting a regular width tie tied loosely over a slim-fit white shirt.

So, what do you think? Do you still firmly consider ties the accessory of the business/professional world or are ties the coolest thing since ice cream?

Let us know your views below...

Obama Sworn In As 44th U.S. President

Today was Barack Obama's inauguration day and the 44th U.S. President chose to wear a patterned red tie for his big day. OK, it probably wasn't his greatest concern, but his choice of tie was always going to be the most pressing matter for us at Tiesplanet.com!

As promised we will be making regular reviews of Obama's ties during his time in office... and there is no better day to start than day one.

So what do we think of Barack's first presidential tie? We think it is a great start to his Presidency. Bold yet classy, modern yet refined.

8.5/10 for tie number one!

Think patterned red ties are the way forward? Why not try our Red Patterned Weave Tie?

Beckham Looking To Tie Up Future in Milan?

After making his AC Milan home debut in the San Siro on Saturday evening David Beckham looked like he was dressed to impress on Sunday.

Alongside other celebrities including Kelly Brook and Danny Cipriani, Beckham watched on in awe at the Emporio Armani Menswear Fashion Show in the former England captain's latest adopted city, Milan.

Beckham looked sharp in black suit, white shirt and narrow black tie. We can only speculate as to who he was trying to impress, but just maybe he is looking to secure a permanent move to the famous Milan club, where is he on loan until March.

Want Beckham's look? We can help with the tie at least... We have a slimline black tie available priced at £9.99.

Happy New Year!

Everyone at Tiesplanet.com would like to wish you all the best for 2009!