Tie Society Review

I recently had an opportunity to do a review of the tie-rental service, Tie Society. The company operates on a fairly straightforward model-- you subscribe based on how many items you want at a time, create an online "closet" (akin to a Netflix queue), and the ties are sent to and from your residence at no additional cost. 

Contrary to popular belief, this start-up emerged before Taco from "The League" pitched the idea 

Tired of wearing the same old paisley tie to every wedding? Wishing you had that perfect regimental stripe, or perhaps a seasonal tie for Fall/Winter gatherings? Tie Society has you covered. 

The least expensive plan starts at $10.95 a month ($131.4/year) for one item at a time. From there, they offer a few attractive plans at 3 items for $20, 5/$30 and 10/$50. 

There is no limit to how many times you can exchange within a given month, so if you are the kind of person who wears a tie every day, you could probably get by on the $30 plan and not have to wear the same tie more than twice. That's a huge number of ties for what amounts to $360 a year, (approximately the cost of half-a-dozen Brooks Brothers ties at retail).

On the other end of the spectrum, maybe you just want the perfect tie for a special event, but would rather not pay ~$100 for it at retail prices. You can easily sign up for a single month (or maybe even get a month-free!) and get the tie (assuming it's available) rather than having to buy it (and maybe never wearing it again after). 

Each tie is professionally cleaned after each wearing. Coming from someone who wears almost exclusively thrift store purchased ties, it didn't weird me out that other gents had gotten some use out of them prior to me.

So, who should subscribe to Tie Society?

The way I see it, the service is ideal for: 

• Men who want a larger variety of ties in their wardrobe without the expense of paying for them individually. 
• Young professionals who need to look good, but are on a more restrictive budget. Interviewing for a bunch of jobs/internships all at once? Wear a different tie to each one.
• The occasional tie wearer looking for something specific, without ever having to leave home and enter the department stores.
• Giving as a gift (in a few month interval) to a young adult who is enthusiastic about ties, or perhaps a husband who is too lazy to take the initiative himself!

My experience was a mostly positive one, and I'll try to document with a few photos.

Sort ties by maker and availability

Each tie has a detailed information page with country of origin and material content

You choose the items you want from an extensive selection, and they will appear in your online closet

A few days later, you will have them in your mailbox. The ties are shipped in a standard white USPS mailer.

My first three were a striped bow tie, another striped tie from Gitman Brothers, and a Vineyard Vines fish tie.

I specifically selected the Gitman tie as it was Made in the USA, and I expected decently high quality. This tie retails for $139. 

Turned out to be  great, classically styled tie. 

Everyone loves a Vineyard Vines print

The bow tie was nice as well, but unfortunately made in China. It was of better quality than some eBay bow ties I've purchased, but I still would prefer more brand-name bows.

As far as condition goes, one could certainly tell upon close inspection these indeed have been worn before, so they were not as "crisp" as a brand new tie. That being said, the were in equivalent shape to most of tie ties in my closet already. 

The second round was not as rewarding...as 2 of the 3 items I really wanted to try were completely booked. I waited and waited but the prized Hermès tie did not become available.What I did get my hands on however was this fantastic grenadine from Charles Tyrwhitt, which had a really great feel to it. Shipping back and forth was quite easy as a return address label was included with the resealable envelope. 

Pros: 

• Great customer service, Tie Society even offers free personalized style advice via email.
• All ties are available to you regardless of price package selection.
• You can decide to keep any tie on the site after trying it, at a somewhat discounted price.
• Large selection of ties from over 36 makers, many of which are hard to come by. 
• Cancel at any time with no long-term obligations makes it a great way to try ties you would otherwise not have access to (or the ability to afford!)
• Tie Society offers ties, bow ties, pocket squares, cuff-links, and tie bars, so you can really complete an outfit with just items you find on the site (each item takes up one "slot" in your subscription)

A Word on the competition:

The largest other firm offering this service, is called "FreshNeck." While they do boast a larger inventory, the pricing system is a bit different. Plans start at $20 a month, with access to only cheaper brands. For the ability to rent "nicer" ties, you must upgrade to a $35 or $55 a month plan, and all plans only allow 3-at-a-time. (For example, Hermes and Zegna are in the $55 category ONLY). 

I contacted FreshNeck about doing a review but they have not yet responded, so I cannot attest to their service or quality in comparison to Tie Society. 

Suggestions:

The biggest issue I've had was inventory availability. While they do offer ties from some luxury makers on the site, either the demand is incredibly high, or the quantity in stock is quite low (or both). Below, I've made a list of all the companies whose ties are offered on Tie Society. The bold names are the ones I personally would find most desirable. The red text indicates that as of writing this, many of the ties of these makers are "tied up" by other customers. You can add your name to the waiting list, however.

• Armani
• Barbican 1891
• Bear vs Bull
• Ben Sherman
• Blackbird
• Brooks Brothers
• Bruno Piattelli
• Bruno Piattelli Extra Long
• Burberry
• Burma Bibas
• Cantucci
• Cavallieri
• Charles Tyrwhitt
• Chevalier
• Clapham
• ETRO
• Gitman Bros.
• Hart Schaffner Marx
• Hermès
• Hugo Boss
• Ivy Prepster
• Jegman
• Lands End
• Laurant Bennet
• Marchesi di Como
• Missoni
• Mosaic
• Original Penguin
• Paco Rabanne
• Parsley
• Puccini
• Segni and Disegni
• Thomas Pink
• Tommy Hilfiger
• Umo Lorenzo
• Vineyard Vines

As I mentioned, I waited over a month to try to get a couple of these items but they were simply booked the whole time. I have received word that Tie Society is dealing with a large number of new users, and is currently working on increasing their tie supply to match, so maybe some of these issues will be alleviated in the near future

Another feature I would find very appealing would be improved tie mailers. Perhaps a little cylindrical tin in which the tie could be rolled up into and shipped. It would make for a far greater presentation than the plastic envelopes currently in use, and they would be reusable :)

Makers I'd like to see added to Tie Society

• Ralph Lauren / Polo / Black / Purple Label 
• J. Crew
• J. Press / York Street
• Country Club Prep
• Collared Greens

I'll look into getting a discount code posted ***below*** for my readers, but in the meantime, check them out. To get your hands on some nice-quality ties, it's not a bad investment. I would definitely recommend tie society as an alternative to buying brand name ties at retail, as the site offers substantial savings in the long term coupled with great, personalized customer service.


When signing up, use code "TRIAL2013" for 50% off your first month of service

(3 item plan)

www.tiesociety.com