Almost as predictable as getting a tie for Father's Day is getting at least one destined for the back of the closet, be it covered in penguins or wide enough to top a flagpole.
But choosing a good tie doesn't have to be an exercise in luck. The answer lies in mixing a bit of the old with the new - combining classic patterns to appeal to dad's safer side in slimmer, modern shapes that nudge his fashion forward.
Perennial favourites like polka dots and stripes get a punch of freshness when sized down - think pinhead sized for dots, or pencil width for stripes. Club ties, those featuring very small repeated icons, harken to collegiate neckwear and inject a little youth into any man's wardrobe.
Floral and even vine patterns are in for the season, while bursts of pinks and berries compliment the greys popular in men's suiting right now.
But the biggest trend, fashion insiders agree, involves size.
"The slimming trend is probably one of the most significant things," explains Jerry Balest, vice-president of men's fashion for Macy's Merchandising Group. "Thin is in."
Macy's recently resized its men's ties; now a tie that had traditionally been 10 centimetres at its widest will shrink to nine centimetres.
"It's all about younger attitudes," says Balest, who sees the trend in brands like Calvin Klein. "People are more fit, they are working out and they really do want to get credit for all the work and effort they're putting into taking care of themselves."
Today's ties are a major shift from the 10-centimetre size of decades past, when skinny neckwear was reserved for Hollywood.
"It used to be that you had to spend a lot of money on them because they were trendy and high fashion. Now everybody's jumping on the bandwagon," says Jim Moore, creative director for GQ magazine.
And the shift comes as the icon of men's fashion - the tie - makes a comeback.
"There was a time 10 years ago when the tie wasn't cool," explains Moore, who credits the casual Fridays mentality of the dot-com era.
When the market shifted, Moore says men returned to a more formal office look.
"The smartest guy in the room was wearing a tie," says Moore, adding that now the right neckpiece, like a well-tailored suit, conveys "you're gonna close the deal perfectly."
Unlike their wider counterparts, slimmer ties add youth and flatter even larger waistlines, he says. Still, 2.5-centimetre ties aren't for everybody, either.
"If anything is too slim or too trendy and you're a 40-year-old lawyer, that's going to be the wrong buy," he says. "When you're talking about the average guy, I would go right down the middle."
That means six to 7.5 centimetres, says Moore, who favours the exclusive skinny ties that New York label Steven Alan offers in hip plaids and toasty browns.
When shopping, Moore says to stay away from exploding pattern ties - "It shouldn't be too loud" - and choose designs that are woven in, not stamped on. Expect to spend between $65 and $80 on a good tie that will last.
From suits to lapels, men's fashion is slimming across the board. For an extra kick to dad's wardrobe, consider pairing a gift of a slimmer tie with one of the newer, more fitted shirts.
And with their increasingly stylish designs, even a bow tie isn't out of the question, Balest says.
