I can still remember being a young girl in school. One of my best friends, Tanya, got this beautiful silk dress for our 8^th grade formal. I was wearing this cotton blend monstrosity that made my skin break out in hives. But that’s another story entirely. … Since that day, I’ve always been an admirer of silk. Not only is it so smooth and wonderful, but it shines brilliantly in the light. It’s like jewelry meets clothing. I’m not a girl of extremely particular tastes, but if a guy wants to impress me, just show up in a silk tie.

Silk ties are widely popular in the business and entertainment world. Most men who wear suits own at least one silk tie. As far as neckties go, silk is the crème de la crème. Just check out the Oscar awards or any other red carpet event. You’ll see plenty of silk ties going around. You can tell the silk by the way they look on camera; i.e. the expensive-looking ties. And while they may look like a million bucks. You won’t have to break the bank to pick up a silk tie for yourself or for that special man in your life.

The first and only “real” tip I can provide is to set a budget and never go over. If you can’t find a vast selection of silk ties for less than 50 bucks, then you’re looking in the wrong place. Don’t fear the bargain bin here. No, I’m not talking about that literal bin at the gas station with the Jeff Foxworthy comedy tapes. I mean the clearance rack at the local clothing store, or that back page in the catalog. Trust me: the designer or name brand of the tie doesn’t matter nearly as much as how it looks. To that end, most great-looking ties you’ll see are silk. And most are affordable on any budget.

Shopping online is a great way to find deals on nearly everything in the world. I seriously know people who buy everything online from their groceries to the actual home they live in. Well, it’s a condo, technically, but they still found it online! Not only do you save on gas money—something that all of us can appreciate in these tough economic and climate-changing times—but you’ll also save a lot of time. For example, in the time it takes you to drive from Peebles to the Men’s Warehouse, you could have surfed about 100 sites online, all featuring an even wider selection of silk ties.

Another mini tip here is to compare the prices. This is common sense, basically, but something that a lot of people neglect. Once they find the neckties they like, they enter their CC number and call it quits. Well, just type the name of model number (if available) of that tie into your search engine and press enter. Odds are you’ll find it somewhere else at a discount.

It doesn’t have to be a tie-specific store, either. All kinds of places sell silk ties. It’s a very popular item. Whether you’re buying it for yourself or as a gift for someone special, take the time to browse through a selection of silk ties, stay on budget, and always compare prices. Do these things and you’ll never overpay for an item again.