Men’s Neckwear for Kentucky Derby, Oaks

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire
Most of the time neckwear is worn in professional settings and helps anchor and pull together an outfit. When wearing a necktie to the track, there is more leeway to allow it to be more of a conversation piece.
Hey, if you want to win a million dollars why not start out your day feeling and looking like a million dollars?
No ensemble is right without perfect accessories (hello, that's why so many women love shoes and bags so much!) and ties, bow ties and pocket squares and even a hat are the final touches needed to complete your winning Kentucky Derby look.

Horse Racing Neckwear by Victoria Garofalo 
Sure, many people opt for the tie but not everyone feels comfortable wearing a bow tie, but horse races are a perfect place to try them out. Whichever style you prefer, grab that paisley, loud, creative, busy neckpiece and get down and Derby.
On Kentucky Oaks day (the Friday race for 3-year-old fillies before the Derby), everyone goes all out in pink clothes and accessories in support of Churchill Downs' partnerships with Bright Pink and Horses and Hope and in honor of the official flower, the Stargazer lily.  

Oaks neckwear by Victoria Garofalo 
On Derby day, basically everything goes. Have fun with your look, add patterns, graphics, bold colors, paisley patterns, pastels - they can all help give you a sharper, dapper look when done right. They right combination might even provide that extra boost of confidence that even your Mint Julep can’t give you. 
Here’s how:
Learning to mix and match patterns, colors and textures isn't as daunting as if might seem. Heck, it seems like the most fun way to express your personal style and have some fun with race-day wear.
The Art of Manliness is an excelent guide with this helpful article, but here are the most basic ways to be a neckwear and shirt mixologist:

Pick your shirt and look for ties with accents that sport the same dominant colors. When in doubt about what looks good together, give the color wheel a look. Colors that are opposite each other are complementary, colors next to each other are analogous and colors that are evenly spaces around (think triangle with each point on a color) are great when you want to pick one main and two accent colors
Allow the patterns to visually complement each other, not clash.
Patterns of the same size look sloppy and confusing. Make sure one has a bolder pattern than the other.
Fan of gingham and checkers? Wear smaller prints on your body and larger around your neck.
You can always choose to stick to simple and crisp with solids – you can’t go wrong!

Tie tips:
This is the time of year when you are breaking out spring and summer suits, the khaki, seersucker ones. They usually pair best with cotton and linen tie. Other suits look great with classic silk, the “season-less” fabric.
Length matters: the tip of your tie should hit right at the beltline.
Your collar size should complement the width of your tie and should match your lapel's width.
Trying to rock a tie bar, but unsure where to place it? Between the third and fourth buttons of your shirt and fastened to the placket (the thicker layers of fabric that hold the buttons).
Believe it or knot, they way you tie your tie says a lot about you. The half Windsor is sometimes referred to as the double military knot because it’s worn by the likes of troopers, sergeants and even James Bond. It’s a bit more assertive. The four-in-hand is a more discreet, asymmetrical knot worn by many and named after the members of the Four-in-Hand Club in London, who first began to wear the neckwear.
Esquire has a great piece on how to tie those two knots.
Don’t forget a tie's finishing touch - the dimple.
Bow tie tips:
The classic type is the one you tie yourself, the "freestyle" bow tie – this is what you should buy. Don't shy from buying one because you're afraid it won't be symmetrical when you tie it - that's part of the quirkiness and attraction of it. Pre-tied bow ties tend to look too perfect and stiff, and clip-ons should be left for young children.
Bow ties come in five main shapes: the Butterfly, Jumbo Butterfly, Batwing, Diamond Point and Club Round, but the shape you choose is totally a personal preference.

Photo by Victoria Garofalo 
Luckily, bow ties are adjustable. Measure your neck length, adjust the slider or hook and holes on the bow tie and tie it up. You don't want it to be so tight you can hardly breathe, but it should be snug. It might take a couple of tries, but once you get it perfect, you'll be set for next time and the time after that.
Bill Nye (yes, the science guy) has a fun bow tie tutorial if you prefer video learning rather than following a numbered-figures guide.
Where to get you neckwear?
There are many places to find quality neckwear, but below are my favorite brands for the more playful ties and bow ties to rock at the races.
Vineyard Vines is the official style of the Kentucky Derby and they have no shortage of equestrian-inspired, patterned ties or bow ties: Horse Race Day, Mint Julep, Horseshoe Geo, Horse Gingham, Seersucker, Lillies, Derby Patchwork and Rose Geo in various shades of peach, navy, pool side, raspberry, light blue, purple and others; they even have coordinating pocket squares to really polish off your look.

Mint Julep in peach via Vineyard Vines 
Brooks Brothers has a gorgeous selection of ties and even sells some pretty nifty reversible bow ties.
Southern Proper, a company with roots in Atlanta, Ga., adorns its neckwear with hand-drawn designs. Some of the designs are inspired and named after some good ole' country tunes like “Bottle of Wine and Two Dixie Cups” and “Fishing in the Dark.” The Horseshow Beau, Mint Julep Beau and the bow ties that have a mix of both are all extremely fun touches for Derby day. 
Ties.com has a fun collection of quirky horse and equestrian ties. 

Photo via Ties.com 
While shopping at Bryant Park's Winter Village last year, I noticed a stand with wooden bow ties and immediately thought they would be a fun accessory for the track. The Two Guys Bowtie make some of the coolest wooden ones I’ve ever seen. They have more than 45 varieties plus the option to have one customized. You can add matching labels, matching pocket squares and custom etching to all of them.
 

Picture via Woodenbowties.com 
Looking for a more traditional, handcrafted bow tie? Look no further than Mo's Bows, created in 2011 by then 9-year-old Moziah (and the help of his granny and her scrap fabric) because he wasn't finding any fun, cool bow ties. He’s got some pretty eclectic bow ties that would most certainly be perfect for a day at the track. And don’t worry, he’s got a How to Tie a Mo's Bow page in case you need a little assistance. If he isn’t a cool enough kid, he even sells a “Go Mo Summer Camp Bow Tie” (a blue background, orange polka dot piece) in which 100% of the proceeds go to fund the Go Mo Scholarship Fund. Last year, he raised $1,600 for Glenview Summer Camp, giving 10 children the opportunity to attend.

Fine Paisley Bow Tie Photo via Mo’s Bows
No matter what neckwear you pick, wear it with confidence as you pick your Derby winner, like the dapper gentleman that you are.

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire