Your tie should be age- and fashion-appropriate, Wilcox says. "Skinny ties, for me, are a bit of a faux pas," he says.

"An 18-year-old wearing a skinny tie as part of a band looks great," he says.

But for someone in his 30s working at a bank, a skinny tie says, "'I could wear this to go to a pub or a nightclub, I'm with it,' " he explains. "But I'm not sure that's the image you want to be conveying in a business world."

Instead, he says, wear a tie that reflects your stature in life. "My rule is, if you've worn an item of clothing before in its fashion life, don't wear it again the next time it comes around," Wilcox says. "After a certain age, it's best to stay classical and simply exude elegance."