Cotton tie (shown to the left) and seersucker tie, $40 each, by William Coburn

The Cotton Tie

Madras and chambray reversible bow tie, $45
by High Cotton Ties

Derby fever is here, and with that comes some great Southern-inspired style as gentlemen trade in their long wings and Red Wings for suede bucks and Quoddy bluchers. Now that guys are busting out the linen and seersucker, why not ditch the wool and silk ties and opt for a much lighter cotton one? High Cotton Ties offers a variety of gingham, plaid and paisley bowties. The North Carolina company channels the good ol' boy spirit into colorful handmade bowties and cummerbunds—and at $45 a pop, you'll still have some cash for that extra mint julep. William Coburn's selection of slim neckties also offers ideal summertime patterns with a healthy dose of prep (think: embroidered sailboats). After returning from a Peace Corps mission in Bulgaria, the designer started making ties out of old shirts for friends and now he has a well-edited selection of neckwear in seersucker and chambray. It may be too late to place your bets on Animal Kingdom, but at least now you can look a little more chic at the Preakness this weekend.