Choose a Tie!
In my previous newsletter I noted that I had worn a tie to work and no one noticed. Maybe someone noticed, but no remarks were made. As a disciple of menswear I love a good jacket, trouser or jeans, a classic button down shirt (duh..or course!) and my Dries van Noten oxford lace-ups. A tie is not in my comfort zone. Think of all the cool movie characters, creatives and musicians who fine-tune their personas with a well-chosen necktie! Then I get inspired.
Over the decades the width, length and prints changed in popularity.
Ties were once a required office attire for men and a symbol of privilege (and dare I say power and even intimidation). Their popularity (and sales) has been waning over the last few decades. Women have taken on a growing percentage of the workforce (not enough though!), “casual Fridays” began in the 1990’s, working from home became a thing and then there was a pandemic! Consequently, wearing a tie has become a choice. Not the obligatory element of the office “uniform” it once was. Now more than ever, celebrating personal style is fashion’s M.O.
Oscar Wilde: “A well-tied tie is the first serious step in life.”
You know that phenomenon when once you talk about something you see it everywhere? Since I started my business of one-of-a-kind reworked men’s shirts, I am seeing “menswear” and “gender neutral dressing” 24/7. In reality it has been a constant thread from season to season on the runways and off – a classic, a fall-back or a chic default conceit. Tuning into the zeitgeist of the Women's Spring Summer 2025, there are fresh iterations of the classic men’s ensembles with dress shirts that set the table for tie and collar accessories.
Erdem Spring 2025, Kent & Curwen Spring 2025, Valentino Spring 2025
Traditionally, collar pins or collar bars keep the collar closed and the knot of the tie lifted. There are even shirts with eyelets so as not to pierce the fabric. I put the pins through the button holes…News to me! Tie clips keep the tie from falling forward. Less is more when it comes to men’s jewelry but why not layer on some pearls? Btw, can you pull off the perfect Windsor knot or the go-to four in hand?
Maybe it’s because we have an election in a couple of days that I am realizing I love wearing a tie. I want to feel the confidence, pride and joy that come with electing a president who puts the people first, values their right to make decisions about their bodies and who they choose to love. She may not wear a tie, but Kamala Harris clearly has the strength, brilliance and experience to do the right thing. She alone is fit to be president this election. So with or without a tie (and with or without crystal buttons), Kamala has my vote!
As Patti Smith sings “People have the Power!”
As Patti Smith sings “People have the Power!”
xxSasha
