whimsy ([info]lord_whimsy) wrote,
2008-06-05 12:59:00
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LOWERING THE BAR, THEN BURYING IT ALTOGETHER

NPR ponders the decline of the tie.

As if trying to look "casual" wasn't just an uglier kind of affectation! To do away with such baseline standards of adult dress is the illusion of freedom, a lame gesture that leads to even more restrictive mores. Adolescent-minded Boomers won't be satisfied until the only socially acceptable way to present oneself is to dress like a six year-old. And when that day comes, none of us will feel free--just undignified and infantilized. Given the choice, I'd rather be coerced into looking like an adult than a child.

Much is made of the idea that not wearing a tie allows for more self-expression, which is idiotic. Not wearing a tie says "I'm not wearing a tie," and little else. Wearing a tie--with its endless palette of colors, knots and patterns--is where the expression lies. Like Wilde said, "A mask says far more than a face."

This general trend will result in less tolerance for self-expression, not more. I already get odd looks for wearing something as practical as a hat or something as innocuous as a pocket square, so I can imagine a time when someone will be beaten up for wearing a tie.

But that's progress for you.
Tags: ill-considered notions, style

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  • 18 comments

[info]planetx

June 5 2008, 17:24:16 UTC 3 years ago

That ties it (no pun intended)! I'm going to have start wearing ties more.

Do you have purveyor of such that you can recommend?

[info]swirl_girlx

June 5 2008, 19:20:44 UTC 3 years ago

Daffy's on 16th and Chestnut (could be walnut. i forget things.) has a pretty fantastic variety for on average $20 bucks. There are better places, but if you want many colors and textures for reasonably cheap, it is a start.

[info]lord_whimsy

June 5 2008, 19:29:40 UTC 3 years ago

Agreed. Good to have both thrift and high-end ties.

[info]swirl_girlx

June 5 2008, 19:43:04 UTC 3 years ago

Several of my friends went their to start "building" their tie collection, so to speak.

[info]txtriffidranch

June 5 2008, 20:08:26 UTC 3 years ago

And don't forget that a lot of DIY folks will be glad to make them for you as well. My wife is returning to sewing with a vengeance, and she's already started working on four ties for me from material that she's found over the years.

[info]planetx

June 6 2008, 00:45:05 UTC 3 years ago

It's Chestnut.

And thank you both!

[info]macrame_owl

June 5 2008, 17:26:12 UTC 3 years ago

While I may not exactly fit the mold, I totally agree with your sentiments.

[info]maps_or_guitars

June 5 2008, 17:48:38 UTC 3 years ago

I got mine on, boss.

[info]alienchrist

June 5 2008, 19:08:41 UTC 3 years ago

I like any excuse to wear a tie. It makes me look smart and more pulled-together than others.

Deleted comment

[info]lord_whimsy

June 5 2008, 19:36:00 UTC 3 years ago

The NPR bias is glaring when they cover such topics.

[info]manifest_endvr

June 5 2008, 19:46:11 UTC 3 years ago

I'm sure the pendulum will swing back the other way.. .. any day now.. soon. maybe? I hope so.

[info]txtriffidranch

June 5 2008, 20:06:50 UTC 3 years ago

For years, I made a point of wearing a tie to work specifically because I wasn't required to do so, and made a point of wearing esoteric science ties because it made the managers go insane. Even in my current position, where I've been told specifically not to dress up because the tech support crew will leave if they're expected to wear anything other than T-shirts and shorts, I still wear a dress shirt to work every day. I just don't feel comfortable in a standard T-shirt and jeans, and while I detest compulsory dress codes (usually instigated by control freaks who want to see how high employees are going to jump for a degrading and pointless position), I also don't want to work in a position where I'm not allowed to be a bit more professional when the circumstances allow. Besides, at my age, I really don't need to be coming in to work in a position of this import wearing a Butthole Surfers shirt and surfing jams.

[info]lord_whimsy

June 5 2008, 20:18:59 UTC 3 years ago

I've been told specifically not to dress up because the tech support crew will leave if they're expected to wear anything other than T-shirts and shorts

I've heard this countless times from other sources. Amazing. Not a fan of draconian management either, but come on--some things should just be expected, like wearing pants when you're out in public. God forbid they have to dress like they're adults earning a living.

[info]petrusplancius

June 5 2008, 20:37:15 UTC 3 years ago

In photographs of street-scenes, crowds etc. from the days when people took more effort over what they wore in public, I get an impression of greater individuality among people rather than less. Within my own lifetime, crowds have definitely got more anonymous. When walking around fine houses or through fine old towns, I find that the appalling mass-produced casual dress of so much of the people really reduces my enjoyment of the scene. Not that I generally wear a tie when walking around the small country town where I live.

[info]petrusplancius

June 5 2008, 20:38:27 UTC 3 years ago

So many of the people, I should have said.

[info]butterflyrobert

June 5 2008, 22:56:06 UTC 3 years ago

I can imagine a time when someone will be beaten up for wearing a tie.

Beaten up or made into a celebrity of sorts...

[info]takwish

June 5 2008, 23:30:17 UTC 3 years ago

My previous comment seemed somewhat incongruous after your edits, so I deleted it.

Anyway, my main point was that the loosening of the dress code at my workplace has actually increased my pleasure in tie-wearing. It has become a statement of individuality rather than a statement of conformity.

[info]lord_whimsy

June 6 2008, 00:56:15 UTC 3 years ago

Apologies--I revisit my posts after the fact all the time.

Pity dress codes are even necessary. Demeans all concerned.
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