In another one of their infamous “let’s-invent-a-fashion-trend” Style section stories, today’s New York Times reports that ties are back in fashion. Not in investment banks and law firms, mind you. But at ad agencies and design shops, worn by young men who just find them to be ultra-fashionable. As evidence, the article points out Justin Timberlake’s three-piece suit get-ups as well as the rising sale of ties at Saks, Bloomingdale’s and other upscale stores. Now common sense tells us that there just aren’t enough tie-sporting young hipsters in New York City to impact the sale of ties at patrician Saks Fifth Avenue, and that said increase is in no doubt due to the oft-reported trend among more traditional businesses to do away with casual dress codes.
Besides which, I have yet to see anyone at my ad agency wearing a tie just for the fun of it. You?
Toad,
ReplyDeleteThe last time I wore a tie just for the fun of it was.... Hmm. That would be never. However, in full disclosure, I am a long way from being a young hipster. Passed that point in my life several decades ago.
I've worn ties for the hell of it. I like them.
ReplyDeleteThere's one senior creative who wears them here, and not in a suit-y way, but in a dapper way.
Personally, I think if everyone's in t-shirts, you stand out more by not wearing the uniform.
I do it all the time. In fact, I busted out a jacket, tie, jeans and vans slip-ons for an ad agency meeting today, but pulled the tie at the last minute so as not to appear overdressed. Plus they get you street cred with business-types.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but if the t-shirt's really cool, I say go for it.
ReplyDelete@ raafi - Ouch. Thin tie. Jacket. Jeans. Sneakers. Sounds like Billy Joel in his prime man.
;-p
@Raafi: The key word in your post is "meeting" - lots of creatives wear ties to meetings or on other special occasions. The article, however, made it sound like we were all wearing ties on a daily basis because we'd grown tired of t-shirts.
ReplyDeletei rock a mean tie quite often, but then again I've never had a job that required me to do so...
ReplyDelete@mtlb - (licking my wounds). I'm not sure there's a black man on earth who would want to be compared to Billy Joel. ;)
ReplyDelete@ raafi - not even during the Christie years?
ReplyDelete;-p
Put it this way, my list of fave spiffy-dressers who date supermodels begins with David Bowie, crests with Tom Brady, and ends with Seal.
ReplyDelete