Fit To Be Tied: UniformMarketNews.Com

Recent statistics tell us that a mere 6% of the eligible population wears neckties these days.  In Japan, it’s reported that working men and women, by taking off their coats and ties, are saving millions of dollars in energy costs because their offices can now be four degrees warmer as employees are four degrees cooler: A casualty of global warming.  All over the United States, from governors and mayors down to the working man on the street, folks are following suit.  For many companies, casual dress-down Fridays are now five days a week.

In the winter, turtlenecks suffice instead of the standard decorative neck accessory.  In the warmer months, golf shirts, banded collars, mock turtles, T-shirts, and Henley’s take center stage.  Two-piece stand collar shirts—button-down or no—are worn with or without a sports coat, but sans neckwear.  Even world leaders don’t wear ties any more, and if they do, it’s not as frequent as it used to be:  Comfort before protocol.

In some countries, it is standard bill of fare that no neckties are worn.  Particularly in Asian and Mediterranean countries, the tie is viewed as a symbol of decadent Western culture and values: Wanton capitalism and a kind of hedonism where purposeless beauty is valued over utilitarianism.

Truth be known, the tie has no practical value other than covering up a fat belly, buttons, or hidden food stains.  While one could argue that it keeps the neck warm and cozy, or that it holds one’s shirt together, the tie is really all about being a symbol of rank, status, school or organizational affiliation, and a piece of decorative beauty.  It can be very expensive or quite reasonable, depending on one’s purpose and pocketbook.  Generally, it is made of silk, wool, polyester, or cotton.  But it has also been made of the finest laces, and leathers. 

Ties represent a particular culture and time, depending on style and fabric.  The bolo tie, for instance, represents the American West’s cowboys and Indians.  The cravat is French, and goes back to the elegant days of Louis XIV at Versailles.  The ascot and jabot are inventions of the more Romantic 19^th century.  The bow tie is purported to have evolved from the cravat, originally being used to hold the collar of a shirt together, but is now paired with formal wear, buffoonery as with clowns, or with particular professions, such as doctors, attorneys, professors, and the like.  It is in a league of its own. 

The necktie itself, often called the four-in-hand tie (the knot resembles the reins of a four-horse team) really came into vogue with the Industrial Revolution in the mid 19^th century.  People flocked to cities rather than working the farmlands, and dress became more formal.  A worker needed a style that would not only keep out of the way when using machinery or doing his job, but at the same time urban culture was developing and the tie became a means revealing one’s place in society.  A banker wore a very different neck piece than a baker, for instance.

The necktie’s presence has been valued and maintained throughout the last two centuries, and a gentleman—no matter his income—would not be seen in public without his hat and tie.  This is particularly true of schools and the military.  The cliché “old school ties” is about more than good buddies and loyalties.  The necktie, with its rep stripes or club motifs, told about secret societies, fraternal orders, and officers’ standings.  Made from a wool Tartan or plaid, whole Scottish clans and their geographical locations were identified by their kilts, scarves, and ties. 

Today, however, such is not the case.  The tie has sadly become antiquated in the sense of general use.  When one figures that in China, as far back as the 3^rd century B.C., the emperor Shih Huan Ti was buried with the life size clay models of his 7,500 soldiers—each one different save for the fact that every soldier was wearing a silk necktie—it boggles the mind that within just the last decade, a tradition that has been around for over two millennia has all but unraveled. 

It’s true that some schools, preppy and corporate dress both for uniforms and for personal apparel still mandate ties.  Newscasters seem to be the last of the breed to sport the neckpiece in public.  But overall, despite the multiple offerings and the unusual designs that present themselves, the current fashion market has little demand for the tie.  Department stores are closing out their stocks, and uniform companies that specialized in neckwear are closing up.  Another tradition strangled by our rapidly revolving society. 

For women, it used to be that scarves were “in,” and for a while in the ’80’s, the newly defined feminist corporate career woman was all about the cross-over tie and various neck bows.  Security guards, and folks who want a perfect knot without the hassle of tying it themselves, go for a pre-tied clip-on style.  The good news about these is that they pull right off, and nothing or just a thin strap goes around the neck.  It’s a great safety feature, and also helpful for those folks who don’t or can’t have their necks bound tightly.  These, too, have been mostly abandoned.

The bottom line, if you’re thinking of going into the neckwear business, is to stick with jewelry.  The cloth appendages that once adorned a person’s appearance are disappearing fast.  While there are those who insist on the propriety of the tie, they’re becoming more difficult to find, and less sought after every day: Discipline and dignity in dress are out.   Sad but true, they are an anachronism in their own time.