https://twitter.com/dieworkwear/status/1826722378787029105
One reason is because it looks better. https://t.co/RYG6Q34nOY
Over the last 100 years, men’s tailoring has become more austere. Just look at how the Duke of Windsor dressed in the 1930s and how Ronald Reagan dressed by the close of the century. (Pic 1 shows a section of the Duke’s personal wardrobe)
Or pick up a copy of Apparel Arts, the leading men’s style publication in the 1930s. Inside each issue, they included fabric swatches, which showed the variation in texture, pattern, and sheen
As tailoring has slowly disappeared from public life, clothiers have had to be more strategic from inventory. Gone are materials such as gabardine, whipcord, and cavalry twill. Most places primarily sell dark worsted, four-season suits in sober colors like black, navy, and grey.
The effect this has had is striking. Here is the DNC in 1984 vs 2024 (30 years difference). In 1984, men wore tailoring in tan, brown, and powder blue. Today it’s a sea of dark, sober colors.
We’re going through another stage of austerity. Men are trying to dress down their dark worsted suits by losing the tie, which means they’re giving up the one area of personalization on this otherwise monochromatic uniform.
As I’ve said many times before, a dark worsted suit without a tie is like the night sky without stars. Just look at this comparison of Barack Obama. Which outfit looks better?
If you’re not going to wear a tie, you’d be better off wearing a turtleneck or long-sleeve polo. Or wear a more casual suit, such as cotton, linen, or seersucker. Or at least wear a patterned shirt to create some visual interest. Or do a knit tie, the most casual tie of all.
I mostly hear these anti-tie protests from people who wish to break out of the conformity of men’s fashion. But ironically, many are wearing the most conformist uniform of all: business casual. Or it’s just nothingness, like t-shirt and jeans.
Certainly, no one has to wear a tie or even tailored clothing. No one has to even care about fashion or style. But if you want to dress more creatively in a casual manner, I’d encourage you to at least take a look a more interesting forms of casualwear.
I only object to this faux-rebellion (“I don’t want to wear a tie”) while also conforming to the most bland form of male dress. This is not rebelling against anything, as the most powerful people nowadays dress in this same boring uniform.
I forgot to add: here are some photos of traditional, tasteful ties from Shibumi. Even in this limited selection, you can see rich variety in texture, sheen, and pattern. Even the most conservative choice will add something to a tailored outfit.
