According to Ray Smith in the June 4 edition of The Wall Street Journal, a recent Gallup Poll reports that the number of American men who wore ties every day to work last year dropped to a record low of 6%, down from 10% in 2002. The necktie industry group sensed this trend for itself when a number of its members showed up tieless for a recent association meeting. Smith's story reports that the association is now disbanding.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Further Proof, If Any Was Needed
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
10 comments:
I certainly didn't need any further proof, I'm the only person at my company who wears a necktie every day and I know precious few other men who do.
It's depressing, but I don't let the lack of gentlemanly bearing on the part of others affect me. I'll be the last holdout.
Good for you, Jeff.I too wear a tie every day even though my company is business casual. I just love showing up on a Friday jeans day with navy blazer, tie and shoes.
I visited Paul Winston yesterday whose father was the owner of the now defunct Chipp which had a men's store across from the old J Press in New York. Paul now has a tailor shop called Chipp2 coincidentally next to the old J Press Store. He told me that business casual and its polo shirt wearing professionals was the death knell for places like Chipp and Morty Sills. But I wish Winston well. He has a tie business now and makes shirts and suits and odd jackets.
it's not even necessary to wear a tie each day at DC law firms.
On the upside of this trend, at least from my own experience, is that younger men are wearing ties more than their dads. The under 30 set is a big part of my tie sales demo -- and it's growing.
Usually, kids do the opposite of what their fathers did. Fathers of this generation didn't wear ties. So hopefully, this will be an upswing. We can hope, no?
I don't wear a tie everyday, but I do wear a tie more often thatn most anyone else. I have found that the tie is a source of power and distinction if you choose the right one. I also have found that not wearing one everyday allows me more freedom to choose better and higher quality ties for the times that I do wear them.
I teach English in Japan. We have to wear neckties but not suits. For us English teachers at my school in Japan, this is becoming more common. In the summer 'to combat global warming' from not using the AC so much in the office, Japanese men can also wear a shirt and tie, but no suit or a suit but without a tie in the summer, while in the spring apparently it is suit but no tie. It seems that the Japanese men, not unexpectedly, are trying to make as many mistakes as possible by mimicking what I have seen of many American men here in Japan. Suit but no tie (and never a pocket square), tie but no suit, and of course, with a short sleeve shirt in the spring and summer. And oh yeah, if you are going to wear a tie, make sure it is as garish as possible and does not obey the rule of stopping at the belt line. Why do so many American men hate ties, but make sure they are garish if they do wear them?
It's funny, but here in Italy specialty tie stores are popping up everywhere. From the low end, where a tie can be bought for 15 euro to the high end shops where lots of men have their ties custom made for several hundred euro.
Jeffrey- I think its because most men let their wives buy clothes for them. Why they usually choose the most horrid items for their men I do not know.
Men should dress themselves, take responsibility for knowing how to dress. Yet, it is considered unmanly in the U.S.
"I think its because most men let their wives buy clothes for them. Why they usually choose the most horrid items for their men I do not know.
Men should dress themselves, take responsibility for knowing how to dress. Yet, it is considered unmanly in the U.S." - initials cg
You really said a mouthful there. I've always wondered if women are taken and given some clandestine class on how to dominate their beau's dress.
"It's always darkest before the dawn"
I believe we are nearly at a point of reversal of this trend. Of course, it is possible that we are in a secular movement which is for all practical purposes permanent, like the change from frock coat to lounge suit. But I am seeing the turnaround in many trends which began in the 60s.
A salutary development, in my opinion, is that fraternal organizations like Freemasonry, have rebounded in the past few years, attracting many young men. And jackets and ties are de rigueur at lodge meetings.
It's a sad thing that there is a misconception out there that wearing a tie is uncomfortable. The basic thing most tie haters don't understand is that if you get a shirt with a big enough collar you will not really notice you are wearing a tie.
As someone who wears a tie every workday and actually likes wearing them, I am saddened that the tie wearing is decreasing. It is one garment that makes every man look good!
Post a Comment