WEAR MORE TIES!!!!

these don't exactly scream "I'M A BUSINESSMAN!"

Ties are probably the most misunderstood element of menswear.  The bespoke set thinks they all need to be the highest grade silk and cashmere and speak to your taste and refinement.  The sweatpants crew thinks they're corporate nooses that you are forced to wear at weddings and funerals.  As per usual, both are wrong.  I fucking  LOVE ties (much like sunglasses), but the biggest trick (especially if you are not currently a tie wearer) is figuring out how to really work ties into your day to day without looking like a corporate jag, fortunately I'll give some ideas after the jump...

Now to begin at the beginning...  I used to wear ties occasionally, sometimes when I was going out I'd toss on a tie, just to sort of shake things up a bit.  Lately I wear them as often as not, more in the summer when I'm wearing fewer layers and still need to get my requisite level of bright colors in.

But there was a time that thinking of wearing ties made me think of this.-->  Of some George Will looking motherfucker smarmily judging me because I'm wearing jeans.

Here's a sartorial rule, if George Will says it, you should feel free to believe exactly the opposite (this extends to all things, not just clothes).

People like George Will and Ben Stein are serving to teach the youth of America that ties are for smug, elitist jerk-offs who think suits are the be all and end all of a mans wardrobe.  They're not.  And (this is important so I'm bolding it) THEY DON'T GET TO OWN WEARING TIES ANYMORE! THE REST OF US ARE TAKING THEM BACK.


I'm serious.  So here's 3 ways to wear a tie and still stick it to the man (provided your image of the man is George Will... and I'm not sure how it couldn't be).

Way 1: Keep it simple, keep it casual, keep it cotton

Silk ties often scream business, less so when you don't have a suit on, but if you wear a slim cotton tie you won't be mistaken for a Young Republican (or an old republican) even if you wear it with a jacket.  Worn with a button down oxford, jeans and red chucks, it's casual while still looking sharp, and the tie is skinny, but not too skinny (I know I know... skinny ties are on the way out, fine, you'll just be a trend setter the next time they're in).

Way 2: Tweed is always your friend.

This outfit is the same base pieces, but with a palette swap.  Blue cotton tie for gray wool, red chucks for brown brogues and topped off with a corduroy vest.  This is way more academic-y and less rebellious, there's not much color, but you could easily throw on a colorful jacket, or scarf, or change to a colored belt, most importantly is that the tie doesn't seem stuffy and reek of landed gentry.

Way 3: Unusual Layers

I've talked before about wearing sweaters with non-silk ties and how it lets you dress up without seeming overtly business-y.  But lately I've taken to using unusual layering items with ties, just to lessen the impact of a silk tie on an outfit.  Here's the same jeans, some banged up chuck taylor's and an olive henley layered over top.  Usually the henley is an undershirt or just a lightweight shirt on its own.  I've taken to layering them over slim shirts just as a substitute for V-Neck sweaters.  You could use other things for this, sweater vests, deep v-neck t-shirts might work, and denim or corduroy jackets (not sport coats) look awesome with ties.

Yes it's a repeated pic with a repeated
tie, but it still helps my point.

So go forth and wear your ties!  There's no right way, there's plenty of wrong ways, but hell if you do them with enough panache you can even make those work.





For instance, both of these pictures don't give a flying flipping fig about how ties should traditionally be worn.  Hell, one is cooler than you could ever be if you're not wearing a tie.

Much cooler than you

potentially cooler than you
(but probably not)

I'll give you a hint, it's not the one on the right.