Comments on: It’s time for men to liberate themselves by burning their ties.

By: grumpypilgrim

grumpypilgrim — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:42:05 +0000

I don’t see a problem with ties. They can provide a nice dash of color to what otherwise might be a dull sea of grey suits and white shirts. People in developed countries (and many developing ones) long ago passed the stage where clothing was primarily functional; today it is primarily decorative, so why should people not be decorative in whatever manner they believe best suits them?

Of course, we could also debate the wearing of grey suits, but the fact is that clothing has, since the Renaissance, been used to enhance not only a person’s social status, but also one’s desired physical attributes. For example, at one time during the Renaissance men’s fashion dictated the wearing of surcoats that had thickly padded chests — giving men a pigeon-breasted appearance. At another time, still in the Renaissance, it was fashionable for men to wear surcoats that had thickly padded stomachs — giving men a beer-belly profile. Go figure.

At any rate, the modern suit originally became popular, and continues to remain that way, not only because of social convention, but also because it enabled middle-aged men to conceal their enlarged mid-sections. Indeed, a good, well-tailored suit can hide a multitude of sins, just as tailored clothing and cosmetics can do for many women. Sure, it’s vain and superficial, but that’s at least part of what makes us human.

By: Ben

Ben — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:21:55 +0000

I love to use ties. I think you look more graceful and reasonable in a tie.

By: Vicki Baker

Vicki Baker — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 16:59:54 +0000

Compared to the Elizabethan ruff, Victorian neckcloth and cravat and the Edwardian celluloid collar, the necktie seems like a soft option. Of course, the ruff had the added benefit of preventing one from licking one’s stitches when one had been to the barber/surgeon.

By: Niklaus Pfirsig

Niklaus Pfirsig — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:03:47 +0000

Back in the late 70’s, I had a college roomate in the summer quarter who was from Nigeria. He insisted on wearing a suit and tie to class, while I would usually wear a pocket tee shirt and jeans.

One morning, he blocked the door and refused to let me out of the room unless I wore a tie. he told me that I looked like an aniimal and should not go out that way. I grabbed a tie (I actually had about30 ties that I never wore, they were gifts from relatives) and put it on. In spite of the fact that it looked silly wit the tee shirt and jeans, he informed me that I then looked like a man and could leave the room.

As soon as the door closed behind me, I removed the tie, stuck it in a jeans pocket and proceded to class.

By: Mary

Mary — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:56:38 +0000

My husband has long shared your sentiment. He told me that when he dies, if I bury him in a tie, he’ll come back to haunt me. No worries there. I don’t care if he wears a tie or not, plus, we’ve decided to be cremated.

I’m all for your tie-less revolution.

By: Erich Vieth

Erich Vieth — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:49:13 +0000

John Hall: No matter what I wear, it would likely conform with some group somewhere. I could wear a toga, for example, but then you might accuse me of trying to conform with toga-wearers.

My photo was taken by my 5-year old daughter a couple years ago and it looked a lot like . . . me. I’m sure that any photo I choose would have its faults. Still as far as conforming, I suspect that there are many more forward pointing baseball cap wearers out there than backward pointing.

The cap has since blown off and sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean in a traumatic moment. You don’t have to worry, then, because I can’t wear it anymore.

By: Erika Price

Erika Price — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 19:10:44 +0000

Would forgoing the tie destroy workplace formality and drive productivity into the ground? It seems very doubtful, yet many people make such claims regarding “appropriate” attire. The same arguement goes for school uniforms: that clothing somehow magically transforms social dynamics and personal work ethic. The logic of such a claim just doesn’t hold up. For example, businessmen in Bermuda wear ties and jackets, but they don’t wear dress pants. Oh, no. They wear brightly-colored Bermuda shorts! Do freely-exposed knees, legs wafting in the wind, change any dimension of the business environment? It certainly doesn’t appear so. Chalk it up to any other purley arbitrary social expectation- like high heels, ties, taking off hats while inside of buildings, and so on.

If you haven’t seen business Bermuda shorts before, click here.

By: John Hall

John Hall — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 17:26:10 +0000

I suggest you also consider throwing the baseball cap on the fire too. When my revolution happens, base-ball-cap-backwards (how conformist!!!) wearers will be up against the wall on about the third day. Your site pic almost caused me to avoid the site, but I relented because of the usually-relevant content.

(My schedule is undergoing revision, as the Internet looks like it will take care of the Realtors.)