But I Don't Wanna Wear Skinny Ties Again....

I suppose it was bound to happen.  Lacoste shirts are ubiquitous (with the price adjusted for inflation), the rock and roll t-shirt under a blazer is another retro look that's been back for awhile now and jeans are have been reinvented as a sky's-the-limit status symbol.  I guess the climate is right for skinny ties but I will not be dragged back into wearing one. 

I first noticed the skinny tie trend reborn as worn by Ryan Seacrest during the last season of Idol, but I've always thought Seacrest was a tool, it dates back to when he kept trying to make the catchphrase "Seacrest Out!" happen (kind of ironic now, isn't it?, you know the idea of Ryan being out), so I waited until I started seeing it on others.  It really seemed to have taken full swing this past year as I'm seeing it on more and more celebs and in more magazine ads.  Now I'm still not seeing it on everyone yet but it's out there enough to be noticable.  Last week's Real Time With Bill Maher featured Bill himself wearing one (as he did last season and has done this season) and panelist Jon Hamm (of Mad Men fame) also outfitted accordingly.  Old school preppy P.J. O'Rourke had a standard-size tie with a blue blazer and a pink oxford shirt, classic look.  That Jon Hamm was wearing one made sense as the entire male cast of Mad Men--a show that takes place in the early 1960's when skinny ties were the norm.  It begs the question: Did the popularity of Mad Men help usher in this new skinny tie era?  I sure hope it was more Mad Men and Bill Maher than Seacrest, to be honest.

If there's one thing The Preppy Handbook taught me (and yes, I know it was satire, but there are some kernels of truth in it) it's that high quality, classic clothes never go out of style.  A Brooks Brothers suit or blazer will never go out of style.  A blue (or white) oxford-cloth dress shirt will always be classy, a silk repp tie will always look smart.  I still have a pair of cordovan Bass Weejuns from high school and a few nice, basic Brooks Brothers silk ties that I wore to school dances twenty years ago and still look good.  Not 'that looks alright' good, but 'I could wear this to a wedding tomorrow' good and they've lasted because they're well-built and timeless.  I don't like having to replace basic elements of my wardrobe, the staples.  I may never be called stylish but I'll also never be called trendy or out of style and I'm totally O.K. with that. 

How about you? Do you own any skinny ties yet, or maybe you still have some from last time?  Would you rather be at the forefront of clothing trends or lag behind? What fashion trend are you most ashamed of embracing?  Which one needs to come back?

Comments

[Mike]

I've never been one to embrace any sort of fashion, and it probably shows. I wear khaki pants and polo shirts at work, and t-shirts and jeans on the weekend (with occasional exceptions). I own one suit that I've had for 7 years. Clothes are typically only replaced after a catastrophic event such as a hole developing in the butt or crotchular area, or when I spill a quart of spaghetti sauce on myself. My annual clothing budget is probably 1/8th of what some people spend on coffee.

[Andy]

Can I just tell you that Mad Men is pretty much the only TV show I watch anymore? Drinking heavily (and openly) in the office ... treating women like livestock ... smoking wherever and whenever you damn well pleased ... ah, those were the days, even if the ties were skinny.

Personally, I don't mind the Kennedy-era skinny tie. It's got a Devo-esque geeky charm to it. The skinny knit ties popular in the 80s are another story though -- when they make a comeback then fashion armageddon may well be at hand.

[Chris M.]

Well, I have a few comments here. The latest issue of Details, ironically with Seacrest on the cover, devoted an article to the skinny tie being overdone. This means it was actually overdone at least 3 months ago. I think the skinny tie always has a place and for some it has always been in style. Certainly, not every tie sold in stores or worn on tv today has to be skinny or should be.

Trends like this suck. I personally admire guys like Calvin Klein who design and more importantly for me, wear things that are classic and timeless. I like to attempt to be light on the trendy and I'm pretty happy with that.

As for Seacrest, I'm mostly okay with him as a fashion icon. Between Ryan and Timberlake the vest emerged as a legitimate garment for men of all ages and in my view, that's a good thing. That has also been done to death and was and probably is a little overly trendy but I enjoyed the ride.

[Jeff]

But is there really such a thing as classic fashion? I bet people in the 90s thought they were being 'classic' when they wore Levi's 501s and turtlenecks - but have you watched Seinfeld or Friends lately? They look frumpy and over-clothed. Also, did they really need to tuck *everything* in?

So, I attest fashion is relative and comes in cycles. What you claim is classic today will look ridiculous in 15 years time.

For me, I'm really into the whole Harold & Maude big striped tie thing going on now. Skinny ties are more of a teenager mod look here.

[Jay]

Ken, this is your chance to be cutting edge and start a bolo tie trend. Or maybe skip ties all together and sport the 80's men's broach look. Worked well for Duckie in Pretty In Pink.

I agree with Jeff about Seinfeld, Elaine and Jerry couldn't look more uncool. Bad hair, bad clothes, and way too much tucking. The soundtrack is timeless too; )

[ken]

Mike- While my budget is considerably more than yours, I do tend to hold onto clothes until they are threadbare. I recently had to part with flannel shirts I had owned since college, only because of their condition.

Andy- It's funny, I haven't even seen Mad Men yet but I've heard great things.

Chris- Welcome back. I agree with you about Calvin Klein and timelessness. About Seacrest and Timberlake, we'll have to agree to disagree. Your style has always been classic with trendier accents.

Jeff- I beg to differ about there not being such a thing as classic fashion. There are male elements of style that never lose their cache.

Khaki pants or chinos never expire (pleats do), nor do blue blazers, oxford shirts, silk ties with subtle patterns or stipes, grey flannel wool suits, wool 3/4 length wool topcoats, cashmere v-neck sweaters, wing tips or loafers. More casually, you can't got wrong with a pair of well worn jeans (not acid washed), a jean jacket, white or solid colored pocket t-shirts and tasteful madras shirts in the summer. Chuck Taylors, Jack Purcells, Stan Smiths and Rod Lavers are all timeless casual shoes that have never been 'in' or 'out' but always look good.

So see, there are plenty of classic styles that never expire. Feel free to quibble with any of those.

[Jeff]

Blazers, oxford cloth shirts, and loafers are great for visits to the Bushwood Country Club, but you need something for that snazzy new Tapas bar, right? Distressed denim jeans, Campers and a cool t-shirt, say from Quiet Life or Fooey, can be just the ticket. You need to stay up-to-date to keep the ladies happy!

And I haven't been to the Blue Oyster Bar in years, so my jean jacket has been relegated to the back of the closet ;-)

[ken]

The snazzy new Tapas bar? That reference is about as dated as a Members Only jacket, you could go out for fondue dessert afterwards. If you wanna pay $150 for pre-ripped jeans, be my guest. Ditto the $200 a pair of Campers costs, thankfully they'll wear out before they go out of style, which is about a year or two. I'll keep my $30 Jack Purcells, timeless and long-lasting. I will gladly fork over dough for a Fooey t-shirt though.

[Kent]

Skinny ties always look cool but I've given up on keeping my ties up to date with the latest width. That's why I buy all my ties at Walgreens.

[Jeff]

oooh snap - manbags at dawn!

My point is that dressing fashionably does not have to be equated with frivolity. Sometimes it's appropriate - and, more importantly, chicks dig it.

[Scotty]

I'm going to go all Fred from Scoobie Doo and start a neckerchief trend.

[Jen]

Wow. I've never seen this many dudes argue about clothing. . .

[ken]

Jen-
And according to Jeff, it's all in the name of babes...

[Jeff]

Don't even get us started on hairstyles...

[Erin]

I am pretty tired of leggings, even though I'm guilty of rocking them on a regular basis. That's a girl thing I guess. Dudes could stand to lose the ironic moustache.

[Erin]

I am pretty tired of leggings, even though I'm guilty of rocking them on a regular basis. That's a girl thing I guess. Dudes could stand to lose the ironic moustache.