Comments on Christopher Frizzelle: Trendsetter

But Dan, a tie while wearing sneakers is not what anyone can call classy (ie look at Mr Frizzelle)

Now Justin Timberlake does it with class.

I wore corporate drag (suit, tie, etc)for years. Never again - except for those occassional forays into formality (weddings, funerals, Canlis, etc).

Not only are ties a pain in the ass, they are ridiculously expensive. Women bitch (and rightfully so) about the expense and discomfort of pantyhose, but ties are every bit as expensive and uncomfortable as hose (and yes, I've worn pantyhose, so I know from where I speak)

Slowly choking to death is fashionable again, OK. Time to tighen up the corset, sinch up the belt and buy shoes 1 1/2 sizes too small. Can I wear my gimp suit to work?

A tie doesn't choke you if your shirt fits properly. If you really can't stand the feeling, try an ascot. You can get really great old Tootle ones from England on Ebay.co.uk for a few dollars (search for "cravat").

I like to wear a tie just to freak out the hippies I work with. Every time, it's the same: "ooh, when's your job interview?"

I love wearing ties. Too bad I work in the woods and have no need to wear them. . .

@2

Whaaaat?! Ties are not uncomfortable, and the look is worth the buck. The right tie with the right attire is dead sexy. They also have an (pretty much) unlimited lifespan, unlike panty hose.

What of the Banjo Paterson hat? That shit is where it's at.

Mr. Poe, I'm far too old to worry about looking sexy. But now that you mention it, I did get hit on alot in my necktie days.

But you are doubtless more coordinated than me when it comes to not staining one's tie. One false move, and there goes $150 down the drain.

You can attribute the upswing in tie sales to rock musicians wearing them, as well as the independant clothiers who make them. I found these cool, yet cheap ones around town at places like pretty parlor on cap hill:
http://www.angeleyesdesigns.net/about.html

this trend shall pass in one season.

in fact, its now been in the NYT, so: trend over.

@8: Who spends $150 on a fucking tie?

Well, if he's anything like me, he's probably splashed turmeric all over his shirt too. Tuck that napkin into your collar.

@11

A general price for an Armani silk tie will run you roughly $150. If you like it, buy it. If it will set you back a little, go to Macy's. It isn't about how much you spend, it's about the material and if you like the tie.

And to answer your question, people who have a sexual fetish for professional attire will pay $150 for a tie.

Ties are so last century.

Only a deadender wears one.

I buy my ties at Value Village.

Why not just wear a confederate flag? Same effect.

@11:

Well, people who think that wearing the "right kind" of tie will admit them into some secret corporate club for one.

In my last job, most of the execs (at least until the last year or so, when the CEO finally vetoed our daily business attire policy) would buy at least a half-dozen new ties every spring, to coincide with whatever color scheme/pattern was "in" amongst the "power tie" set. It was considered a major faux-pax to be caught dead wearing last year's "in" tie, which of course by then was "out".

As retaliation, I used to deliberately wear the most hideous ties I could find for $2.99 at Value Village (super wide 1970's "photo pattern" polyesters were some of my faves), as well as dopey ones with Bugs Bunny or The Three Stooges or whatever. They were ties, didn't sport any offensive images or messages, so there wasn't a darned thing anyone could do about it. After a while, it even became a kind of running joke in the office to see how I could outdo myself for "special occasions".

Funny thing was, the day we dropped the business attire policy, several of the most obsessive power tie-wearers practically garrotted themselves in their haste to remove their $200 Italian silk nooses, tossed them into their briefcases, and thereafter, except for the occasional out-of-office business meeting, I never saw any of them don one again.

Comte, maybe those guys' ties ended up at Value Village for, well not $2.99 - maybe $7.99.

When I worked at a certain downtown hotel that is now under new management, I was required to look a certain way: The right haircut, the right outfit, etc, etc, etc - all on $13 an hour.

I bitched and bitched and nagged and nagged (because that was the only thing they faulted me on on my reviews) and finally, instead of a raise, they gave me a "clothing allowance". Every six months I could go to Nordstrom and, with the help of a personal shopper, get tricked out to their specifications. That included the Nordy 2x2 dress shirts (I think that was the name) and the above-mentioned $150 ties. Otherwise, I would never had had one. That represented 1/4 of my rent in those days.

The gal who was my counterpart in the sales department had a similar arrangement where she could buy dresses for formal events that she had to attend at the dress shop on the arcade level of the hotel. But she hated that, as she thought it was all "old lady" clothes. She's in the secret service now.

@Mr. Poe

I was just shocked that anyone would drop that kind of money for a tie. You can get very nice ones, Italian silk and everything, for about $30 (the Bon) to $40 (Express).

@20

Yes, but different stores have different styles. Material comes second. Design first. (IMO)

You can always find something of the same quality for a lot less, regardless of what you're buying, but you can't always find something that looks exactly the same.

Lookin' polished is priceless. Especially when it concludes with rough, dish-breaking sex in the kitchen when you can't wait after walking through the door.

@21

If I wanted to spend $200 to get laid, I'd just turn to the back of the Stranger.

Gentlemen, SUIT UP!

@18:

Perhaps so, but I still wouldn't spend that much on one.

If I MUST wear a tie, I'll opt for one of my handful of 1940's vintage collar nooses - retro stylish, exceptional quality (it must be to have lasted this long), and frequently a conversation piece to boot.

@22

That's entirely different. Buying something for you to look fabulous in for the night(s), leading to sex with someone equally classy, someone you won't have to call and pay for, is priceless. And you get to keep your purchase.

The back of the Stranger requires a phone, a condom, maybe 2 condoms, $200 bucks for something probably as fulfilling as your hand + a little lube is a completely different sport. If it can even be called a sport.

Different folks, different strokes I guess.

Hunh. I'm 31 years old and still don't remember how to tie a tie. It's never been one of those things that I felt I needed to remember, especially since I wear one about once a year.

i had to wear a tie while making minimum wage, that sucks, at least if you have to wear a bourgeois noose i would appreciate to be compensated for the torture

@8 You are never to old be sexy dear : )

@14 Ties are not last century and before you give out fashion advice you might want to change your name, You're Will in FREMONT!

His WWJD tie is pretty bitchin'