How long until women commonly wear ties?

[MichaelEmouse]

So I was watching this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJE_Sc1Wags

and I thought: That looks good. I wonder if ties will go the way of pants in terms of gender.

It might sound ridiculous but less than 100 years ago, it just wasn't done for women to wear pants yet now that's commonly accepted. In more formal settings, a woman might wear a dress shirt with a pant suit; just the same as a man except for the tie. Women sometimes wear ties with non-suit outfits although they're most often loosely worn.


In terms of incentives:
Ties are an accessory and many are pretty.

Pant suits with ties are the outfit that looks the most professional, which might be an advantage in formal/business settings. I did interviews in law firms and women commonly didn't look as professional as the men. They took more liberties and it ended up looking much more casual. They looked like they were on a date or going to a bar/lounge.

[Der Trihs]

Hopefully never, but then I don't like ties on men either.

Pants and ties don't compare very well, because pants have practical advantages over skirts; while wearing a tie has no practical advantages over not wearing one. The opposite if anything; a tie can easily get caught up in machinery and such.

[missred]

Ties for men are more or less one of their few accessories in business wear and they're becoming less common in today's workplace.

Women in a professional or office environment have always had and used a more acceptable variety of accessories than men.

With the casualization of workplace dress for both genders, I can't see a tie becoming the norm for women.

[Celyn]

Heck, no. It seemed stupid enough to have to wear ties at school, so I won't be volunteering to take up that habit.

[Girl From Mars]

Every so often there is a bit of a trend in dressing masculine, with magazine spreads featuring brogues, wide leg trou, waistcoats and ties. It's a look - but it's never going to become mainstream everyday wearing. We know they are out there, in general we just don't want to wear them.

[Autolycus]

Women don't have dicks, and thusly they won't wear ties.

(I heard ties originated as a form of napkin, but I still think they somewhat emulate the dingledongle, whether in anatomy or in culture, and therefore they will never be commonly-seen womens-wear. (I do think they look hot in the right context however, see Vocaloid Miku.))

[nicole1912]

We had to wear ties at school - it's led to me having to tie ties for several men who have no idea how to do their own.

I quite like them, but to be honest, if I wanted something round my neck, I'd wear a necklace. I think that's the female equivalent, and there's no real reason to swap to ties that I can see.

[Dangerosa]

Every so often there is a bit of a trend in dressing masculine, with magazine spreads featuring brogues, wide leg trou, waistcoats and ties. It's a look - but it's never going to become mainstream everyday wearing. We know they are out there, in general we just don't want to wear them.

Yep - the Annie Hall look. It sticks for a few years. Goes away. The women's fashion industry is built on trends - ties don't change enough for the industry. And I suspect that the women's fashion industry is giving women what they want - which is something 'different' every few years.

[Perciful]

Women don't have dicks, and thusly they won't wear ties.

(I heard ties originated as a form of napkin, but I still think they somewhat emulate the dingledongle, whether in anatomy or in culture, and therefore they will never be commonly-seen womens-wear. (I do think they look hot in the right context however, see Vocaloid Miku.))

:cool: Makes sense to me!

[SanVito]

I think many women probably find them a bit butch. I might wear one occasionally if I was straight, as they can look great with the right combo, but as I'm a lesbian, I really don't need 'spot the dyke' splashed across my chest.

[salinqmind]

What an odd question, why on earth do you think women might commonly wear ties, now or in the future? One of the few advantages of being a woman is being able to dress in a wide range of fashions, from casual to formal. Besides, wasn't there a dressing-formally-for-business fad in the 70's where women were expected to wear pinstripe suits (with modest length skirts) to the office with that white blouse with ascot (not a necktie, but part of the blouse) under the suit jacket?....In the 60's I recall wearing a paisley miniskirt and coordinated blouse, with different color collar and cuffs, and the blouse actually came with a little knitted necktie. Cute as heck! I believe since the fashion was from England, it had something to do with the influence of English public school dress?

[Dangerosa]

I think many women probably find them a bit butch. I might wear one occasionally if I was straight, as they can look great with the right combo, but as I'm a lesbian, I really don't need 'spot the dyke' splashed across my chest.

I wear them occasionally and am straight. I also usually wear sensible shoes and I used to drive a Subaru. And I wear my hair short. This has been known to cause confusion.

[badbadrubberpiggy]

I think most men wouldn't wear them, either, except when they have to.

Ties can look great on some women as a fashion statement, but I don't think they'll ever be something most women just wear to work or a formal event as a matter of course. Even the women who do wear ties as fashion don't wear them like men do - they often wear them loose and over a more open shirt, not tied at the neck over a fully-buttoned dress shirt.

[TruCelt]

I forsee men giving up ties, rahter than women adopting them. We seem to be moving toward a more comfortable, unisex st of garments. I commonly see a man and woman in the same day wearing the same polo short and khakis. His shoes generally look more comfortable.

[Fuzzy Dunlop]

I think most men wouldn't wear them, either, except when they have to.


As a group, men wear them less and less often, too. That's the number 1 reason women will never wear ties regularly. You have a strong trend toward men needing to wear ties for fewer and fewer occasions, there's no reason to think women will trend the opposite direction into uncharted tie wearing territory.

[BrotherCadfael]

I'm going to say -33 years (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075686/).

[silenus]

Another vote for "Never." Ties are going away, just not fast enough.

[Acsenray]

Ties will become extinct for men (I'm guessing this is going to happen relatively soon) before they become common for women.

[Queen Tonya]

Ties are generally worn with buttoned up shirts, so women adopting this would mean the End of Cleavage, no? :eek:

[Broomstick]

In terms of incentives:
Ties are an accessory and many are pretty.

Ties are a noose you willingly tie around your own neck. I don't care how pretty they are, that's still what they are. I'd happily see them dispensed with for men, much less women.

[Bridget Burke]

Ties on women were, in fact, seen during the darkest days of Dress for Success, accompanying skirted suits, tailored shirts, pantyhose & sensible pumps. Check out the first picture of Kathy Whitmire (http://blogs.chron.com/houstonpolitics/2009/10/a_face_from_the_past_comes_thr_1.html), elected Houston's mayor in 1981. (She got razzed for looking like Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie.)

Once women began to be taken seriously, the look evolved into Power Dressing for Women: suits or dresses that did not try to hide every evidence of femininity. Elegant pantsuits were another option.

Now, most business environments require less formal dress for both sexes. No more ties! Women may wear slacks. Those of us who still like skirts have mostly dumped pantyhose--especially here in steamy Houston. Let me state that it's great to dress more casually--but it's still possible to show a bit of style & avoid looking like a slob!

There's still a place for more formal dress. I hope every gentleman has a well-tailored suit for certain occasions. And I'll gladly add control-top pantyhose to my dress-up ensembles. But those occasions don't demand I try to look like a guy.

(Check out second picture in the link above to see Kathy Whitmire today. She now lives in Hawaii.)

[Skammer]

I wear a tie to church occasionally, but never to work (and I work in a professional office environment). I think ties for men will all but go away completely before women start wearing them regularly. A better poll would be "When will men stop commonly wearing ties?"

[guizot]

I don't think ties are going away for men as quickly as some have said (hoped) upthread. I'm sure everyone here is familiar with the man at work who has only one way to show the world that he's a wild and crazy guy: by wearing a tie with cartoons or something on it. Social convention implies that he'd do some much more wacky if, alas, he only could.

Would you rather he come to work in a top hat and tails, or dressed as a Klingon?

[purplehorseshoe]

Women have enough to do without having to learn to tie a tie on themselves.

In fact, the very 1st post said pretty much what first popped into my mind when I saw the thread. There's no practical reason women would start using them.

[JohnT]

:(

This thread makes me sad.

I like ties. I wear one every Friday to work - I call it "Dress Up Friday". The tie I'm wearing now is one I bought at the symphony, with musical instruments and notes on it. Goes great with my green long-sleeved shirt.

OTOH, I'm quite glad that my tie-wearing is voluntary and that business wear has become far more casual since the 1970s (I "blame" silicon valley CEO chic for this, though that's not the only reason business dress became more casual).

(I voted "Never").

[Acsenray]

Why should it make you sad? You're free to keep wearing whatever pleases you.

[alice_in_wonderland]

Never.

The draw of pants is obvious - they're more comfortable, offer greater range of movement, allow women to participate in tasks that they couldn't with a skirt (or could but with difficulty).

Ties offer no such benefit. They look ok, but not better than other accessories than women already wear. I predict they will continue to be worn occasionally by women making a statement.

[JohnT]

Why should it make you sad? You're free to keep wearing whatever pleases you.

Because so many are anti-tie and I just don't get the hate. I also don't want to see the fashion die out either.

[Cat Whisperer]

I hated Annie Hall, I hate Diane Keaton, I hate the way she dressed in that movie, and I hate ties on women. I also voted "Never."

[Tastes of Chocolate]

I can't imagine a tie looking good an a large busted woman. Unless a tie-tac was used to keep the bottom of the tie attached to the shirt, the end of a tie would hang out away from the stomach/shirt.

Nope, never.

[Merneith]

Women commonly wore ties during the 1890-1910 period. It was especially common with casual sportswear, such as bicycling or golfing. Women wore both bow ties and straight ties, with a cotton shirt and dark skirts. Boater hats were popular with the look.

Here's a well known Sargent portrait featuring the look -

Portrait of Mr. & Mrs. Isaac Newton Phelps-Stokes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MrMrsINPhelpsStokes1897.JPG

I think that ties for women will come and go, but ties for men are slowly going the way of the top hat.

[guizot]

Women have enough to do without having to learn to tie a tie on themselves.I'm surprised how many do know how to put on a tie.

I was talking to a woman once who, while describing to me a frustrating experience she'd had with the DMV, reached up to my tie, undid it, and retied it perfectly, without skipping a beat in her complaint.

Apparently at that moment she couldn't stop herself from showing me how to "really" tie a tie.

[Guinastasia]

Because so many are anti-tie and I just don't get the hate. I also don't want to see the fashion die out either.

It's not stopping YOU from wearing a tie, so who gives a shit?

The only time I wore a tie was when I was in high school and we had "cross-dressing day" during Spirit Week. I borrowed one of my dad's. Other than that? Never. (Well, unless I was dressing up for Halloween as a Hogwarts student)

[MichaelEmouse]

Never:96 votes.
Within the century: 3 votes.
Within one generation: 1 vote.

So clearly it's a toss-up.

[MacTech]

Personally, I'm all for the complete and utter thermonuclear vaporization of *ALL* hangman's nooses, errr... ties, I hate the smegging things

If someone (male or female) wants to wear one of their own free will, without any coercion, that's fine by me, but the "requirement" of the noose needs to die a painful, agonizing death, ties serve no functional purpose and are nothing more than a silly, irrelevant cosmetic affectation

DEATH to the tie! may it burn forever in Hades....

[Zsofia]

Even the military doesn't make women wear men's ties, because ties plus breasts look really stupid.

[MacTech]

I clicked the wrong option, I initially read it as "how long until ties are extinct", given the actual question, put me down as "never"

[GuanoLad]

I think men will stop wearing ties before women start, in which case by that time nobody will wear ties.

I await that day with great anticipation.

[davidm]

I hope they go away for everybody. Fortunately, I don't have to wear one in my current job. They did require them for a short period, but now we have polo shirts with the company logo.

When I have to have that top button buttoned I feel like I'm choking and the damned tie just adds to that. That choking sensation does NOT increase my productivity.

Edited to add this Wikipedia link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necktie#Health_and_safety_hazard

[MichaelEmouse]

David,

I get my shirts 0.5 or even 1 size oversized e.g.: my neck is 15.5 inches so I get 16'' or 16.5'' collars. I need to have the shirts adjusted but I'd do that anyway.

Also, not buttoning up the top button and covering it up with a full Windsor knot works well.

[davidm]

I generally don't button the button, but pulling the knot up to cover it still chokes me. People can wear them if they like, but it should not be a requirement. Apparently there may be real health concerns.

[JohnT]

:rolleyes: "Health concerns". Surely you're shitting us, right?

People, if the tie is "choking" you, you're not tying it properly. It's that simple.

[Susanann]

How long until women commonly wear ties?.

Never.

YOur question tells you the answer.

A woman might wear a tie, to be different, and only to have a different look.

Tell a woman that a dozen other women at some function will be wearing ties, and she will NOT wear one even if she originally planned to do so.

Real women don't wear uniforms.............men do.

[SanVito]

I'm surprised how many do know how to put on a tie.

I was talking to a woman once who, while describing to me a frustrating experience she'd had with the DMV, reached up to my tie, undid it, and retied it perfectly, without skipping a beat in her complaint.

Apparently at that moment she couldn't stop herself from showing me how to "really" tie a tie.

Maybe she was British LOL. We Brit girls grow up dressing like this (http://www.harrymedia.com/img/details.php?image_id=34851), we ALL know how to tie a tie.

Actually, I rather miss that look.

[Acsenray]

We Brit girls grow up dressing like this (http://www.harrymedia.com/img/details.php?image_id=34851)

Rowr.

[Cat Whisperer]

<snip>
Real women don't wear uniforms.............men do.
I was going to comment on the broadbrushiness of this, but when I thought about it, I realized you're more right than wrong. Take sports apparel - my husband has a sports logo on damned near everything he wears (and it has to be the *right* one, of course). I could live the rest of my life without wearing a piece of clothing with a logo on it.

[SanVito]

Rowr.

I know.

It's the reason that these parties (http://www.schooldisco.co.uk/pictures/latest_pics_at_facebook_fan_page) are popular in the UK.

[davidm]

:rolleyes: "Health concerns". Surely you're shitting us, right?

People, if the tie is "choking" you, you're not tying it properly. It's that simple.Did you see the Wikipedia link in my previous post? There are issues in certain settings, and there may be other issues. It's certainly not something I lose sleep over, just pointing it out.

Edited to add link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necktie#Health_and_safety_hazard

[Lamia]

I voted never because, as others have said, it's not even all that common for men to wear ties anymore. I consider it a lot more likely that in 20-100 years hardly anyone will ever wear a tie.

FWIW I'm a woman and I own a couple of ties that I've worn occasionally a la Annie Hall, but I don't see it ever becoming a common accessory for women. Especially since you've really got to wear a vest, v-neck sweater, or a fairly high cut jacket with it, because a tie looks kind of dumb over a woman's breasts. Anyway, woman have a lot of other socially acceptable accessories we can wear on our upper bodies, and I don't see any advantage of a tie over a scarf.

[MichaelEmouse]

Maybe she was British LOL. We Brit girls grow up dressing like this (http://www.harrymedia.com/img/details.php?image_id=34851), we ALL know how to tie a tie.

Actually, I rather miss that look.

Is it public* school pupils or all school pupils who dress like this?



*In the screwed up British sense.

[nicole1912]

Is it public* school pupils or all school pupils who dress like this?



*In the screwed up British sense.

Most schools in the UK have school uniforms, as far as I know, whether they're state schools or independent schools. (Public schools are a small subset of independent - paid-for - schools. State schools are state funded.) It's been a while since I wore one, but all the winter school uniforms (mine changed uniforms for summer) I saw had ties. Maybe it varies by location, but no one I've talked to from other parts of the UK has ever said that particular aspect (in contrast to others) of my school was weird...

[SanVito]

Is it public* school pupils or all school pupils who dress like this?



*In the screwed up British sense.

ALL schools. There are some variations - in some schools, girls sometimes wear an open neck shirt or dress rather than a tie (I'm rather shocked that my old school (http://www.edgbastonhigh.co.uk/) now allows this variation - would never have happened in my day ;))

Basically, Britney Spears' first video wasn't so far away from standard school attire.

[Zoe]

I've had a tie since the 1990s. It's the Beatles "Yellow Submarine" tie and I couldn't resist. I have no idea where it is now. I'll dig around and see if I can find it.

I've known how to tie a tie since I was a senior in high school. Now and then I will put one of my scarves into a traditional knot.

[overlyverbose]

I'm female and I voted never, mostly because of wishful thinking (though truthfully I don't think they'll become all that popular). I think ties are ok on men, but I really, really don't like how they look on women.

Just my opinion, but I think they make women look far too androgynous, and a nice set of breasts or an elegant throat or clavicle can (and I think should) be tastefully played up, even in a business suit. And I'm not referring to cleavage by any means - the same thing can be achieved by a well-chosen necklace combined with a crisp shirt or decent-fitting sweater. However, if you have a nice set, why cover it up with a tie (my rule of thumb is that if I'd refuse to take off my jacket if I got too warm, I'm probably showing too much skin)? Also, ties on women can make the chest look bulky when you're well endowed and even smaller if you're not.

[MeanOldLady]

Hmm, I think skinny ties look cute on chicks.