# Black ties

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-ties/289784>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [February 12, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-ties/289784 "2005-02-12T20:54:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-ties/289784/1 "2005-02-12T20:54:10Z")

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I’m doing costumes for _Death of a Salesman_, and I need four black neckties. Anyone have any idea where I might be able to find them, preferably at stores that might be located in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia? (I don’t want to deal with the shipping time).

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**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-ties/289784/2 "2005-02-12T20:57:07Z")

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I was looking for one recently, and had a lot of trouble finding one. I got a cheap, ugly one at Wal-Mart, but later bought a nice high-quality one at a Men’s Wearhouse.

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-ties/289784/3 "2005-02-12T22:26:23Z")

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You could also get 4 decent thrift store ties for the backing, and sew them out of black polyester. IIRC neck tie patterns are fairly simple.

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-ties/289784/4 "2005-02-12T22:32:18Z")

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It wouldn’t be hard to make them, especially since they won’t be seen up-close.

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-ties/289784/5 "2005-02-12T23:20:50Z")

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Go to your local police/fire uniform supply store. They’ll have plain black and navy blue ties. They’ll also be polyester & fairly cheap.

If you can’t find such a store locally, here’s a link to a pilot uniform store that also sells them: [http://www.crewoutfitters.com/](http://www.crewoutfitters.com/) . The URL to the tie page wasn’t in a format that’d post properly here, so you’ll have to start from the home page link I posted. From there click on “Pilot Shop” on the main menu, and then “Uniforms” on the sub-menu. $7.95 in 6 styles.

If you decide you don’t like that dealer, Google on [pilot uniform tie] and you’ll have your choice of another hundred retailers.