# How long until women commonly wear ties? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 7, 2010, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-women-commonly-wear-ties/538608 "2010-05-07T05:50:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-women-commonly-wear-ties/538608/41 "2010-05-08T03:24:39Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-women-commonly-wear-ties/538608/42 "2010-05-08T05:16:48Z")
: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. ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-women-commonly-wear-ties/538608/43 "2010-05-08T18:17:05Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-women-commonly-wear-ties/538608/44 "2010-05-08T18:52:28Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-women-commonly-wear-ties/538608/45 "2010-05-08T18:58:57Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > We Brit girls grow up dressing like [this](http://www.harrymedia.com/img/details.php?image_id=34851) Rowr. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-women-commonly-wear-ties/538608/46 "2010-05-08T19:28:56Z")
> [@Susanann](#): > > \ > 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. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-women-commonly-wear-ties/538608/47 "2010-05-08T19:37:39Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-women-commonly-wear-ties/538608/48 "2010-05-09T01:35:11Z")
> [@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. 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: [Necktie - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necktie#Health_and_safety_hazard) ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-women-commonly-wear-ties/538608/49 "2010-05-09T02:03:58Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-women-commonly-wear-ties/538608/50 "2010-05-09T02:38:28Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![nicole1912](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de0a6/32.png) [@nicole1912](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicole1912)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-women-commonly-wear-ties/538608/51 "2010-05-09T13:24:19Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > 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… ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-women-commonly-wear-ties/538608/52 "2010-05-09T17:07:07Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-women-commonly-wear-ties/538608/53 "2010-05-10T08:35:16Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-women-commonly-wear-ties/538608/54 "2010-05-10T14:58:50Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-women-commonly-wear-ties/538608/55 "2010-05-10T15:10:27Z")
Hmm, I think skinny ties look cute on chicks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-women-commonly-wear-ties/538608.md?page=2)