After swearing off ties 20 years ago I find myself needing one for my granddaughter’s wedding. Got a nice shirt and pants, shoes are OK so I’ll toss 20 bucks in my pocket and get a tie. In my dreams.
Walmart, Target, JC Penny - no ties. At. All. Lady says they can’t get them, haven’t had much in months. Hmm. There is a Macy’s and Dillards at the mall. Tried Macy’s first - plenty of ties. The cheapest one is $59.99. Gulp. So I tried Dillards. They did have a few for $40 but not any good colors.They went up to $89. Then I spotted their 7 Fold Tie. Goddam it’s $120 bucks! When I got home I searched online for 7 Fold Ties. Holy cow, the $120 dollar version must be junk. I saw some for $285 and stopped searching.
Then I remembered my wife’s favorite store for designer clothes, the Volunteers of America thrift store. They had hundreds of ties and I got a beautiful burgundy patterned tie for my blue shirt. Two Bucks, cash American.
Yeah, from what I understand, tie-wearing is far less frequent nowadays. There are probably plenty of pre-owned ties out there that belonged to people who died, retired, or just started dressing more casual. Check garage sales, thrift stores, or ebay.
My first response was “thrift shop”. Hubby still wears ties a few times a week and has found some great ones there.
Another good place for them for people who don’t like pre-owned is the discount department stores like Marshall’s and TJ Maxx. My son had to wear them in high school and got himself a few name brand ones for under $20 each.
I was killing time on a business trip and wandered into a Bulgari store. Apparently they sell $250 ties.
I dribble food when I eat. No thanks. I think mine came from Kohl’s or the like.
Oh I know what they are, having heard the spiel from the Bulgari guy and pawed through their collection with my grubby hands. Better fabric or designs I get. Extra folds and material I cannot see, I don’t.
Wow, how do kids afford to give Dad a tie for Father’s day and his birthday and Christmas??? We gifted our dad with many over the years, and I don’t think they were that expensive (allowing for inflation.)
I’ve got a truly beautiful tie collection from when I used to wear them. Some are even handmade. They’re just hanging on a closet door, waiting for me to die.
Back in the late 1970s, I was working an office job that required me to wear a tie daily. Hm. But the local discount department store had them for $3.99 each, so I got a few, and wore them to work. They weren’t terribly great quality, being some kind of synthetic, but they served me well.
I visited New York City in 1979, and was shocked to see that Saks Fifth Avenue had ties for $35! Who would pay $35 for a tie?
Flash forward to now. I still need a tie for work (I’m a lawyer, and a jacket and tie is required in the courtroom), and think nothing of paying $60 or more for a tie. Cost of doing business, I guess; and times change.
Yeah, my first thought was “thrift store”, too. Sometimes you can find some nice very vintage ties… and I’m not talking 70’s vintage either.
The ties at the local Kohl’s are crazy pricy now, too. The ones I may see at Target or Ross all seem to be weird skinny ones to go with the weird slim fit suits in fashion now. (I don’t think they look good on even thin young guys. Oh- and wear some socks, punk!)
It’s funny; I never saw as many people in suits and ties as when I was in the local courthouse for jury duty. I still have a couple of shoeboxes of ties, but haven’t worn one regularly for decades. In fact, the one I’ve worn most frequently lately was the solid black one I bought for funerals. And I bought one specifically because it was designed by Jerry Garcia and I thought the irony was fun.
A few years ago I happened to be in Naples, Italy. I found a store with really nice ties for pretty cheap. I bought three. However, I hardly ever get a chance to wear them nowadays.
I agree with gkster, there are usually plenty of ties to select from at TJ Maxx or Marshalls or Ross… and if you’re not particularly good at coordinating outfits (and don’t necessarily need superior quality) then they usually have relatively inexpensive shirt+tie sets as well.
At least it uses more material and several hours of labor to help justify the high price. A search online turned up some 7 Fold Ties for $485 and I bet there are ones that are higher.
I wonder if the flashy guys at the office help each other out by pointing out their 7 Folds. “Sharp lookin’, Bob! Is that a 7 Fold Tie?” “Oh, yeah, forgot I was wearing one. Say, are you hangin’ one also?” Or catty remarks like, “I hear Smith went in for the vice president interview wearing a 5 fold. Christ, no wonder he didn’t get the job.”
I kind of like ties, even still after everyone started dressing like coders, but only when the temperature is fairly cool (not here!). Though I have paid moderate amounts, I consider matching the pattern and colour to be much more important than brand, providing the material is nice. It almost always is. You could buy several silk ties for a dollar at a Chinese market, and thrift stores sometimes have nice ones. I’d only buy new, now, if there was something particularly novel about it. This does not include marketing gimmicks, “gold threads” and the like.
The idea was not to belittle coders but to come up with a concise way of implying casual dress. There’s nothing wrong with comfy clothes. There’s nothing wrong with dapper dress, either. Do whatever you want (but try to refrain from preaching to others how your way is the only one. In the right setting, both are still conformist.)
