Flashback 1987: Buying a tie - How to select one that suits you

     Lawyers are circumspect. While paid to speak, in court, they are also paid not to speak, at least not publicly, in almost every other situation.
     This would make me almost an anti-lawyer, in that I am paid to communicate constantly, and also do so on a pro bono basis, such as here. For fun.
     The general reticence of lawyers came up recently at home, when I showed a unpublished blog post to a certain young attorney mentioned in it, hoping he'd say, "Sure, go for it. Excellent work!" What he actually said was, "I'd rather you didn't." Or words to that effect. The moment evoked the memory of a long afternoon spent trying to find a lawyer who would provide the first quote in the story below. I had to knock on many doors, despite it being what I thought was a completely uncontroversial topic. Saying nothing is always safer.
    I was newly hired, writing for "The Adviser," a weekly section giving people tips on living their lives, necessary in that pre-Internet age. Now ties are hardly worn at all. Or if they are worn, are too often red, and you can wear one tied so long that it covers your fly and still be president. Bigsby & Kruthers went out of business in 2000.

 

 

     "Before the world sees your home, your automobile or your wife's jewelry, it sees your necktie."
                                                    — Montague

     Behold the common necktie. A simple strip of cloth, 56 inches long and — this year — about 3 1/4 inches wide. It serves no practical purpose, beyond covering the buttons at the front of the shirt.
     But a lot of symbolic weight is packed into those few square inches of fabric. When a man puts on a tie, he is donning his armor for the workplace.
     In comparison to the tie, the suit jacket is a mere accessory. Any CEO can doff his jacket, roll up his sleeves and run a meeting. But take off the tie, and he might as well grow three days' worth of beard and carry a pair of maracas.
     For example, no lawyer worth his writ would be caught, in or out of a courtroom, without a tie.
     "Law firms provide fairly expensive services to their clients," said David Crumbaugh, a partner in the law firm of Winston & Strawn. "They are selling those services, and at same time they are selling a certain image, of which a tie is a required part."
     Gene Silverberg, president and co-owner of Bigsby & Kruthers men's stores, feels so strongly about the importance of ties that he covered an entire wall of his new La Salle and Madison store with them, and says it is more important to buy a few suits with many ties, than many suits with few ties.
     "When you're looking at Michael," said Silverberg, using his hands to frame the area between senior vice president of merchandising Michael Karpik's chin and mid-chest, "you're looking right here. You concentrate on the shirt and tie. That's the focal point, the power zone."
     Power is an important word when it comes to neckties. Just take a glance at the televised Iran/Contra hearings and you'll see a parade of power ties, their colors and patterns carefully selected to give an impression of professionalism — and honesty.
     "Teal is a powerful color," said Karpik, the tie-buyer for the Bigsby & Kruthers stores. "Pinks are still hot, or yellows. People want the power look."
     Not only do men wear ties for power, they wear them to be distinctive, to stand out from the crowd.
     "Men are getting a little more daring for business wear," said Bill Gardner, owner of Besley Tie Shops. "Reds and yellows are still very popular, but we're seeing a lot more pastels."
     Be forewarned. It is easy to get in trouble with a tie. If you tie it too short, or too long, the most expensive tie will seem ridiculous (ideally, the tip of your tie should just crest over your belt buckle). A little extra haste in the morning, and you'll leave your clients asking themselves, "How is this guy going to manage my assets if he can't tuck his tie under his collar in the back?"
     Ties come in thousands of patterns and varieties. When choosing one, you need to keep two things in mind: what the tie will be used for, and whether the tie is right for you.
     "There are ties for getting a raise and ties for getting a date," said Silverberg, holding up a red silk tie with small emblems. "Now, some people would wear this on a date, even though it isn't a tie for a date. It's a tie for the office."
     Silverberg then pointed to a rich, glittering tie with inlaid patterns of silver and purple. "Now this tie says: `Friday night, work's over. . . .' "
     If you have a difficult time matching the various elements of your wardrobe, selecting ties with a variety of colors in them can make the task easier.
     "For instance, this tie will pick up a gray suit, a blue suit, a yellow shirt, yellow socks," Karpik said, holding up a pink tie with medallions of pink, blue, burgundy, gray, teal and yellow.
     Silverberg said to be creative when selecting ties by giving classic styles a slight twist. Set yourself apart from the crowd and still appear well-dressed by wearing a tie with large single paisleys or oversized medallions.
     "The whole dress-for-success thing turned out to be bad," said Silverberg. "All these rules for business dressing were created and the result was complete anonymity.
     "We always encourage a little flair. You don't make waves, but you can make ripples."
     There are several tests of quality when buying a tie. Hold the tie in the middle and let the wide end hang. If the tie does not hang straight, but twists, that's a sign the inner lining is too tight, or not sewn properly. The tie won't hang right on your neck, either.
     Another test is take the tie, seam side up, and hold it in the middle with both hands, between the thumb and curled fingers. With a light grip, slowly run the tie through your fingers. The lining in a quality tie will not bunch up.
     Judging the quality of a tie by how many gold stripes are on the white lining sounds like one of those urban myths, but it is a valid test. The best, heaviest lining has six gold stripes. Lesser qualities have fewer stripes. Turn the tie over and gently fold back the ends to expose the lining and the stripes.
     Ties can be made of numerous materials: silk, wool, polyester, cotton. Which material makes the best tie is a personal decision and the subject of some debate.
     "I've been making ties since 1940, and peddling ties before, so I should know something about ties," said Irving Wolfmark, 79, founder of the Wolfmark Neckwear Co., holding up his own maroon polyester tie. "When a person buys a polyester tie or polyester silk tie, they find satisfaction. The tie holds its shape, comes up like new after you clean it.
     "People go for silk because it is more expensive," Wolfmark continued, "but if a silk tie gets a spot, you have to throw it away. The most practical tie for someone who wears a tie everyday is a polyester tie."
     Bigsby & Kruthers, on the other hand, doesn't stock polyester.
     "There's no virtue in having a polyester tie," said Silverberg.
     "My customers don't put their ties in washing machines. I don't want to be a snob, but there is a certain resilience to silk. It's natural. The best manufacturers in the world, the ones with the most interesting patterns and designs, don't use polyester. A polyester tie is very utilitarian and a silk tie is very artful."
     One kind of tie you should never buy, unless you are a policeman or a lathe operator, is a clip-on tie. Clip-ons are fashion death, and unless required by your job, they should be disposed of after adolescence.
     "Throw them away," said Karpik. "They're good for 9-year-olds at Sunday school. That's it. After grammar school, it's time to get a real tie."
           — Originally published in the Sun-Times, May 31, 1987