1938: Length of Ties

[anon`]

Hmmm... I might've been a bit hasty. I just took a quick survey of a bunch of '30s- and '40s-vintage ties in my meagre collection. While the length isn't uniform by any means, I'd say that they are all, tip-to-tip, within a six in range of lengths. They all seem to be anywhere from six to ten inches shorter than modern ties I own.

So on that front, my perceived differences in length may have more to do with the time I've been spending in the gym recently than anything else

It also appears that pretty much every vintage necktie I own is contructed of two pieces, stitched around the midpoint of the tie.

[huh]

(And untucked shirts? Ugh... you'd expect more from someone with style enough to wear a waistcoat!)

 

[BellyTank]

Contrast the "short tie/high waist trouser" with the "modern" ('80s on)
look, of low waisted dress pants, braces and tie past the trouser waistband.

This modern look has a reversed æsthetic- elongating the torso and shortening the legs- "the Clown look", the upside down man. Ridiculous.

The styles of the '30s made the most of the male form.


B
T

 

[SteveN]

As an aside ...

This thread exemplifies what's so good about this joint -- people who know little can pose what might seem naive questions without fear they'll be ridiculed for their ignorance.

Oi! You talking about me? :eusa_doh:

Ok, here's another one then Fancy Buttons on Trousers.

SteveN

 

[Trotsky]

In light of my previous post: I am wearing a dark blue, red polka-dot '70s polyester tie of death today. Honestly, it seems to be a little shorter than the modern ties I own.
The knot I have is really, really thick too. Awesome!

 

[JimInSoCalif]

slightly fftopic:
Gentlemen, What is your opinion of the current trend of wearing one's shirt untucked beneath a buttoned vest or waistcoat?

Is it done to keep ones undergarment from exposure because the wearer is about to lose their trousers?

From photos I have seen of younger men clubbing, that look does not require a vest nor even a proper jacket and sometimes the shirt is only half untucked. I don't have the slightest notion why that looks good to people and I always wonder how those trends get started.

Btw, I think a club is what we used to call a bar and there was no verb form of the word unless it was combined with another word such as 'bar hopping' which really has a slightly different meaning.

Cheers, Jim.

 

[tonyb]

Oi! You talking about me? :eusa_doh: [/URL].

SteveN

I was referring as much to my own naive questions as anyone else's. Believe me, I'd much, much rather a person (such as myself) ask honest questions that might betray real ignorance than pretend to possess an expertise he doesn't really have. We get some not-quite-accurate posts around here, and a few that are downright wrong, but those are almost always honest errors. And those who know better generally find a way to correct the record without taking on a superior tone.

 

[V-Sweetheart]

dogrocketp through v-sweetheart

I started selling menswear in 1968. The length of ties has remained constant since then. I wear my high school ties until they wear out. The width may change, but the length has not.The old rule was to have the tie touch the top of the belt. We wore hiphuggers as dress pants in Boston at the time. they had to be longer to look at least passable. They were always made out of two pieces of silk, with the stitched seam in the middle of the back of the neck. They were sometimes very short even with the longer lengths.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Looms had nothing to do with it. While they were indeed a fairly standard width, the material produced could be any length. You may have been stuck with material 60"/5' wide, but that piece of fabric could be hundreds of feet long.

And as Reet mentioned, ties from two pieces of material joined at the middle aren't uncommon.

You can get the look of a shorter tie by the knot you tie. Four-in-hand is the most common, but using a half-Windsor or full-Windsor or other knots can decrease the hang length of ties substantially.