Loosened ties...

[J. M. Stovall]

"You used to get detention or even the cane from some masters at my old school for loosened ties.
It must have worked as I don't do it. I'll just take the thing off."

I guess not at Hogwarts.

 

[Smithy]

Quite.

 

[LindyTap]

I don't think it looks all that bad. A lot of my friends, being typical young men, won't wear a tie unless it is loosened. They think it looks more casual, which of course today is thought of as synonymous with more cool. Personally, I don't do it, but I'd rather see people in loosened ties than no tie at all.

 

[Jay]

If it's the end of a long day and I'm drinking a cup of coffee at home, it's completely appropriate for my top button to be undone and my tie loosened. But like others, if I go out, it gets re-adjusted.

 

[Feraud]

Tell Sterling to straighten his tie and you might get the chair.

 

[Edward]

The far bigger sin, of course, is the number of young men who wander offices with their shirt tails hanging out and the sleeves rolled to the waist - looks all wrong with a suit to me!

I agree with those who say the real issue is whether it's natural or affected. One academic conference I attend every year has the full spectrum of folks, from those who wear a suit to those who wear a T shirt and jeans. nobody bats an eyelid at whatever, but there was one guy who showed up a couple of years wearing sandals, incredibly ratty jeans and a sloppy T shirt, self-conciously quoting Jello Biafra all over the shop. Dressing down to that extent in this case was most certainly a statement, a total pose, and I think that grated far more on many people than it would have had it simply been mere untidyness or a lack of awareness as to what was appropriate.

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

A loosened tie before 2 AM looks sloppy.

However, an untied bow tie draped around the neck at 4 AM is the height of Rat Pack swagger.

Or, more recently, the I-feel-like-I'm-James-Bond look.

Maybe we could make a fortune by selling regular bow ties as pre-untied™¬©¬Æ.

 

[CharlestonBows]

I dunno. Some of you fellas make some valid points. Then again, just because Frank does it doesn't mean every guy can do it -- or should.

To me, in private is one thing. But to intentionally tie a tie on, and then sloppily loosen it so that it creates some odd looking gap under your chin for the specific purpose of appearing in public is another. To me, it's like intentionally untying ones shoes, or leaving ones fly open. I dunno.

But I will agree with the conclusion that if a guy is at least opting to wear a tie, it's a start.

 

[CharlestonBows]

Or, more recently, the I-feel-like-I'm-James-Bond look.

Maybe we could make a fortune by selling regular bow ties as pre-untied™©®.

*begins to take notes furiously*... I might take that idea and run! If only I could get EON to give me a license at a good price... lol

 

[Jovan]

But to intentionally tie a tie on, and then sloppily loosen it so that it creates some odd looking gap under your chin for the specific purpose of appearing in public is another. To me, it's like intentionally untying ones shoes, or leaving ones fly open.

 

[Hammelby]

This trend is extremely popular in Denmark aswell!

I curl my toes in agnony when i see the open collar and loose tie with a double winsor knot.. unless if it is deliberately done to comunicate "I am hard a worked man and ready to go home". But to me, in general and especially on modern cool danish guys this really doesnt look good.

Dunno.. maby the "open-fly" fashion will the next "casual trend"?

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

To me, in private is one thing. But to intentionally tie a tie on, and then sloppily loosen it so that it creates some odd looking gap under your chin for the specific purpose of appearing in public is another. To me, it's like intentionally untying ones shoes, or leaving ones fly open. I dunno.

Not that different from a carefully groomed "unshaven" or three-day-beard look, is 't, or stone-washed and pre-torn jeans.

Or, and the ice I'm moving on gets thinner, leaving your waistcoat's lowermost button open.

 

[Jovan]

You guys do have a point there. But it is hard to put into words why some things just look right.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Gregory Peck

 

[Baron Kurtz]

You guys do have a point there. But it is hard to put into words why some things just look right.

It's actually very easy. A single word suffices: These things are "memes".

bk

 

[Twitch]

Depends on the context relative to the environment. If its 8:09 AM it's outta place. If it's 4:53PM after one mother of a day for the guy it's not. And since everyone's physiology is unique we know some produce more body heat under duress, tension or concentration. While you co-worker may be coll and collected after 9 hours of intense work you may have generated quite a bit of heat that can actually make you feel a bit faint. Of course a guy can't claim he has the vapors.

 

[Jovan]

It's actually very easy. A single word suffices: These things are "memes".

bk

LIES. ALL LIES I SAY.

 

[Gary Crumrine]

I wear bows, and very seldom leave one untied and dangling when I'm
working.

 

[carebear]

I'll loosen the tie and/or roll my sleeves (ink stains ) in my office. But if a client is coming in, or I step out of my office, I put it all back together.

Heck, if I didn't have windows I'd take off my pants to preserve the creases.

And because I like not wearing pants.

And yes, my shirt collars, like my waistbands, seem to be shrinking the longer I stay in my chair-bound job.

 

[CharlestonBows]

Not that different from a carefully groomed "unshaven" or three-day-beard look, is 't, or stone-washed and pre-torn jeans.

Or, and the ice I'm moving on gets thinner, leaving your waistcoat's lowermost button open.

Well, with the unshaven thing, that's an advance maneuver, for the under 26 crowd -- if you're older than 30 (and maybe its my youth on this one!) it just shouldn't be done. And if it's TOO scruffy, it ceases to be cool and starts to be lazy. Although I'm guilty of skipping a day from time to time.

With regard to the lower button on the waistcoat, that goes back to the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) being too big to button his! At the time, he was a serious arbiter of fashion - and it stuck. [huh] I don't know how much influence Charles has on todays man (although he has gone to MTM from bespoke now). And there are some things that one can do -- like the unbutton waistcoat button, or the unbuttoned sleeve cuff button, that can add a sense of sprezzatura. Other things (like the loosened tie, in my opinion) simply screw with proportions and visual balance in a negative way.