Meaning of tie stripes

[DrSpeed]

If this has already been covered, then please point me in the right direction, but I wondered if a directory of which stripes belong to which regiment/school/club exists?
While searching on the internet some of the best known affiliations can readily be found, but is there a list somewhere?

 

[AlanC]

I doubt there is any master list as it would be far too vast. Take a look at the regimental collection on the Ben Silver website. They have the most extensive collection I'm aware of.

Caveat: Be careful, particularly in Europe, about wearing ties for groups to which you do not belong.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

The rejoinder is quite simple: "The stripes in this tie mean nothing to me, other than a pretty colour combination."

Anyone who has a problem with such a statement is not worthy of respect.

bk

 

[CharlestonBows]

The Best Source...

There is a book out there, although it's very hard to find nowadays, that is a total catalog of most of the British School, University, Regiment, Navy, Army, Air Force & Club Ties.

The book is by James Laver, ASIN # B000JPZIDU, published by Seeley Service in 1968. I've been looking for several years to find another copy, to no avail. However, some of our friends in the UK might have some luck at an old book shop, as it was published on their side of the pond. (Incidentally, if you do, I would very much like another copy, and would pay a finders fee.)

This book served -- and still does serve -- as the central source and starting point for Ben Silver's tie production. I got my copy from a friend, who purchased two copies while working there as director of retail operations. He was the guy responsible for starting the Ben Silver retail stores, and established the working relationships with the one-time UK suppliers of the firm. The other copy (of the two) still belongs to the owners of Ben Silver.

If you can find the book, it's a truly wonderful source. Fully indexed and pictured. If I can find the time, I'll scan a few pages.

 

[CharlestonBows]

Caveat: Be careful, particularly in Europe, about wearing ties for groups to which you do not belong.

I always enjoy getting notes and comments from customers when they come back from trips and wear, for instance, the Coldstream Guards (Life Guards) regimental tie in London. It's a good way to make friends quickly, lol.

But, being Americans, we can always use BK's advice on what to say in return.

 

[adamjaskie]

How would it be considered to wear a striped tie of that sort in the school colors of my University, even if that tie already "belongs" to another University?

ed: Though, a black/gold tie would make me look as if I were wearing CAUTION tape around my neck...

 

[CharlestonBows]

^ - I would think it just fine. For instance, a bar stripe tie in black and gold could work for both Purdue & Vanderbilt, as well as others.

 

[InspectorMorse]

I have so many ties...and many many have stripes...I guess I'm typically American in that I take the Baron's quote as my mantra- even though it is interesting to know the origins of the stripes....

 

[Ethan Bentley]

The rejoinder is quite simple: "The stripes in this tie mean nothing to me, other than a pretty colour combination."

Anyone who has a problem with such a statement is not worthy of respect.

bk

Quite agreed, Stuff and nonsense. I was wearing one recently and someone asked me when I graduated from Manchester Met University?
Any such references I tend to treat with indifference and change the subject. Some people think you can't wear a blue tie in the UK and not be a Tory or wear a red one and not support Labour??

 

[Ethan Bentley]

How would it be considered to wear a striped tie of that sort in the school colors of my University, even if that tie already "belongs" to another University?

ed: Though, a black/gold tie would make me look as if I were wearing CAUTION tape around my neck...

My old primary school (Ages 4 - 12) tie was the same colours as Griffindor. Does that make me a fictional wizard?

 

[B. F. Socaspi]

My old primary school (Ages 4 - 12) tie was the same colours as Griffindor. Does that make me a fictional wizard?

No, that makes you a factual wizard!

 

[Max Flash]

Quite agreed, Stuff and nonsense. I was wearing one recently and someone asked me when I graduated from Manchester Met University?
Any such references I tend to treat with indifference and change the subject. Some people think you can't wear a blue tie in the UK and not be a Tory or wear a red one and not support Labour??

It is one thing to wear a tie that happens to have the same colour combination as a regimental or club tie. It is quite another to deliberately wear a tie specifically designed for a particular regiment or club that you do not belong to. Members of such regiment or club are entitled to deduce from such behaviour that you are intending to pass yourself off as a fellow member and so they will rightly be insulted by it.

 

[Ethan Bentley]

It is one thing to wear a tie that happens to have the same colour combination as a regimental or club tie. It is quite another to deliberately wear a tie specifically designed for a particular regiment or club that you do not belong to. Members of such regiment or club are entitled to deduce from such behaviour that you are intending to pass yourself off as a fellow member and so they will rightly be insulted by it.

Yes I quite agree, particularly with regiments. I remember that I was speaking to a tailor at Brook brothers in Old Broad Street and he said that people used to do that in the City but now they don't wear striped tie for fear that they will be suspected of such crimes.

In my case it's by coincidence. There's simply no way of knowing all stripe combinations. The Manchester Met incident was at a wedding in Southampton, if I'd been at the University I would have thought it bad form on my part.

 

[volatile]

The book is by James Laver, ASIN # B000JPZIDU, published by Seeley Service in 1968. I've been looking for several years to find another copy, to no avail. However, some of our friends in the UK might have some luck at an old book shop, as it was published on their side of the pond. (Incidentally, if you do, I would very much like another copy, and would pay a finders fee.)

There are eight copies at Abebooks, most for under $20. Donate my finders fee to your favourite charity!

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Boo...113&searchurl=an=James+Laver&kn=ties&x=80&y=7

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Boo...621&searchurl=an=James+Laver&kn=ties&x=80&y=7

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Boo...779&searchurl=an=James+Laver&kn=ties&x=80&y=7

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Boo...436&searchurl=an=James+Laver&kn=ties&x=80&y=7

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Boo...624&searchurl=an=James+Laver&kn=ties&x=80&y=7

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Boo...296&searchurl=an=James+Laver&kn=ties&x=80&y=7

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Boo...447&searchurl=an=James+Laver&kn=ties&x=80&y=7

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Boo...320&searchurl=an=James+Laver&kn=ties&x=80&y=7