Knot dead yet? Sticking their neck out in defence of the tie

Reports of the tie’s death have been greatly exaggerated according to men who still experience a quickening of the pulse when tying a half-Windsor, four-in-hand or Eldredge knot.

The tie’s popularity is dwindling in the workplace and with politicians, as signalled by David Pocock and Max Chandler-Mather in Parliament House last week, but style rebels are embracing the tie’s fall from fashion to exert their independence from trends.

Vintage clothing dealer James Nolen remains loyal to ties and has been selling them through his business Mr Smart Melbourne.Credit: Simon Schluter

“It has become a style choice instead of a compulsory item for the working wardrobe,” says James Nolen, operator of the vintage clothing business Mr Smart Melbourne. “When some people have an unbuttoned shirt, all they see is a gaping hole where a tie used to be. For them, it looks unfinished.”

Nolen has been selling ties to members of the legal profession and fashion-conscious customers interested in standing out from the smart casual pack.

“A tie can be a point of difference, and it certainly gives you more colour to play with,” Nolen says. “When I am wearing a tie it gives me a more focused mindset before going into an office.”

While luxury brands such as Zegna have scaled back on ties and suiting to focus on sportier offerings, leading to revenue growth of 27 per cent to €1.29 billion ($1.89 billion) in 2021, others continue to benefit from keeping ties on the counter.

“I suspect we’ll see a lot of people use this debate as an opportunity to push back and start wearing a tie more,” says James Wakefield, managing director and co-founder of custom suiting brand InStitchu.

“It’s all about choice, which is liberating. No one likes to be told that they have to wear a tie. When it’s a choice, it’s satisfying.”

Ties remain available at InStitchu’s latest boutiques in Armadale, Melbourne and the renovated David Jones Bourke St store, as Wakefield struggles to cope with dressing a backlog of weddings parties caused by COVID-19 lockdowns.

Ties remain popular with customers at made to measure suiting brand InStitchu.

“Australian men are continuing to flit between the new smart casual corporate approach and more formal looks requiring a tie. It is now definitely an item for men wanting to dress up that bit more and feel as though they’ve made an extra effort, which is what weddings are about.”

At InStitchu, knitted ties and wool blend options have begun to rival traditional silk strips, a trend that has seeped into the secondhand market, according to Nolen.

“I can’t hold on to knitted ties,” Nolen says. “They have become incredibly popular, along with narrower styles in solid colours. Customers seem to reject the wider ties they associate with their daggy dads or uncles and prefer a fresh look.”

“At the other end of the spectrum some people see themselves as risk-takers with ties. I just sold a blunt-edged, narrow Pucci tie with an abstract graphic to a professional. Some people are willing to be daring.”

Knitted and linen ties might be absent from the fashion-forward runways but were still on show during private presentations for more conservative labels at menswear fashion week in Milan in June. Brioni, Tom Ford, Prada and Brunello Cucinelli all showcased looks with ties.

Stylist Donny Galella follows the international approach and mostly wears a sharp suit for work but alternates between wearing ties and T-shirts for himself and his celebrity clients.

“I’m wearing ties less and less these days but for the races and special events, they come out,” Galella says. “I always feel special wearing a tie that is carefully matched back with a pocket square, a nice shirt and a tie pin.”

“Part of the fun of wearing ties comes from the excitement of not having had opportunities to go out during the COVID-19 lockdowns and experiment with looks. I’m embracing dressing up again and a tie with all its accessories allows you to do that.”

“Then there’s always the pleasure of taking it off at the end of the day.”

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