thank you cyclical fashion for getting us back here in my lifespan
Hello hello, my internet friends! Happy Monday!
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been feeling the anger seep through these last couple of weeks. It may just be the fact that the world as we know it is still being beat to a pulp, but it feels extra dissonant because my day-to-day has become quite calm. I found employment (yay!!), I’m making friends in the city, and I’m feeling very inspired in this writing and design business, so why does my mind still wander into it’s dark corners? Like when I’m waiting for the bus, that creepy little voice slithers it’s way into my head, telling me that I should be afraid of the future.
How do y’all talk yourself through these feelings? It seems like a daily task. Maybe it’s best to just live in the moment, but mommy I’m tired of the moment. Seeking insight, and also maybe a good therapist again.
Before we get back into what I’ve found to be the loudest come back against the oppressive noise (PERSONAL STYLE, BABY) I do want to say thank you so much to the new subscribers, I’m so happy to have you here! And an extra thank you to the new and old subscribers who have parted with their hard earned cash to support this endeavor – it’s being put to good use, I promise! You will soon see 🙂
Today, we are talking about ties! Of the neck variation.
Have you heard? Ties have made a comeback in women’s fashion.
Billie Eilish, Zendaya, and Doechii all rocking ties in their own unique ways.
For centuries, neckties were a sure sign of a man’s civility. Often a requirement for men in offices, courtrooms, and high school graduations, it’s been the mark of a man who is serious, who is grown. “For a relatively small piece of fabric, the tie receives a lot of attention. That’s because it’s the easiest barometer of formality. If an event requires a tie then that tells you something,” recites this men’s fashion blog as they ponder whether or not the necktie has become obsolete. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and working from home, huge numbers of men hung up their ties for good.
Even as I was purchasing some new neckties at the flea market yesterday, the merchant himself lamented that no one in his office wore ties anymore. “They’re such a fun way to spice up a boring outfit,” he said (or at least that was the sentiment).
So whether or not ties are going out of fashion in menswear, women are finding their way to the accessory and running with it. Vanessa Friedman, who writes the Open Thread newsletter for NYT, very concisely wrote:
Women have been wearing ties with varying degrees of enthusiasm all the way back to the Edwardian era. Still, there is something about the gender politics of the current moment, with the reversion to what seem like midcentury stereotypes, that makes the inversion of old masculine-feminine tropes seem particularly appealing.
Vanessa Friedman
Let’s get back to talking about me: I’ve worn a tie twice in my life, both times the same orange tie. As someone who’s pretty in-your-face about my thoughts on gender norms, this feels like a shame and a missed opportunity. But let me tell you, the first time I wore a tie was a disaster. I was a young queer, styled it poorly, and then started fights (my bad, folks). The second time was for this photoshoot in 2023, which was an absolutely elating experience. As it goes with trying new things, new styles and therefore new feelings, the pendulum has swung back and forth, and hopefully now will begin to settle somewhere in the middle.
And though I have no formal dress-to-impress events planned in the near future (ehem), I still want to participate in the trend because as some of you may remember, I’m working my way up to a full suit! To a recognizable formality in this relatively new androgynous look, that I haven’t quite been able to comfortably reach yet in my daily life. So having fun with ties feels like a good step in the right direction.
But as it goes in good art and design, in order to break the rules, we must first learn them. Here are the different styles of tying a tie:
(someone prove to me that the capsule knot was not inspired by a Georgia O’Keefe painting).
Another important note about traditional tie wearing is that the end is supposed to hit directly above your belt buckle.
Thanks, Michael.
Okay yay! That was easy. So since we now know the rules of the necktie (and of our assigned genders), now we can destroy them!! I’m going to share some images I found online of stylings I think are done well, to hopefully inspire some more non-traditional tie looks from anyone who wants to try.
~sorry about the following bad quality photos from Pinterest~
The color coordination! With the angled textures in the purple skirt matching the angled lines in the tie, this is a slaayyyyy. Sometimes ties and skirts can look a wee school girl, but paired with a maxi skirt and the long coat, this look hits it out of the park. I am woman, hear me roar!!
I love this look because the color scheme with the old time-y jewelry is nicely balanced out by the modern t-shirt silhouette.
Omg wait, I thought this was me for a second lol. But that elevator is too nice and it’s actually Iris Law in a Jean Paul Gaultier SS 2016 Couture suit, way back in 2021.
Tiny tie! The layering with the extra large safety pin to hold it all down is really what got me here. Plus the bad attitude, the bike, and the tough looking jacket contrast the well-secured tiny tie well.
*shoves friend out of the way* – “Can you shut tf up? I think I’m in love.” The structure of this coat! Combined with the eyeglasses and smile, the whole look is so cute.
Okay thrift store darling! A fitted vest with this fish-looking storybook tie, topped off with the earthy cross, this is someone who likes to wander around secondhand bookstores and yearn. Or did I read too deep into it?
And for good luck, I’m going to leave y’all with this Vivienne Westwood look from 1996. Rest in Peace, Queen.
xoxo Carson
