On a really hot day, when only the most die hard among us would be wearing a suit in the first place, I like a yellow tie. A grey striped suit and white shirt, a business dress combination second in staidness only to navy blue with white, gets placed firmly in July with the simple addition of a yellow tie in a small neat pattern.
I've said it before, so forgive me if I'm beating a dead horse. Yellow ties are a tough nut, but they're great when you hit it right. Grey suits and navy blazers work perfectly, but keep them away from navy suits at all costs. An inexplicable but deep rooted unreasonable bias leads to me to find the navy suit/yellow tie combination unforgivably amateur. We've discussed this before.
True, a yellow tie, even more so a yellow bow tie, is not appropriate for many situations in which a grey striped suit is de riguer. Keep it out of the boardroom, unless you own the company. Keep it out of lower jobs, unless your father owns the company.
But if you're wearing the suit for your own pleasure, and not from requirement, go for it. I wore this simply to visit the city for lunch with a friend before working a night shift at the wine shop. The fact that my job, or any other part of my life, requires merely that I be clothed in anything at all means I did it for my own pleasure. The fact that it was over 90 degrees with near 100% humidity proves that I am clearly disturbed, and you'd do well not to take my advice anyway.
90 degrees! Let's call you dedicated and individual rather than disturbed.
ReplyDeleteI'm still not managing to pull off a yellow tie. I opt for light blue (or blue and white stripe) in summer.
Love it the hell out of it, G. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteThe shade of yellow makes all the difference. I favor a pale lemon yellow. It's brighter than the yellow of G's bow tie, but not obnoxiously so. (No shade of yellow flatters everyone; you have to find the ones that work for you.)
ReplyDeleteYellow also works as a supporting color; I have several ties with thin yellow stripes, or yellow in the plaid. Yellow shirts are another way to add this underutilized color to our wardrobes.
Regardless, there is a certain pleasure and freedom in dressing for yourself rather than dressing for another (understanding, of course, that we no matter where we are, we are always dressing for others). The secret, it has been argued, lies in keeping our sartorial statements limited to one at a time--just as Giuseppe has done here.
As I go to and fro in my A/C lacking truck, often, I wonder why I am wearing a jacket. Never the less, I continue to do so.
ReplyDeletegosh I love this blog.
ReplyDeleteThis would be a rarity in Texas, where 90 degree weather is normal and 100 degree weather is expected in summer months! But when you've got the itch to try that new bowtie/ensemble sometimes you have to go for it! I'd race you for that bowtie any day!!!
ReplyDeleteI have alot of ties and bowties, for that matter. After reading your post, I decided to glance over my own collection and noticed that I have no yellow ties whatsoever! Most (neck and bow) are rep stripes, many are "neat" patterns, and some are paislies. Reds, earth tones, and navy blues, no solids, but no yellow.
I like your yellow bow tie and could most likely get away with wearing it since I am employed in education. It seems the field of education (college profs., teachers, and the like) have more room to experiment with "professional" clothing(suits, ties, etc.).
But why is there a stigma (for lack of a better term) for yellow ties in the boardroom or in a business setting? I'd be interested to know, since I have worked in education for most of my adult life...
Just curious.
Been alternating among several books on WWII and post-war politics past few days, and that outfit strikes me as the kind that someone named, e.g., Everett Endicott Lodge would've worn at a Senate committee session, to discuss the Red menace
ReplyDeleteIt was about 90 degrees yesterday in Philadelphia. I removed my blazer after leaving church for my walk around Rittenhouse square. I was halfway through my walk when a persistent feeling of shame hit me and I put the blazer back on. Wonderful blog and a great story, thanks!
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