Tie Tuesday: DO IT

I love finding and wearing awesome-looking neckwear; ties are one of the things that fit pretty well no matter how large the rest of your body is.  The problem is that I very rarely find myself actually wearing ties.  My job's dress code is extremely casual.  The most formally dressed (older) gentlemen who I work with usually wear dress pants, some form of leather shoes, and and varying forms of collared shirt.  The younger guys around me follow suite but mostly trade out the leather shoes for athletic or Sketcher's-style shoes (/facepalm).  Regardless of what any of my coworkers wear, a tie and/or jacket is out of the question.

For a while, I was caught in the same trap as everyone else.  That is, until I started caring about how I looked.  I began to dress better and began to feel better about myself.  One day, I realized: I have tons of ties that I rarely wear.  From that point, I instituted 'Tie Tuesday'.  Since then, I have worn a tie every Tuesday without fail.  I usually supplement the tie with a sportcoat.  My lower half is almost always clad in denim (Levi's, A.P.C., or Wrangler) and I wear nice leather shoes or boots every day.

The first time I wore a tie, I can't even remember how many people asked me if I had a job interview.  I remember looking down to my pants and thinking, "Who would interview in jeans?"  In truth, what I wear on Tuesdays would be considered casual by those who actually know what they're talking about.  To the left is an example of a typical Tuesday outift for me (please excuse the awful cell phone photo).  It is difficult to see so I'll break it down for you: raw denim, plaid button down, corduroy jacket, rubber-soled penny loafers, and to anchor it all, a knit wool tie.

Although I have observed Tie Tuesday for several months, even now when I don a tie I am asked at least once per day what is up.  This Onion article is pretty much is my life.

Over the years, I have amased an insane number of ties.  They are mostly hand-me-downs from a neighbor who was a lawyer but I have purchased most of my favorite ties second-hand.  To the right is an assortment of the neckwear I own.  The most I paid for one of these ties was ten dollars.  Most were had via various second-hand stores for around one to three dollars.  The bow ties I got from Rosemary at Rufflentuck.  Oh yeah, they were $6.00 a piece.  But seriously, go to your local thrift shop, Goodwill, Salvation Army, or whatever you have.  Spend some time rooting through the ties.  Odds are that you will find something decent and it will cost you no more than $5.  If you're a baller and have the cash for new ties, I would highly recommend Pierrepont Hicks and The Windmill Club.  They both make some beautiful neckwear.

Once you've got your ties, start wearing them!  Institute your own Tie Tuesday.  Maybe this could be your transition to wearing ties daily.  Power through the confused looks and questions from the unenlightened passersby. Take back the world from boring casual every day!