Necktie Economics

[Senator Jack]

Walk into any men's shop or department and year after year after year - for the last thirty or so - we see the same ties: the stripes, the squirms, the power ties, et cetera. These ties can be anywhere from $50 to $150 dollars. I have to presume that enough people are buying them at full price or they wouldn't be selling them. But if you go to any of the discount houses (Filene's Basement, Daffy's, Burlington Coat Factory) you see the same ties for $10 to $20. I can understand that due to feeling cheap and dirty, not everyone shops at the discount houses, but what I can't understand is how these ties ever get to the discount houses. They're so similar that no one's ever going to say, ''That's last year's tie,' or even 'That tie is so eighties,' because it's the same pattern they have on the shelves this year. That is, THEY KEEP PRODUCING THE SAME TIES!!!!! So if they are the same ties, why sell them to the discount houses? Why clear them from stock? And is there anyone out there that looks at one of these striped models and thinks, 'I have to have this tie?' (take your pick from the horrors below)

As always, questions, comments, death threats, and suicide notes are always welcome.

Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[BegintheBeguine]

cheap and dirty
You know me!
As always, questions, comments, death threats, and suicide notes are always welcome.
lol lol lol
The ties are hideous. The bad guy wouldn't even have to strangle me, I'd die from the horror of seeing the tie.
Now I won't be able to sleep tonight for worrying about this question.

 

[Dinerman]

As always, questions, comments, death threats, and suicide notes are always welcome.

why?
I aggree
I'll kill you
I'm going to kill myself

 

[Senator Jack]

...and we'll blame it on the ties.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I wouldn't pay a dollar for any of them there ties.

50 cents maybe,...but I buy all my ties at thrift shops.
They have way better ties as everyone knows.
What gets me is those super hoity-toity ties from makers like Hermes, that people on ebay try to pass off to us for hundreds of dollars!
I know they are made in France from real silk and all,...but really!
If a tie costs hundreds of bucks, it had better at least be interesting to look at,...something with a hula girl and palm trees.
PS: I really could use another sky blue tie with pink stripes on it though.

 

[AlanC]

I buy all my Hermes ties for a dollar.

 

[Feng_Li]

There is some quality difference, I think. My expensive (pilfered from my father) ties seem to unwrinkle much better than my inexpensive ones.

 

[onlyoneintown]

Since were talking about ties....I have no clue about them I new here, as you can see and I barley have ties and there not very nice and I see you guys talk about getting them at the thrift stores? I was wondering if I were to go, which kind of ties and brands should I look for??

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

Ok, I'll bite. What is so horrible about these ties? I would gladly wear any of them with the possible exceptions of the solid pink and blue numbers. To me, the repp striped tie is "the" tie. As this fellow would surely agree.

 

[Lady Day]

Man, he's tan.

LD

 

[Senator Jack]

True, Vladimir, when you mate it with the an interesting outfit like this, the stripes are classic, but what I see up here in NY, every day, ad nauseum, is the American Trad blue jacket, striped tie combo. The ties are so interchangeable, though, that I can't understand why someplace like Brooks Brothers would have a 'clearance sale' on ties when they just replace them with the same tie at full price. Do they think, 'Well the blue with quarter-inch pink stripe was last year's style, and this year it's going to be blue with a five-sixteenth's pink stripe, so we better clear out all the quarter-inch pinks.'

But even as a fan of the striped tie, could you really say you would ever come across one that's so unique that you'd shell out a hundred bucks when you can get something nearly identical at the discount house for $20?

Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[Orgetorix]

I don't know why they do it, but I'm glad they do. I regularly pick up "last year's model" Brooks Brothers ties at Filene's Basement for $15-20 each (normal retail $60-80). If I wanted, I could often get MSRP $150-200 ties for $30-50 there, as well.

There is a noticeable difference in the quality of silk used when comparing some ties with others. For example, my $70-discounted-to-$20 BB ties yield a much better knot than ones I've gotten for $20 full price at Kohl's. Even though the patterns may be fairly similar, the quality of the materials is different.

 

[Feraud]

Do they think, 'Well the blue with quarter-inch pink stripe was last year's style, and this year it's going to be blue with a five-sixteenth's pink stripe, so we better clear out all the quarter-inch pinks.'

lol lol hilarious.
You are correct Senator. I have never paid retail for one of those generic ties. I can find all those brand name ties for less than 20 bucks.
Only suckers pay top dollar.

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

But even as a fan of the striped tie, could you really say you would ever come across one that's so unique that you'd shell out a hundred bucks when you can get something nearly identical at the discount house for $20?

Well, I am probably not the person to ask as I cannot buy 99% of modern ties. They are simply too large and too long. My favorite ties are the Brooks Brothers boy's ties, which I usually get new for between $20-30. They are the same length and width as many vintage ties. The only real difference is the interlining.

 

[Zemke Fan]

I think in TODAY'S world...

The ties are so interchangeable, though, that I can't understand why someplace like Brooks Brothers would have a 'clearance sale' on ties when they just replace them with the same tie at full price. Senator Jack[/QUOTE]
... it's all driven by the bean-counters and their accounting principles. There has to be some computer model that says this "makes sense" even though to us mere mortals it seems quite stupid.

Frankly, I've found that eBay beats the discount stores these days. I've picked up several terrific Robert Talbott, Brooks Bros., and Burberry ties for less than $10, including s/h.

 

[manton]

Ties are the french fries of the men's clothing industry: a relatively low price item (with respect to the other things in the store), that everyone wants, and that carry HUGE profit margins. It does make little sense to buy any tie at retail, unless it is a pattern/color you just cannot live without. Otherwise, picking over the sale tables and checking out the sites where remaindered goods end up make a lot more sense.

 

[Brian Sheridan]

You have to watch out at the outlet stores. Many brands now produce pieces just for outlets. They are cheaper in material and quality but carry the all important name.

That's not to say its not worth keeping your eye-out for great deals on last year's "models" because as Sen Jack noted - the ties ALWAYS LOOK THE SAME! lol

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

But even as a fan of the striped tie, could you really say you would ever come across one that's so unique that you'd shell out a hundred bucks when you can get something nearly identical at the discount house for $20?

Regards,

Senator Jack

I used to wear nothing but stripes and neats ad nauseum,...
They are just so run of the mill boring to me now.
This is why vintage, and vintage inspired big-bold ties are so appealing! A tie is like a work of art, the more original they are the better I like 'em!

 

[Jupiter]

I've been wearing ties daily for nearly 30 years, so I know ties as well as anyone, I'd guess. I have a bunch of them in my closet, and based on my experience with them I have to conclude that while there isn't always a positive correlation between price and quality, there definitely is more often than not.

Some random thoughts about ties:

1. Well-made ties (meaning top quality silk assembled by hand) last forever. The silk is woven so tightly that is just doesn't stain or break down from wear. I have some pricey Ben Silver rep ties that still look new after 20 or more years of use. I paid more for these ties than if I had purchased "equivalents" at one of the outlet stores, but I will never have to replace them. These ties knot beautifully and return to a pristine unwrinkled condition within just a few hours of wearing them. One important thing to remember: always untie your tie in the reverse order of tying it. DON'T just yank it off, you'll ruin it.

2. Well-chosen ties never go out of style. I am a bit mystified at the early posts expressing disdain for the ties pictured. Granted, I'd never wear a tie with pink in it like those in the 1st photo, but MANY of the ties in the 2nd photo are classic rep tie patterns that have looked good for nearly a hundred years. What's not to like? (By the way... a bit of tie-rivia: British regimental or "rep" ties have the stripes descend from the heart. The ties pictured in photo # 2 are patterned after the Brooks Brothers design, which reverses the pattern so that the stripes descend from the right side of the body, not the left. If you want to strictly follow the British style of dress, go with a _Ben Silver_ tie, which will follow the "correct" descent, or at least shop carefully.)

3. Yes, some ties are overpriced. I believe that you're paying for the name when you buy a Hermes tie and pay full price. But there are many reasonably-priced ($50-$100) top-quality ties out there, and you'll find them if you know what to look for. And if you find them on sale, so much the better!

4. We spend a lot of time on this forum discussing the idea that "things aren't made as well today as in the past." I'd like to suggest that there was just as much junk being offered in the stores of the 1920s - 1950's as there is today. It's just that so much of the junk was such, well, junk, that it didn't survive to our day. One reason we can talk about the great old tweeds or leathers or silks or cars or whatever of the past is that the bullet-proof stuff lasted until today. Bullet-proof ties are being produced by companies like Ben Silver, you just have to suck it up and pay the price. I think it's telling that you almost never see truly top quality ties like Ben Silver ties on e***. Most guys buy'em and wear'em for decades, then their sons inherit them and wear them for decades more.

5. I purchase things based on timelessness and quality, not name. When you buy junk, you have to keep buying the same thing over and over and over. So I don't buy junk, even if it costs me more up front. Examples: I carry a vintage 1941 Elgin Railroad Grade pocket watch that I wind by hand every morning (keeps perfect time, too... cost on e***: $250, and worth every penny). I've worn the same 3 pairs of Alden cordovan shoes for over 10 years now. Bullet-proof doesn't even begin to describe how well-made these Indy boots are! I enjoy woodworking by hand (no noisy machines for me!) and I have some really sweet planes and hand saws from Lie Nielsen. And so on. Like they say, "Buy the best and only cry once."

Back to ties: in my world, men wear ties. I scoff at those who act like ties are a noose, or that tie wearers have sold out to "the man." Frankly, unless I'm doing something like changing the oil in my 1940 Dodge pickup, I'm wearing a tie. I took my cues early from the men I saw portrayed in the TV series All Creatures Great and Small, set in the 1930s, where even the FARMERS are wearing ties. And folks, that's accurate. Check out period photos from that era... there are ties everywhere! And lots of them are rep patterns... probably old school ties. I have some books about vintage Bentleys (the REAL Bentleys from the 1920s and 30s... 3, 4.5, 6, and 8 litre monsters) and the guys in the shop photos were wearing ties while assembling those cars!

I eat at the grownups' table, so I wear ties. ;-)

Jupiter

 

[anselmo1]

I remember when you could purchase the top of the line silk tie for $10.00! I really have a tough time buying a "Cheeseburger Tie" for $65.00!