Tie a Day, Number 115

This is the tie I wore yesterday. Number 115 is a nice tie with a solid background of dark grey it looks pretty good. The diagonal stitching incorporating light blue and pink boxes are very subtle and ideal for bringing a touch of color to any outfit.

The one thing that does bother me about this tie is that it has a couple of ugly wrinkles in it. One very noticeable fold is at the bottom of the tie. I must admit that it was my fault for not storing my ties correctly. I hate wrinkly ties but was in a rush and neglected to try to iron it out.

Ironing a silk tie is tricky business. Most people would say you shouldn’t, but I have pulled it off a couple of times without ruining the tie. It is important that the steam is not on, and that no matter what, the iron never touches the tie. So I normally use a t-shirt as a barrier. I run the iron over a couple of times and I check it to see how it is going, and it usually works.

But on Thursday, I did none of that and wore a poor little wrinkly tie all day…

Tie a Day, Number 114

Tie number 114 was not the most attractive tie I have ever worn. Grey, red and blue dominate the design which has the appearance of a repeating plus sign surrounded by circles.

Made of silk, it is nice to the touch, but it is a bit on the thin side. The shirt and tie combination were probably not a good choice, but I survived the day without any mocking comments by my peers.

I would have to guess that this time was an 80’s tie, but I have found no way to be 100% accurate.

I am getting close to the end of the school year and my guess is that I will end the Tie a Day at about 116 or 117. And I will still have ties left!

Tie a Day, Number 59

Tuesday's tie was one that I picked out. Sam forgot to help me.

This brown paisley masterpiece is attractive but not overwhelming. The large pattern, with an intricate design using tan, brown and ivory as the main colors, is very nice.

Sometimes I feel a bit overwhelmed by the world. I need to get back to the basics and come down to earth. This tie keeps me firmly rooted to the ground using earthy tones and a natural design. Whether I am trudging through the jungle or attending a dinner party, this tie lets me be comfortable with who I am.

Big Brown and Tan Paisley Vintage Tie, circa 1989, $27.50, J. Peterman Catalog, p. 27

50 ties!

Like a muscular boa constrictor applying its death grip, my manly mane of male neckwear is proudly displayed on my den floor.

Fifty ties all at once! The weight of over 4 pounds of silk, polyester and cotton, even when tied loosely about the neck, gave me the feeling of being slowly suffocated.

I had to do something special, something different, to celebrate reaching the 50 tie mark. Using my limited imagination, the only thing I could think of was to wear all 50 ties at once. If nothing else, it made for an interesting, but ridiculous picture.

I do not recommend that anyone put on 50 ties, and that is not just because I submitted this picture as a new world record on the Universal Record Database (the last record I submitted was for a group, this is my first attempt at a personal record on the URDB site). I was very uncomfortable during this picture. Just getting situated on the floor for the picture above, I got a major abdominal cramp and my gluteus maximus locked up as well. All I could do was lay on the floor and whine while my family laughed.

I do not think I will try to break my own record. If you are interested, I will even help break the record and tie neckties on you until you collapse. Drop me a line, and we will work out all the details…

Tie a Day, Number 10

I have to apologize first today as this is a very negative Tie of the Day review. One of the problems with wearing a different tie everyday is that there are some days that I have to wear a tie that I don’t like just so I can reach my goal of a different tie everyday for the entire school year. Today is one of those days. Even though I wear brown shoes and belt, I am not a big fan of brown ties. This tie is nearly all brown. It was suggested that I wear a blue shirt to bring out more of the blue in the tie, but I am sure I would still not like this tie.

I am also not crazy about floral patterns in general and this one really rubs me the wrong way. Wearing flowers on a tie does not challenge my manhood the same way that pink does not frighten my manliness. I don’t care what others think about me for wearing flower ties or the color pink, I just don’t like either.

Based on the width of the tie, I think it is from the 80’s part of the “Dad’s Hand-Me Down” collection. It is a very soft tie made of beautiful Italian silk, but it is a bit on the thick side which combined with the nearly universal width makes it difficult to tie just right. It took me 5 shots this morning just to get it right. Annoying!

I think I have only worn this tie maybe one other time in my life, and after today, probably never again. On the bonus side, the Tie a Day dream is still alive and Monday I can wear a tie I like.

Tie a Day 9/23/09

The tie I chose today is one of my favorites, but not because of the design. As a tie design it is a bit much for any combination of shirt and tie. Loud and proud, this tie screams, “Look at me!” It is one of my favorites because it is a Save the Children tie. As a professional I have devoted my life to helping children. It is easy to stay in our safe little world and think only about making our own lives better, but this tie reminds me that it is all about what you give in life. Not what you receive.

This tie was designed by Daniel, age 13, who really captured the feeling of “My Favorite Sports.” I can only guess at the date I received this tie as early 90’s.



This is tie number 9.

Tie a Day 9/22/09

I wore this NFC tie today to celebrate the first weekend that I was able to enjoy a win by the Redskins and my fantasy football team, the Dogman Funk All-Stars. Considering that the Redskins won with 3 field goals (score Wash 9- St. Louis 7) over a team they were supposed to handle easily, and that fantasy football is cruel game of high expectations and low achievement, I thought it would be wise to wear this celebratory tie this week. Neither team may win anything for the rest of the year. I am a fan and a realist.

While I am on the subject of the Redskins, I think it is important to say that I reserve the right to boo my team whenever I feel moved to do so. I have paid for that right. This “Dim Wit” doesn’t particularly care what anyone, even a large linebacker, has to say about how I express myself when my team can’t play its way out of a paper bag.

Back to the tie. I was trying to figure out how old this tie is and I know that the Panthers came

into the League in 1995. I also know that Tampa Bay switched uniforms in 1997. So, I must have received the tie in 1996.

Yes, my life is this fascinating. This is tie number 8.

Tie a Day 9/21/09

Today's tie is like something a Ninja might wear if he was trying to blend in with everyone else in a crowded office building while stalking his target. Urban, blue collar camouflage. It is not ugly, but not good looking. It is simply a tie.

Don't get me wrong, it is not that I don't like this tie, I do. We all need things that go with other stuff that we don't have to think about in a Garanimal kind of way. It makes Monday mornings much easier.

This is the 7th tie of the year.

A Tie a Day

As a teacher it is important that I look professional in my dealings with the public, but this term “professional” is open to interpretation. I have thoughts about what this means, the school board has a dress code, parents have feelings about proper dress, but above all, my principal has the most important say in this matter.

Personally, I am not sure why a tie is professional looking. I can say this because I have some ties that make me look like a clown, but they technically count as a tie. If wearing a ridiculous tie is the look for a male teacher, then I can always be safe and professional.

When I first became a kindergarten teacher I was told that a tie was not an option. I had a few ties then and when my father heard that I had to wear ties, he began giving me all the ties he no longer wanted. This was the early 90’s so I acquired some of his ties from the 80’s.

Since I was a kindergarten teacher, I began to get ties from my students as presents. Some were serious, but most were funny or holiday themed. And I wore them all.

This is the tie I wore today. Plain blue
it goes with almost anything. I like it
but I think the logo is presumptuous.

In the 90’s I rediscovered my love for football, and you guessed it, I started receiving football themed ties.

When I became a computer resource specialist, the technology themed ties became birthday and Christmas gifts. Then I had children of my own, and with them, ties with my kid’s pictures as the tie pattern.

At some point I forgot all about my manly attire and went to the opposite extreme and tried to never wear a tie. Perhaps it was an extended bout of rebelliousness, or even laziness. Maybe the extra few minutes it took to prepare for the day was taken up with my children’s needs in the morning grind. It could have been the perfect storm of all these things combined.

But somewhere deep inside, I missed them. The cartoon characters, the bazaar patterns that never go with anything, styles that were cool, and even the styles that were never cool. Ties are an expression of fun, just like themed boxers, except everyone gets to see them!

I used to joke that I could wear a different tie every day of school. I do have a lot of ties. I have so many that they are in different spots all over the closet. I can’t see them all at once.

Last week I began wearing ties again and I remembered my old boast. Today I decided I will do it. My math is very rough but I think I can. Today I counted over 100 ties and then got bored with the task. I had about 30 more to count. There are 183 days of school, but Fridays I don’t have to wear one. So that leaves about 145 days of ties…

Somehow, I am sure I will make it. Let the parade of ties begin!

The Tazmanian Devil Technology tie is an instant classic. The black background with the the spattering of brown makes the tie go woith just about any color combination. I wore this one yesterday. Everybody loves Taz!

Monday I pulled out the mouse and @ symbol tech tie. The pattern is nice and it does attract a bit of attention.

At some point last week I wore this tie. Not exciting. A conservitive choice for sure.

I don't remember which day I wore this tie. Another boring tie. I like it, but boring.

This is one of my all time favorite ties. It is a Jerry Garcia tie from the 90's. Bold and colorful it reminds me of the two times I got to see the Grateful Dead in concert. The funny thing is I think I gave this one to my Dad for Christmas one year and he promptly gave it back to me in one of his tie purgings that followed in early February.