Tie a Day, Number 107

Last Wednesday I wore a tie that is special because it is only one of two ties that I have ever purchased for myself. I have bought ties for my father that ended up back in my possession (I never could decide whether he knew the ties were from me, or whether it was just an accident.), but until I got this tie, and its associate, I had never paid for my own ties.

It is a good looking tie, but why would I buy a tie I didn’t like? Unfortunately, I cannot take credit for it. Since I was buying this tie to match a suit for a wedding, I simply did not trust my own judgment. Besides, at the Men’s Warehouse they have these young ladies who are paid to match ties to things for people like me.

The only thing I don’t like about this tie is that the suit that I bought with it, which is a wool suit, pulls the silk from the front of the tie. So, the tie gets fuzzy. Does this mean it is a cheap tie? None of my Dad’s ties do that.

The shirt that I wore on Wednesday was also purchased during this brief menswear spending spree I had two years ago. Both the tie and the shirt have purple in them, go figure…

Tie a Day, Number 51

Tie number 51 was a dreadful experience and it all comes down to one word, texture. As far as the design goes the tie was ok, with the exception of the thinness (which seems to mark it as a late eighties tie). The problem was that this particular tie was made of 100% wool.

Wool is fine for sweaters, only because I never wear them. Any other piece of clothing that has wool in it is also probably going to be something that I avoid wearing including, but not limited to, pants, jackets, and hats. I prefer the feel of a t-shirt that has been so well worn that it almost feels like you are wearing a layer of warm air (possibly due to the fact that it might have a large number of holes). Cotton, silk and even polyester are fabrics that I consider infinitely more comfortable. Wool is similar to wearing a really fine kind of Brillo pad.

It could be that I dislike wool because my skin is so sensitive, like a baby’s bottom, but I prefer to make up a story about a close encounter with a herd of angry sheep, with nothing but trouble on their minds, that permanently scarred me at a young age. Maybe I will share it after I finish all the plot twists.

I did not like touching this tie at all. Tying it around my neck was similar to the sensation of nails on a chalkboard. The rough material of the tie scraping around the outside of my collar was enough to give me the willies. I did a quick tie of the tie and when I realized the front was too long, I decided to suffer through the clown like length in a touch avoidance maneuver that I practiced the rest of the day.

To say that I hate this tie is not really fair. I like it- I just like best far away from me. If you are interested in a vintage tie made from the finest wool- please leave a comment and I will be glad to mail it to you- I will even cover the postage! I do want it to have a good home...