I was pleasantly surprised when I saw today that Tie Society started following my blog today. Then I was embarrassed, because I realized how long it had been since I’d updated.
For those of you who don’t know, Tie Society is basically a service like Netflix for neckwear. I wouldn’t feel comfortable endorsing anything (and it would be meaningless if I were to do so), but I’ve been using this service since late last year and have enjoyed it a great deal. It’s also allowed me to engage in a fun routine, one which would allow for a little more self-expression and which now makes for a decent menswear-related blog post.
Since I work for a small company, our office environment is rather casual, which is pleasant most of the time, but is paradoxically restrictive when it comes to clothing. Collars and non-denim pants are a must, but my coworkers look askance at a blazer and consider ties anathema. When I was teaching, not only did I get to express myself sartorially a bit more but it also made sense to turn out well to exude the sense of authority one needs when students literally look down on one.
(One is me. I’m short. Keep up.)
So when I started working for my current employer, I felt hemmed in by this unspoken edict. Every once in a while, I’d get to go on a business trip or to a meeting that would let me break out a suit, but for the most part, my closet languished in disuse. That’s when I decided that I’d repurpose a classic workplace tradition.
malapropitious 