Thirty years ago I headlined a column, ‘I like ties.? And continued, ‘I must own 130 ties. I fall in love with them.?
This week I recounted my collection. I now have 292 neckties. It is an array that puts sunsets second, and excites my mind with remembrances.
Neckties make great first impressions. They elevate moods, bring initial positive reactions, show respect and can stimulate conversations. They might also cover stains on your shirt.
What prompts another column on neckties is the male candidates for the highest office this primary season. And, I’ve been over-exposed to them, just as you have.
Let me start with Michael Dale Huckabee. I can’t remember ever seeing him in a necktie. For a minister, governor and office seeker, I would think he’d know the importance of a necktie.
And, if he didn’t, then why did he don a necktie to give his concession speech? That must have been the lasting impression he wanted to leave as he fades from sight.
Next we have Barack Hussein Obama. Only during the three weeks before Ohio/Texas did he show up before the television cameras with a necktie. Why did he choose that time to dress appropriately?
Had he done all he could to get the youth vote? Was it now time to go after the mature voter? Politicians do everything for a voter reason, so what were the polls telling him about neckties?
And, on to John Sidney McCain, III. Why did this aged politician choose to go open-necked through most of the primary campaign? He knew enough to wear a necktie at certain fund raisers, at certain meetings and at special public occasions.
He wore a tie for his nomination clinching acceptance speech. Was he after the hippie-sector voter with his open neck, or when he wooed those ravaged by storms or when he wanted to appear one-of-them at lower middle class campaign stops?
Politicians do everything for reasons given them in polls or by advisors. I get the impression they have no self-made decisions. They do and say things according to scripts prepared by pollers made differently for each voting segment.
Or, are those three runners after the open-necked billionaires? financial support by mimicking their untied necks? I’m referring to Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.
Gates? dressing habit is a little understandable. He’s a techie. A techie is out of uniform, a misfit, a slob and a profession disrespector when he is tied. He is sworn to follow the undressed code of Silicon Valley, California.
But, why all of sudden, during this primary campaign did the guru of Omaha decide to leave his neck bared?
Was Gates getting too close to his financial worth? Are his hands getting gnarled, after he gave all his money to Gates? charity trust was there not enough left for a tie, or is appearance the last thing on his to-do list lately? Certainly he doesn’t have to worry about
impressions.
The wearing of ties has been on a downward spiral since the Woodstock days. These anti-everything that was traditional, sensible and meaningful only thought of respect when it became a popular song by Aretha Franklin.
It was the nerds of this crowd that took to Gates,
the west coast and slovenliness. Their attitude is one of self-love, nonconformance and so what?
That works for that kind. But, young job seekers should pay a lot of attention to making a first impression. Since that is usually a sighting, a tie is recommended. That starts you with an interview in a plus mode.
Keep your too casual look for ball games, pool halls, fights, races, evening unwinding and visits to Silicon Valley.