Why my Tie is no longer red, but my beard remains resilient
For many years when at work or attending important meetings I wore a red tie. It was a symbol and it was meant to be. Probably not all took the hint but I know some did.
Yet its some time now since I’ve worn a tie at all, red or otherwise. Of course in the age of virtual meetings it has become fairly unusual to appear in formal office clothes- tho wearing clothes of some kind remains important.
But in reality I’d stopped wearing a tie for all but the most significant events and meetings well before March 2020. Working in the City of London so had many others I noted. For a significant number a beard had replaced the tie as a symbol. Moreover more senior managers in many areas, particularly where they weren’t in public facing roles, had also stopped wearing ties. I often suspected that this was in part a device to try and avoid being recognised as a person in charge of things.
The Financial Times has now published a sort of obituary for the tie. Robert Armstrong (22nd March) who says he owns 80 ties now finds them redundant in what he terms a ‘post-style’ age. He goes on to ponder what might replace the tie as a symbol to mark one person out from another. Anderson who has a beard already has the answer should he care to look in the mirror. Facial hair is the new red tie.
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