The Fine Print

Can we all agree that men need to have a little fun every once-in-awhile? Okay... obviously a redundant question. I'm sure we all agree. We all have ways of getting our kicks, both publicly and privately, don't we? Sure, skydiving is a blast. Mountain climbing. Paintball. Streaking, if it's your thing. But certainly, fun doesn't have to come in the form of an activity suited for the X-Games, nor does it have to come at the risk of an indecent exposure charge. Sometimes we are forced to find fun within the confines of life's banalities. Perhaps we like-minded sartorial aficionados try to find fun in getting dressed.

One of my guilty pleasures has always been my almost ritualistic selection of an ensemble the night prior to suiting up for work in the morning. My wife picks on me for it; mentions it at inopportune moments in front of her friends, commenting on my obsessive nature with an accompanying chuckle. But let's face it; she loves it. I can guarantee that she secretly admires my love of clothing... loves having a husband who's fun to go shopping with... one who can objectively help her shop rather than stand around looking at looking at his watch and complaining about having to walk through the lingerie section... I digress. It is during my nightly selection of clothing articles that I look for ways to add a fun, playful element to getting dressed. In doing so the clothing itself becomes almost ancillary to the joy of pairing shoes with a belt or a shirt with a tie.

In difficult times, as many of us now face, we must always remind ourselves to reclaim our joy. Part of the reclamation of my joy lies in the simplicity of possessing the confidence to embrace whimsy, not taking myself too seriously, but being a serious devotee to a lack of the serious. And here is, without further ado, one of my methods.

A playful print tie does not attack the sensibilities of a sartorial enthusiast, but serves to compliment a choice in finery. Now, allow me to clarify; a playful print tie is still professional. A novelty tie, however, is not. Pictures of Santa Claus and bottles of Tabasco sauce, when pictured on a tie, make that tie a novelty tie, which, I'm sorry, but no well-dressed man should ever wear. I understand having such a tie in one's closet; such items are commonly bestowed upon men by their children on Father's Day and such. Throwing the gift away would be just plain wrong. Almost as wrong as actually wearing it. Do you get my drift? Okay. I will proceed.

A playful print tie, such as this one by Hermes (pictured) injects an outfit with a spirit of fun through it's subject, but maintains structure and professionalism in the quality of its construction and the geometric perfection of its repeating pattern. Salvatore Ferragamo, Charvet, Burberry, and Gucci are also known for their high-quality printed ties. Now why, you ask, should printed ties be considered rather than woven ties? Well first of all, the added thickness of a woven pattern can add bulk and can sometimes make for a more chunky knot. Not necessarily a bad thing with a cheap tie, but with a tie that is already made with substantial heft and balance due to the use of high-quality silk and a densely folded construction, the added substance can make even a four-in-hand knot look curiously large.

Secondly, the vibrance of color that can be seen in a print can be lost in the makeup of a weave. The pictured tie is a great example. The rabbit's blues gleam and the white in the sparkles at the tips of the magic wands almost seems to glow. The three-dimensional element of a woven pattern breaks up light and takes the focus off of the color. A printed tie can be busier than a woven jacquard without looking like there is too much going on.

Keep in mind that the idea of the tie here is just an example of the true point of this post. We're talking about fun. We're talking about reclaiming our joy. I will reitterate that the clothes or the shoes or the ties ar what have you are ancillary to the fun that we can have with the things we love. I hope you've been inspired in one way or another. Have fun. As famous journalist Helen Thomas once said, "Life is too short to drink the house wine." As I say; "Live accordingly."

Cheers.

Paul