What's the purpose of a tie?

[darkxshade]

Where I work(financial sector) I have to wear a shirt & tie. And it just dawned on me, who's bright idea was this? Who's the genius who decided one day that they needed to make a fashion statement and thought this up? It does nothing but get in the way when I eat, wash my hands or anything that requires me to arch forward. And it's one of the few if not only articles of clothing that serves no actual purpose.

 

[Jhill]

To cover your ugly buttons.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

it hides the ugly buttons.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

^^

OMGHI2U!

 

[meltdown75]

I wear one to annoy you.

 

[homercles337]

Ties are meant for weddings and funerals (and to cover ugly buttons ). That is it.

 

[darkxshade]

ok, that would make sense I guess but there are a lot of people who wear shirts without ties and the thought of ugly buttons have never occured to me when looking at them.

 

[KeithTalent]

Ties are for work and for play.

KT

 

[Miramonti]

Wearing ties is one of the more moronic cultural rituals that we have.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally it was to keep food off your shirt.

 

[MrChad]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necktie

 

[Analog]

The Greeks used to wear their gods in such a manner, which eventually morphed into the modern tie.

And this is exactly why strict islamic folks like Ahmadinejad do not wear ties - as it is a link to an image of god, which is forbidden in the Koran.

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: Jhill
To cover your ugly buttons.

buttons are ugly?

they also make shirts that hide them

 

[meltdown75]

In all seriousness, it isn't a cultural ritual at all, merely a component of a paradigm of dress and fashion. Everything we wear says something about ourselves or how we wish to present ourselves at any given time. Businessmen wear a tie to say "I am professional or formal today", much the same as the punk rocker that wears the spiked mohawk is conveying his desire to distance himself from traditional paradigms of dress. While ties serve little function physically, they speak volumes about how that person is hoping to be portrayed.

 

[SoulAssassin]

I think a couple hundred years from now people will look back on ties the same way we look back on those white wigs me wore a couple hundred years back from now.

 

[invidia]

It's used in office sex where the hot secretary can grab you by the tie and pull you into her. Otherwise, where else will they grab you by?

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Maybe it's the most ineffective scarf ever designed?

Nah, ties are stupid. Fortunately, I rarely have to wear one at work (this weekend being an unfortunate exception). Come to think of it, I don't own a tie anymore, so I'll have to buy one. How terrible is that?

 

[theprodigalrebel]

Tie -> shirt buttoned all the way up -> no ugly chest hair peeking out.

 

[rocadelpunk]

I like ties. makes me feel more mature.

 

[Jeff7]

"I paid $10 for a tie, which is supposedly a sign that I am of considerably greater value and importance than a person without a tie."
Or so our society seems to think.
Mmmm, finely woven and dyed worm excretions.

Originally posted by: jjsole
Wearing ties is one of the more moronic cultural rituals that we have.

One of the many moronic cultural rituals we have.

Originally posted by: SoulAssassin
I think a couple hundred years from now people will look back on ties the same way we look back on those white wigs me wore a couple hundred years back from now.

"Gone the way of the poodle, and your primitive notions of modesty. Aaahhhhh, brisk!"

 

[Analog]

Originally posted by: Jeff7
"I paid $10 for a tie, which is supposedly a sign that I am of considerably greater value and importance than a person without a tie."

Mmmm, finely woven and dyed worm excretions.

Originally posted by: jjsole
Wearing ties is one of the more moronic cultural rituals that we have.

One of the many moronic cultural rituals we have.

Originally posted by: SoulAssassin
I think a couple hundred years from now people will look back on ties the same way we look back on those white wigs me wore a couple hundred years back from now.

"Gone the way of the poodle, and your primitive notions of modesty. Aaahhhhh, brisk!"

Its amazing how you are treated differently when you wear a tie. People are more courteous, they pay attention to your needs (as a customer), and generally treat you with greater respect. I see that all the time.

 

[MiataNC]

A tie is an arrow pointing to where the magic happens

 

[Miramonti]

Originally posted by: meltdown75
In all seriousness, it isn't a cultural ritual at all, merely a component of a paradigm of dress and fashion. Everything we wear says something about ourselves or how we wish to present ourselves at any given time. Businessmen wear a tie to say "I am professional or formal today", much the same as the punk rocker that wears the spiked mohawk is conveying his desire to distance himself from traditional paradigms of dress. While ties serve little function physically, they speak volumes about how that person is hoping to be portrayed.

That's a croc imo. Ties are an extension of people's need for superficial statements about themselves, and doesn't reflect worth sh!t imo how professional someone is, which can be assessed much more accurately by simply speaking to a person for about ten seconds.

 

[darkxshade]

Originally posted by: meltdown75
In all seriousness, it isn't a cultural ritual at all, merely a component of a paradigm of dress and fashion. Everything we wear says something about ourselves or how we wish to present ourselves at any given time. Businessmen wear a tie to say "I am professional or formal today", much the same as the punk rocker that wears the spiked mohawk is conveying his desire to distance himself from traditional paradigms of dress. While ties serve little function physically, they speak volumes about how that person is hoping to be portrayed.

I understand and agree to what you're saying but this wasn't always the case. I'm no historian but I'd wager this was not its intent when created centuries ago. My gripe is how such a fad came to be. If I invented a tie for pants (I hereby call it a "bie" - b for bottom, t for top) and use it as an excuse to cover my crotch, are you telling me centuries from now, people will consider this as a means of displaying a facade of professionalism?

 

[Demon-Xanth]

They are made specifically to be used in conjunction with laser printers. If someone is annoying you, just stick his tie in the input side and walk away quietly.