For whatever reason, I was watching an old James Bond movie last night. Having nothing better to do. The 1962 film, ‘Dr. No’.
The art of movie-making has come a long way since 1962. Especially, the portrayal of romantic relationships.
But a man’s attire? Not much change in that department.
Back in 1962, government assassins typically wore a suit and tie. Unless they were relaxing in their hotel room, and killing someone, in which case they dispensed with the suit jacket. But they kept the necktie. A straight tie, preferably. In a solid color.
As government assassins became more sophisticated, they switched to the bow tie. And the suits got more expensive. Tuxedos even, on occasion.
Bow ties and expensive suits defined the fashion for the next 50 years.
But lately, they’ve been showing up in the traditional straight neckties again. With a subtle pattern, in some cases. Little dots, perhaps. (Never paisley. You can’t kill bad guys wearing a paisley necktie. Not in good conscience.)
All of which got me thinking.
Should I be wearing a tie?
Are journalists wearing ties these days?
I stopped wearing a necktie when I moved to Pagosa Springs. And so have nearly all the other males who’ve arrived in this little mountain town. I’m not sure if I even remember how to tie a necktie. (I never learned to tie a bow tie, but I also never worked as a government assassin.)
Blue jeans and casual work shirts seemed to be the attire of choice, for Pagosa men.
Once in a while, you might see a bolo tie, with the ‘bolo’ in the shape of a bucking horse, or the shape of Texas, or maybe decorated with turquoise stones. But to wear one, you pretty much had to also wear a cowboy hat — something I couldn’t afford on my salary back then. (Or even now, for that matter.) Those of us who couldn’t afford cowboy hats went for baseball caps. The ‘other’ working man’s hat.
Now we’re exposed regularly, through various media, to the true male heroes of 2024. Not the movie heroes; I mean the actual heroes.
And they are wearing ties. Typically, solid color neckties.
And expensive suits.
Are you required to wear a tie, if you’re a President?
Well, we probably need to look back at the beginning.
Did George Washington wear a necktie?
No. He did wear some kind a a ruffle, but definitely not anything we would call a ‘necktie’.
Our fourth President, James Madison — also known as “Father of the Constitution” — was trying to start a trend with something that looked a bit like a bow tie, but the fashion never caught on.
He had better luck with the Constitution, in terms of things staying fashionable.
The first President to aggressively aim for a bow tie was Zachary Taylor, and that might be thing only thing we remember about him.
Clearly, he didn’t quite have the technique fully developed.
Abraham Lincoln was the first President who got close to tying a standard bow tie.
Or maybe his wife, Mary, tied it for him.
The first President to wear a straight necktie was Grover Cleveland.
After that, pretty much every succeeding President went for the straight necktie.
Tying a bow tie is much more involved, I understand (having never learned how, myself) and a President doesn’t normally have time to waste. Thus, the straight necktie.
But the fabric patterns gradually got a bit more interesting.
Now we are moving into a slightly different period of men’s fashions.
Presidents are still wearing neckties…
But sometimes, they also wear baseball caps.
Like working men.
Baseball caps are rarely worn by government assassins, but they are part of the uniform, when you’re playing golf. Golf is not typically a working man’s game. You pretty much need to be retired, or have a trust fund, to spend time on the golf course.
I believe a President should work at least as hard as the rest of us. Too much time spent on the golf course, and the country could fall apart.
That’s my opinion, and I’m sticking to it.
Underrated writer Louis Cannon grew up in the vast American West, although his ex-wife, given the slightest opportunity, will deny that he ever grew up at all.