[eguanlao]

I don't see that at all. I don't see how a knotted piece of silk that completes a certain sartorial ensemble; and that comes in a variety of colours, patterns, and textures; discourages independent thought and creativity... especially creativity. Maybe you're associating it with stuffy "suits"...? It's like saying, "all Asians are good at math," "all white men can't dance," and "all Italians are in the Mafia."

[pg]

I find constraining clothes discourage thought. They're kind of like noise. The constraint makes you notice them, and that takes some small amount of attention away from whatever you're thinking about.

Back when people used to dress more formally, everyone knew this, at least unconsciously. When someone needed to work late into the night on some hard problem, they'd take off their jacket and loosen their tie. This was so common that in movies it became a standard symbol for working hard.

[eguanlao]

I find constraining clothes are constraining because they are ill-fitting. Solution: do not buy ill-fitting garments. Most men do not know how to buy clothes that fit. For those men who do know, they were fortunate enough to learn from their well-dressed father or from books or from a proper tailor. Also, you have to care to know.

[pg]

Ties aren't cut, so they can't be ill-cut. Nor are they the province of tailors, but of haberdashers.

Ties are intrinsically constraining. Unless you want to go the Reagan wattle route, a route which which a stylish, aristocratic, polysyllabic gentleman like yourself would surely eschew.

[eguanlao]

I was referring to the cut/selection of the shirt coupled with the tying of the tie. My mistake for not making that clear.

You are correct. Ties are intrinsically constraining. And so are belts. I find that if I want to be more thoughtful and creative, removing my belt does the trick. ;-) The people around me, especially the women, have gotten used to my trousers down at my ankles. :-D

[ivankirigin]

Ties are manageable just by loosening them and not buttoning your top button right from the start. No one will notice or care. They'll just be surprised you're wearing a tie (for a coder) usually. I've coded a lot in ties. Sport coats are more uncomfortable.

[amichail]

A necktie serves no practical purpose. And forcing people to wear one who couldn't care less about fashion is simply a method of encouraging conformity (e.g., to get employees to do as they are told without question).

[eguanlao]

Actually, it does serve a practical purpose: to bring attention to one's face. Unfortunately, you don't see/get that. And that's OK because not everyone gets aesthetics, design, colour harmony, lines, etc. It's just like not everyone is cut out for programming, or not everyone is naturally good at dancing.

Also, there's a difference between fashion and style. Fashion is what's available; style is what you choose. The current fashion is t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. I'm not fashionable--I don't wear that ensemble. Starting very young, I cultivated a different taste.

"...simply a method of encouraging conformity and respect for authority." Hmmm... Man, you must really hate ties... so much that you can't see from other perspectives. This kind of thinking reminds me of hatred towards other races, people of a different sexual orientation, etc.

I'm all for freedom. "Freedom" is such a powerful word. Hey, you can/may wear whatever you want. I'm going to go to work in suits, sport jackets, pressed trousers, etc. I love the freedom of choice, and I hope others feel the same way. Here's to freedom!

[iron_ball]

I wear sport coats with jeans, so eguanlao would probably fight me, but at least I know the difference between a sport coat and a suit coat, so we'd be boxing instead of using katanas. p.s. styleforum represent.

[JimmyL]

Neither do the collars on polo shirts, or the patterns (or dye, for that matter) on the t-shirt you're probably wearing. If all we wanted was practicality, everyone would be wearing un-dyed ponchos - but we're not.

Some people like ties - they see creativity and individuality in the patterns, the material, the composition, the knot, and the ensemble. Just like other people see the same things in the patterns and designs on their t-shirts.

All of fashion serves no practical purpose - no need to single out people who wear one particular implementation of this.

[iron_ball]

Agreed, 100%. However, we enjoy wearing plenty of things which have no practical purpose; and people who wish to wear neckties should be able to wear them without being weighted down by the IBM corporate-machine stereotype. One may be a hacker without wearing jeans, sneakers, and a BSDemon tee; one may even be a hacker while dressed to the nines.

As for neckties being "sexist" -- have you asked a woman how she feels about high heels?