Sunday, June 19, 2011

"Father's Day & The Tie"

Earlier this week, my oldest daughter was in panic to find an old tie of my husband’s to use for a Father’s Day art project she was completing at school just in time for the holiday. My youngest daughter was also working on an art project that involved a paper tie. The tie has become the unofficial symbol of “father” and all of his wonderful attributes. I haven’t researched it officially, but I am assuming that the tie was also a symbol of breadwinner as it conjured up images of dad leaving the house early each day off to work in his suit and tie. That was then and times have changed.

In today’s day and age, men wear ties less frequently and mostly in traditional businesses. In the internet world,, for example, no one would be caught dead wearing a tie to work. My husband, who is an entertainment attorney here in Beverly Hills hasn’t worn a tie to work or to meet clients in ages! I think the only time he wears a tie is to very formal occasions like in which it is mandatory.

Having grown up with a sister and now having two daughters of my own, I can’t say I’ve had much personal experience in this area and I’ve often thought about walking into Brooks Brothers and getting an official lesson. I think it’s an important skill that every boy and man should know, like changing a tire or unclogging the sink.

So in honor of Father’s Day and all of the dads and husbands out there who may still be wearing ties or may have an opportunity to wear a tie in the future, I thought we’d take a moment to go over some of the basics courtesy of Tie-a-Tie.net.

The Four-in-Hand Knot. This simple knot is the most classic and best suited for a standard button-down dress shirt. To tie the Four-in-Hand, select a necktie of your choice and stand in front of a mirror. (1) start with the wide end of the tie hanging a foot below the narrow end, (2) bring the wide end up and through the hold at the neck, then thread it through the knot, and finally (3) pull the knot up to the neck to tighten. Still having trouble? Go to the source http://www.brooksbrothers.com/tieknots/4inhand.tem for step by step details.

How to Properly Untie Your Tie. Instead of hastily tearing and yanking a tie from your neck, repeat all of the steps you followed to tie your tie initially, but now do so in reverse order! This will help to preserve your precious tie for years to come.

How to Get Rid Of Tie Wrinkles. After untying your tie, wrap the tie around your hand, then put it onto a table or into a drawer and let it rest for a while. To quickly get rid of tie wrinkles, hold the narrow end of your tie with your thumb, wrap the wide end around your hand and then place the wrapped-up tie on a flat surface for a couple of hours! In no time you will discover that all of the wrinkles are gone and your tie looks as fresh and new as if you had just purchased it at a store!

How to Treat Tie Stains. Every guy wonders how to successfully remove food or beverage stains from their favorite tie. This is because the majority of ties are made of silk which is a very unforgiving type of cloth. Rather than try to apply stain-removers, a safer remedy is to take your stained tie to the dry cleaners and ask them for help. The only downside to this is that once a tie is chemically treated, it may lose its original shiny look and feel. Ultimately, the best advice is to dine carefully and make every effort to protect your tie during meals.

Happy Father's Day to my husband whom I still love despite his preference to go most days without a tie!!!

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