Looking to amp up an outfit with little to no effort? It may well be time to embrace the tie (no, I’m not just talking to the boys).
At the Grammy Awards on Sunday night (February 4), the red carpet was flush with the Masters of the Universe staple. Boygenius — the group comprised of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker — led the way, matching in their off white suits, black ties and pink carnations. Billie Eilish joined them, wearing a Barbie-tribute Chrome Hearts bomber jacket, shirt and, of course, black tie.
They join a flurry of stars who reached to the accessory drawer to spice up otherwise steady-sailing outfits for the awards season; see, Greta Gerwig wearing a black tie gingham blazer and PVC, frilled skirt to the AFI Awards Luncheon on January 12, and Bella Ramsey in a turquoise tie and Thom Browne suit at the Annual Critics Choice Awards two days later.
But it’s not just Hollywood folk (or, to be more accurate, their stylists) that have caught the suited-and-booted bug. Over Copenhagen Fashion Week, which ran January 29 - February 2, ties made for gender-toying intrigue on runways and the streets alike.
Mfpen, whose Scandi show was all disheveled, pinstriped bankers, showed ties with safety pins (very Grammys Miley Cyrus) worn with shirts and tailored grey wool slacks. “The tie is combining the inner layer and the jacket. At the same time a tie is completely meaningless, but nonetheless great for styling,” says Sigurd Bank, the brand's founder and designer. “We like to challenge both suiting and ties as power symbols. Taking them out of business attire and putting them into our context.”
And at Forza Collective, another Copenhagen-based label, models wore steel-grey ties with white, short sleeved shirts layered under translucent, PVC t-shirts. “A tie helps add a layer of sophistication to an outfit, it’s all in the detail — a loose knot will tell the viewer it’s a relaxed look, a tight and formal knot will tell you the opposite,” explains Kristoffer Konshaug, the creative director.
They are certainly hit across the luxury brands, too. Take Chanel; during the Manchester 2023/24 Métiers d'art show in December, a silk iteration came floral printed and tucked into a mini. Also, Dior; for the house's Pre-Fall 2024 look book, there were ties aplenty, all worn with shirts and slightly loosened around the neck.
Jenna Lyon wore one to the Jacquemus show at the end of last month, and — if you did need one final convincer — just look at Ayo Edebiri. The Bear actor's full Bottega Veneta outfit (trench, denim-effect leather slacks, loafers, shirt — and a shiny, burgundy tie) worn as she marched into NBC's New York studios in preparation for Saturday Night Live. It was this 9-5 look done to perfection.
Now, just ask your dad for a sample.
