Are tie BARS R.I.P.???

[Holstein Bilter]

I saw a thread on tie clips..but are tie BARS R.I.P. as well?

I only see them on certain celebrities and true pimps.

Never seen them elsewhere.

 

[stilmacher]

Yes please - RIP that is

 

[Roger]

I'm not sure what you see as the difference between a tie clip and a tie bar. These labels--and tie clasp--all refer to much the same thing: a bar-shaped piece of jewelry usually running about 2"-3" in length and maybe 3/16"-1/2" in width, and usually in a gold- or silver-tone metal (sometimes enameled or overlaid with strips of precious stones) with a clasp on the back. This slides over the tie, with the clasp anchoring it from under the shirt front. Not the same as a tie pin or tie tack, which actually pierces the tie and is attached with a holder from the bottom.

And no, they are not RIP. One might say that they are currently somewhat out of fashion, but fashion is ephemeral, so that they could be in fashion again at any time. We don't see as many men wearing them as in previous times, but they certainly are consistent with good style. I like them and wear one, despite being in a distinct minority; I have one in gold and one in silver to enable me to match them to my belt buckle, shoe buckles on monk shoes, wristwatch, etc. I like the looks of them, but they also serve a couple of practical purposes: keeping your tie out of the soup when you lean forward or flying about in the wind, and allowing you to achieve a stylish arching of the tie from the knot down a few inches (where the tie bar is fastened). Wearing a tie bar at a jaunty angle, rather than perfectly horizontally, has been recommended by Flusser and is practiced by some notable forumers.

Edit: My apologies. I hadn't read the other thread on tie clips/bars when I wrote the first paragraph above. It looks as though the distinction (which I believe is imaginary) has been discussed.

 

[Holstein Bilter]

I'm actually referring to the tie bar that usually goes across the collar
underneath the tie not and clamps to the two sides of a shirt collar.

The tie bar.. i know is the clamp piece that usually attaches to the actual
tie mid-length.

I haven't seen the bars that go underneath the knot it a long time.

I actually like them.


So would you all consider the BAR and the CLIP out of style as the moment?
Similar to the double breasted jacket w/large lapels?

 

[billyhoyle]

the gq style guy answered this question in this month's issue. apparently they are still fashionable, just not very popular. tie bars also require custom shirts with holes.

 

[oldog/oldtrix]

HB is referring to a "collar bar." The term is derivative of "collar pin," a safety pin employed to bring the two wings of a collar close together, holding them in place much as do the tabs of a tab collared shirt. While the collar pin actually passes through the collar's wings near their leading edges, the collar bar, having front an back halves held together in tension, slides onto the collar's wings. While purists might find the collar bar to be a bit faux for their taste, it does have the advantage of not causing the collar to fray around the holes that result from repeated use of a collar pin. I use both but employ the pin only on shirts of relatively open weave fabric through which the pin can pass without causing damage. There are also shirts, as noted above, with eyelets in the collar to accommodate pins without fraying; too specialized for me.

As Roger notes, the collar bar (or pin, for that matter), passing under the tie knot as it does, gives an arch to the tie that many find attractive. It also anchors collar and tie in place, thus preventing slippage and disarray during the course of the day. To me, wearing both a collar bar/pin and a tie bar is redundant and overkill in terms of metal on the shirt's front, but Astaire was often seen wearing both together, and I sometimes do that too. For that matter, he regularly pinned his button down collars and sometime wore a tie bar with that arrangement as well. That, I have never done, but I'm only 60 and still have time.

Oh, to answer the R.I.P question, no. And GTH (go-to-hell) wide lapels on DB jackets remain the essence of style.

 

[Brownshoe]

Just bought one today at J Press. Very nifty 2" long silver (colored) clip in the shape of a long Alpine horn. The shape is very subtle--it just looks like a thin silver band from more than a foot away.

Sixteen bucks.

 

[Holstein Bilter]

Originally Posted by Brownshoe

Just bought one today at J Press. Very nifty 2" long silver (colored) clip in the shape of a long Alpine horn. The shape is very subtle--it just looks like a thin silver band from more than a foot away.

Sixteen bucks.

Does it clip to the inside of the collar? Someone else said that you need holes in the shirt to make it work

 

[Brownshoe]

Originally Posted by Holstein Bilter

Does it clip to the inside of the collar? Someone else said that you need holes in the shirt to make it work

Oops, I think I posted in the wrong thread. I meant the tie CLIP, I guess, that fastens your tie to your shirt.

They had some nice "clip-on" tie bars too--purists look down on them, but I think they're fine.

 

[pspelly]

I like the look. Here is an inexpensive site for tie pins/bars (not the clips): http://www.highlandpark.com/x4/ElegantJewelry/15w.htm They have real gold and silver and plated. I got some from them recently and am very pleased with their service