THE COMEBACK OF THE NECK TIE

Title: THE COMEBACK OF THE NECK TIE Word Count: 600 Author: JC Payne Email: coolcorporate@sbcglobal.net

The article is preformatted to 60CPL.

THE COMEBACK OF THE NECK TIE by JC Payne

It not just the pop culture of the 80's that is in vogue. The centuries old fashion staple of the neck tie, once shunned by those caught up in the hype of the 90's new economy, and is coming back in style.

Old Business men are wearing them, looking like business men again. Young business men are wearing them, looking like business men for the first time.

Comedian Jimmy Kimmel, co-creator of the anti-establishment 'Man Show,' has found that ratings for his late night talk show have seen a boon since he started dressing more business like. Even the youth dominated sports world is being forced to review its style, with college girls being scolded for wearing flip-flops for their official photographs with the President and the NBA enacting a dress code mandating business casual attire for fear that the Hip-Hip fashion is scaring a few of the starched collar corporate sponsors.

The trend away from casual and back to professional has not been without controversy. The backlash comes from the young professionals, who are now being pushed into the labor force more resembles both in dress and in demeanor the more traditional workplace of years past.

While the relaxed managerial styles and flexible rules are here to stay--and increasing necessary to deal with the expectations now demanded by young generations who don't realizes they have not necessarily earned them--the hard line business fashions are making a comeback. And so is the business of business fashions.

Retail sales of neckties peaked at $1.3 billion in the early 90's, only to drop to about $750 million near the beginning of the new millennium, when casual became the new norm. Now, regular ties, novelty ties, designer label ties and even the always teased but never dead bow ties will bring an estimated $1.1 billion in sales this year. With more ties sold come the sale of more suits, shirts, socks, belts, shoes, and other accessories, putting a wide smile on the faces of many of the sale people who wait diligently at a men's wear store near you.

So you want to follow the lead of a young business profession who knows that the style and class of a neck tie are timeless? Here are step-by-step instructions for those who are learning the proper way to tie a tie.

1. Lift up the collar of your shirt and put the tie around the back of your neck. The wide end should hang down about twice as low as the thin end; it can hang closer to your right or left hand, depending on what's most comfortable for you.

2. Wrap the wide end around the thin end twice, a few inches below your neck. The wide end should go over the thin end at first.

3. After wrapping the wide end around the second time, push it through the back of the V-shape made by the partially formed knot.

4. Tuck the wide end through the front loop of the knot.

5. Gently pull down on both the thin and wide ends below the knot until the knot is tight.

6. Hold the thin end and slide the knot up to your neck.

7. If the thin end hangs below the wide end, untie the tie and begin again, with the wide end hanging lower than it did the first time.

8. If the wide end hangs too low, untie the tie and begin again, with the wide end hanging higher than it did the first time.

9. Flip your collar back down once you and your tie look dapper.

About the Author:

JC Payne is a business professional and consultant. His writings have been featured in numerous business newsletters and magazines. He will soon be launching the online magazine/blog hybrid site Cool Corporate dot COM (www.coolcorporate.com), which will offer business life and lifestyle information geared toward younger professionals. You can contact JC at coolcorporate@sbcglobal.net