The absolute disgust of having to wear a tie everyday (okay, except Fridays and working Saturdays – Thank God for small mercies) to office during the last two months has made the rebel inside me wake up and give this serious issue some even more serious thought.
So this is how it works – you wrap a long piece of cloth around your neck, making loops and knots and finally push one end down and the knot up so that it is looks the way it should look.
In the evening you remove the damn thing off.
And in between, the thing hangs down your neck.
This is the thing which makes you look formal – the thing which symbolises that you really mean business – that you are very serious about your work and not taking it casually.
Well, I am somehow not too convinced. If that indeed is the case – then why is a tie not a part of the formal dress code for women. Do they not need to look like they mean business? (Disclaimer: I hope it is understood that this is a rhetoric question – I am not to be blamed if some highly proactive organization introduces ties as a formal dress code for women)
So, I put on my thinking cap and tried to imagine the various ways in which the useless looking piece of fabric can be put to some use for the good of this world. So here goes the list.
· For wiping sweat off your face – the positioning of a tie is really strategic (oh, physical positioning that is – just in case you thought I am taking this opportunity to give some marketing gyan). I mean how cumbersome it is to get your hand inside your pockets, take out your handkerchief, do the needful, and put it back in the pocket. The tie saves a lot of time and serves the same purpose.
o Counter-argument – Offices are usually Air Conditioned. So no sweat!
· For ensuring a clean nose when suffering from cold – this point actually stems from the counterargument mentioned above. Sometimes “hot and cold areas in the same office” (no, this blog is not sponsored by Blue Star) can lead to a running nose. The convenience of using a tie in this case is similar to that mentioned earlier.
o Counter-argument – A tie can prove to be inadequate if the severity of the running nose is very high – the much larger surface area of the handkerchief scores over the long but thin tie.
· For wiping off tears when you get bashed by your boss – this particular use just fits so well in the “formal” office scenario.
o Counter-argument – similar to one mentioned for running-nose. A tie may just not be adequate enough.
· To be used as a leash by your boss – this again fits well in the office scenario.
o Counter-argument - Why should the biggest boss in the office wear a tie? Agreed he would be meeting clients/ partners etc who would want to have a leash around him, but that does not happen every day.
The strong counter arguments for each possible use that I could think of lead me to believe that we are just following some silly norm which does not make even a little bit of sense. It is high time we un-tie ourselves from the unnecessary knots we have got ourselves into !
10 comments:
hear hear!
How symbolic the tie is made out to be. It does contribute to non-verbal communication, doesn't it?
Interesting to see how you still have a Webaroo "Cache This" link on the top left!
I think we should all get rid of ties and have boxers accepted as formal attire.
@Enkay
Thanks for pointing out the dead link :)
yea dude ..this practice of wearin a tie doesnt make much sense ...in some of the financial firms here, i have seen that there is no need of a tie ..which is good ...the fin firms shud also go to the next level, whereby their employees need not even wear formal clothing , jst like techie companies ...
I never understood why the suit was THE symbol of formality. Then, the first time I wore a suit and saw myself in the mirror, I thought "Holy cow, I look good!"
:P
Basically, what I'm saying is that these instruments of formal appearance, be they suits or ties, actually make people look good. When you're interacting with clients or customers, you wanna look as good as you can.
BTW, another point in support of my argument is that boys generally look much better in shirts (preferably full, but folded sleeves) than in t-shirts (collared or collar-less).
That being said, the only thing about the tie that you need to get used to is the closed collar button of the shirt. I reckon that if it really disturbs someone so much, then they could have custom shirts tailor-made with a slightly looser collar. That's what I plan to do anyway. :P
As for your post, I liked the alternative uses and counter-arguments. :D
@Gopal
I am glad that the trend seems to have started somewhere :)
@Gurdit
Good points..my point though is against making the tie as a part of the formal dress code even for day-to-day work...I agree to the points in support of suits/full sleeves shirts..but one cant compare these with a tie..a tie - as I have explained in the post - is just redundant ( can be done away with )...a blazer, in contrast - at least protects you against cold...moreover, what looks good and what does not has been ingrained in our minds over the years due to the group-think of our society...and in the fast lives that we are living, we dont have the time to pause for a while and think about why we are doing what we are doing!
Good post Mandar. However, I agree with what Gurdeet said. Along with the look good factor and the 'other benefits' of a tie or a blazer, I feel it adds a status touch to you. You would have observed that there is a vast difference in the way people look at you when you wear a T-shirt and when you wear a formal clothing with a tie. Its just like a Merc car, which is as good without its logo, but that Merc sign on the car is what makes it so special.
@Siddhesh
Again,the status symbol etc stuff is what all of us have made it to be ... if you think of it logically there is no substance in it...the merc analogy may not be perfect because the merc logo is NOT redundant...any company's logo has a specific objective to achieve...a tie - in contrast - is not really a "logo" for the company u r working for (unless ur company is a tie-manufacturing-company :P)...so its really not doing much to enhance the brand image of the company..(which the logo does)...
all said and done..to each his own..:)
one tie and so many alternate uses??? but what if u are sweating, u have cold and ur boss made u shed tears simultaneously... my advice... dont mix them... :)
nice post
another use can be of a potential suicide aid if one gets fired and is too depressed.
@Dreamer
Yeah that can be one use too..the companies are so caring that they make sure their rules take care of every little need of the employees...isnt it? ;)
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