# Striped Tie Phobia - Flying False Colors?



## Alleline (Nov 16, 2013)

Out of curiosity, has any of you ever been quizzed about the significance of a striped tie you wore? For example, have you ever been out boulevarding in Manhattan only to be accosted by someone who asked if you were a veteran of the regiment, or alumnus of the school, whose tie you were inadvertently wearing? As in, "Wait, were you a Coldstream Guard, too? When did you serve?" or "Imagine meeting a fellow old-Walburgian in New York!"

The dread that I would someday encounter such a situation kept me away from striped ties until I moved to New Mexico (in my early 40s). Here, in a setting where few wear ties, it seems close-to-impossible that anyone will expect me to know why I'm wearing a given combination of stripes.

I do realize that this is silly. But I promise it is true. It only struck me this morning that this forum might be a place to find out whether there is any real-world basis for my fear that someone, somewhere, will feel I am misrepresenting myself (flying false colors, if you will) by sporting their Old School Tie. Has anyone ever been caught in this spot?


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## Steve Smith (Jan 12, 2008)

I wear what I like and have never given it a second thought. If someone gets bent out of shape because I wear a BB tie and was not a member of the Olde Farnsworth Queen's Guard then that is his problem, not mine.


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## WillBarrett (Feb 18, 2012)

My understanding is that if you're overseas, especially in the UK, it mght be best to avoid repps.


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## straw sandals (Apr 14, 2010)

My understanding is that Brooks Brothers reversed the direction of the stripes so as to avoid exactly this kind of faux pas.

https://www.brooksbrothers.com/BB#1-Repp-Tie/A230,default,pd.html

You need to be careful with emblematic ties in the US, as the toniest of clubs tend to use obscure emblems, and don't always label that they're from a certain club. Like this one, for instance:


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## rowanlane (Nov 12, 2013)

Maybe it's just my college campus, but sometimes when I wear a tie, someone will ask me about it assuming it's related to a Hogwarts house. Must be a generational thing.


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## dks202 (Jun 20, 2008)

Steve Smith said:


> I wear what I like and have never given it a second thought. If someone gets bent out of shape because I wear a BB tie and was not a member of the Olde Farnsworth Queen's Guard then that is his problem, not mine.


Can't agree with this. Certain patches, pins, ties, etc are usually earned (sometimes the hard way). If you have not earned it someone may forcibly remove it from you. I have a special patch from my unit. It cannot be bought and there were only 100 made. The only way to get one is to be chosen for the unit. When you leave you are allowed to take only one. It's very special.

BB stripes go the wrong direction anyway.


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## Pentheos (Jun 30, 2008)

dks202 said:


> If you have not earned it someone may forcibly remove it from you.


μολὼν λαβέ


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## Acct2000 (Sep 24, 2005)

Outside of England, I would not think twice about it. Unless you are deliberately doing what dks is alluding to, you are probably not coopting someone's symbol.

I buys ties and I wear them. I spend no time worrying about the stripes on my striped ties (and usually the ones I buy are the half inch wide stripes anyway.)


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## universitystripe (Jul 13, 2013)

I do not actively purchase club ties. Therefore, anyone who has a problem with my Brooks Brothers tie clearly has a problem with thousands of other men and should take it up with the company. 

I do wear a Yale grosgrain watchband from Smart Turnout because I like the white and blue coloring. Thousands of schools have those same colors, so I don't think twice about it.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Actually I deliberately choose stripes I can relate to. For instance, I have a regimental tie for U.S. Military Intelligence. Having had three MI MOS's, I have legitimate call to it. Additionally, I wear a royal blue and gold rep that has the same colors as CSU where I earned my MA. My undergraduate school has its own tartan and I have a tie for that. I have a rep tie officially from The Fedora Lounge . . . 'cause I like hats . . . and one other by Hugo Boss that no school in its right mind would have as their official colors. Beyond that my other ties are all plains, grenadines, emblematics, etc. If i relocate to Oregon, I'll probably get something officially Oregonian but so far I'm still here in SoCal. Does it matter? Only a little and probably only to me. However, if I ever do go places in the UK where I want to wear a tie, I'm covered. :wink2:


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## CMDC (Jan 31, 2009)

We usually go through this every couple of years when this question inevitably comes up. Wear what you want.


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## Danny (Mar 24, 2005)

Yeah never had a problem with this, nor have I refrained from wearing a tie out of some fear of being accosted. I'd not think too highly of the type of person that goes up to others calling them out on neckwear. If you were the type of person to ID everyone's stripes on sight, would you assume people were wearing them legitimately or that every person you see is an imposter..? And if you go through life assuming the worst [that everyone is an imposter]&#8230;isn't that a little paranoid?


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## Hayek (Jun 20, 2006)

No, and it's not something that I've ever thought of. I've spent my whole life in the northeast, and I don't think that anyone really assumes that striped ties mean anything here. It might be different in the UK though as others have already said, BB and Press have the stripes reversed so it's not a big deal.


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## LordSmoke (Dec 25, 2012)

One of my favorite ties happens to have the colors of our arch rival university. This is sometimes pointed out. I couldn't care less.


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## FLMike (Sep 17, 2008)

Alleline said:


> Out of curiosity, has any of you ever been quizzed about the significance of a striped tie you wore?


No.

"have you ever been out boulevarding in Manhattan?"

No.


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## Flairball (Dec 9, 2012)

dks202 said:


> Can't agree with this. Certain patches, pins, ties, etc are usually earned (sometimes the hard way). If you have not earned it someone may forcibly remove it from you. I have a special patch from my unit. It cannot be bought and there were only 100 made. The only way to get one is to be chosen for the unit. When you leave you are allowed to take only one. It's very special.
> 
> BB stripes go the wrong direction anyway.


I can't agree with this. If its available on the open market, then it is fair play. The ties in question are widely available, and should be fair play. Your special patch isn't available to the public. That's not the same. If the regiments want their ties to be for members only, they should maintain control of them like your unit did.

All that aside, I understand the sentiment held by the regiments, and would not wear regimental stripes in the UK. Here in the US, out traditions differ and the regiments know that, too.


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## Brooksfan (Jan 25, 2005)

Pentheos said:


> μολὼν λαβέ


It that was likely by now someone would have also forcefully rid me of my pink OCBDs.


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## Steve Smith (Jan 12, 2008)

dks202 said:


> Can't agree with this. Certain patches, pins, ties, etc are usually earned (sometimes the hard way). If you have not earned it someone may forcibly remove it from you. I have a special patch from my unit. It cannot be bought and there were only 100 made. The only way to get one is to be chosen for the unit. When you leave you are allowed to take only one. It's very special.


That's really special that you have a special patch.

I am a former USMC officer myself. I have a hard time imagining that someone is going to forcibly remove an object of clothing from me. I will just leave it at that without going into details.


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## Alleline (Nov 16, 2013)

So, what this thread tells me is that I'm not altogether delusional for worrying about it. Thanks!

Funny thing - in New Mexico, my UVA tie (blue and orange stripes) draws fire from people who assume I am a Broncos fan, and disapprove. So, you can never win. But at least I've never had an altercation with a former Marine who wanted to strip anything off of me. So, I've got that going for me.


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## Orsini (Apr 24, 2007)

Unless in the Commonwealth, I wouldn't worry about this.


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## boatshoe (Oct 30, 2008)

It's an irrational fear...though, years ago I had dinner with one of my professors. I was wearing a kind of unusual striped RL tie. It was a bright orange-ish yellow with violet stripes. My description makes it sound awful. Maybe it was awful, I don't know. Anyway, the professor asked me if the tie had a school or club affiliation. Later it struck me that this particular professor used to teach at one of the Oxford colleges, which is why the thought would have come to him.

So, unless you are wearing a particularly ugly striped tie, and talking to someone who knows that these ties actually can have affiliations, I wouldn't sweat it.


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## drlivingston (Jun 21, 2012)

I might be a little too "I couldn't care less" about this whole issue. If Brooks Brothers sells a tie, I will wear it... case closed (in any city, state, country, continent, etc. etc.) If people have a problem with that (even abroad), GET OVER IT!! It's a freaking tie! I own over 5000 of them. I am sure that each one of them is offensive to some sect, fraternity, tribe, or clan. I DON'T CARE! If I can buy it on the open market, I will wear it and laugh at anyone who has the cajones to tell me to remove it. It is just that simple.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

:thumbs-up::thumbs-up::thumbs-up:


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## firedancer (Jan 11, 2011)

I think you're more likely to offend our UK friends by wearing the wrong football kit. 

I would even wear my favorite Ben Silver Regimentals. I really don't care. 

I can't imagine anyone really taking notice anyway. Kind of like all of the thousands of tartans.


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## McKay (Jun 13, 2005)

I've often been on one end or the other of a "what tie is that" conversation, but always out of genuine curiosity and interest. I've never seen any hostility around it.


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## drlivingston (Jun 21, 2012)

Hostility over a necktie? In the immortal words of Charlie Brown, "Good grief!" What separates those who favor necktie exclusivity from the Crips and the Bloods assaulting each other for wearing blue or red? It is childish nonsense. If a patch, badge, or tie is received as a special award, it should be cherished by those who receive it. However, if one or more members of that group choose to sell their item, then they made the conscious decision to have it worn by others. Super Bowl and World Series rings are commonly sold by impoverished athletes. Should they be forcibly ripped from the fingers of the purchasers?


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## LordSmoke (Dec 25, 2012)

^ you beat me to it. I think I will wear my Crips blue and Bloods red stripes with Hell's Angel death head emblems tomorrow. Though, the later is, I think, trademarked. Oh well.


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## Patrick06790 (Apr 10, 2005)

On the lone occasion when I was challenged over my necktie's design, I cleverly replied that the blue and gold are the colors of the New Mexico Institute of Animal Husbandry, Hatch. N.M. The interrogator gulped twice and shoved off, no doubt to give someone a hard time about his socks.


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## fishertw (Jan 27, 2006)

I was in Ben Silver several years ago, purchasing an emblematic that was of St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Bob Prenner, the owner of the company, told me that it was likely one of the last that he would be able to sell as he had recently received a letter from a royal barrister advising him to "cease and desist" selling them as the design was owned by the royal family. Seems that I saw them again in another catalog of theirs a couple of years later. I just found it curious.


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## thegovteach (Dec 2, 2012)

Same with tartans in my book. My favorite is the "clergy" tartan. I am an alumni of a seminary, but have not been on a church staff in 40 years....still love the tie....
Wear what you want....


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## Sir Cingle (Aug 22, 2009)

This topic comes up from time to time on this forum. To some extent, this is a matter of culture: Very few Americans would get bent out of shape about wearing a regimental tie when one didn't fight in that regiment. But many Americans are highly unlikely to wear apparel associated with a particular college or university, if they did not attend that institution, unless perhaps their children did, or their spouses did. As J. Press' sales in Japan demonstrate, however, this latter concern does not tend to trouble many Japanese, since Press sells lots of Yale sweaters there, though presumably very few there actually attended the school.


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## Barnavelt (Jul 31, 2012)

Sir Cingle said:


> This topic comes up from time to time on this forum. To some extent, this is a matter of culture: Very few Americans would get bent out of shape about wearing a regimental tie when one didn't fight in that regiment. But many Americans are highly unlikely to wear apparel associated with a particular college or university, if they did not attend that institution, unless perhaps their children did, or their spouses did. As J. Press' sales in Japan demonstrate, however, this latter concern does not tend to trouble many Japanese, since Press sells lots of Yale sweaters there, though presumably very few there actually attended the school.


With all due respect I would propose that most Americans would do just the opposite and that many Americans wear apparel branded with colleges and universities they themselves have not attended (nor their children for that matter). Notre Dame, Duke, North Carolina, and Georgia are just a few of the schools which many people follow and that includes wearing all the gear. I would say that an alumnus would be more likely than a non-alumnus to wear, say, a watch or a necktie for their school. As far as regimentals go, I think it depends on context. If one were to wear a "Queen's Grenadiers" tie with the express intention of faking their way into a battalion reunion in order to raid the complimentary cocktail bar, I think it would be frowned upon. If a more-or-less innocent trad on the way to his office in the morning were to sport that same tie, impeccably matched with his suit of course, I think he could be excused for just liking the pattern and color of the tie.


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## MaxBuck (Apr 4, 2013)

My solution to this quandary has been simple. I don't wear striped ties.


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## Steve Smith (Jan 12, 2008)

Barnavelt said:


> With all due respect I would propose that most Americans would do just the opposite and that many Americans wear apparel branded with colleges and universities they themselves have not attended (nor their children for that matter). Notre Dame, Duke, North Carolina, and Georgia are just a few of the schools which many people follow and that includes wearing all the gear.


You are correct, of course. Most of this is due to the cultivation of college sports and the licensing of collegiate gear. I know for a fact that at Duke or UNC they do not require proof that you are a student or graduate in order for you to buy a sweatshirt.

I have daughters who graduated from those two and I sometimes wear a sweatshirt or t shirt from the schools. So far, I have neither had anyone question whether I am an alumnus or forcibly remove said items from my body.


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## firedancer (Jan 11, 2011)

Sir Cingle said:


> This topic comes up from time to time on this forum. To some extent, this is a matter of culture: Very few Americans would get bent out of shape about wearing a regimental tie when one didn't fight in that regiment. But many Americans are highly unlikely to wear apparel associated with a particular college or university, if they did not attend that institution, unless perhaps their children did, or their spouses did. As J. Press' sales in Japan demonstrate, however, this latter concern does not tend to trouble many Japanese, since Press sells lots of Yale sweaters there, though presumably very few there actually attended the school.


I think the ENTIRE state of Alabama missed this memo. 
I don't think you can live there unless you fly your Tide/tiger gear any chance you can.


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## smmrfld (May 22, 2007)

dks202 said:


> If you have not earned it someone may forcibly remove it from you.


Am assuming you're joking here...or else you're referring to some alternate reality.


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## Sir Cingle (Aug 22, 2009)

Steve Smith said:


> You are correct, of course. Most of this is due to the cultivation of college sports and the licensing of collegiate gear. I know for a fact that at Duke or UNC they do not require proof that you are a student or graduate in order for you to buy a sweatshirt.
> 
> I have daughters who graduated from those two and I sometimes wear a sweatshirt or t shirt from the schools. So far, I have neither had anyone question whether I am an alumnus or forcibly remove said items from my body.


Yes, my previous statement was too strong. Still, non-alumni who wear collegiate clothing probably do so for a couple of particular reasons: 1) their support for big-time college sports; 2) an institution's regional affiliation (mostly this pertains to state schools) and/or religious affiliation (e.g., Notre Dame).

Still, few would likely wear, say, a Williams College sweatshirt without having attended the school. Maybe some in Western Mass would do so, but I doubt there are many of them.


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## MaxBuck (Apr 4, 2013)

Sir Cingle said:


> Yes, my previous statement was too strong. Still, non-alumni who wear collegiate clothing probably do so for a couple of particular reasons: 1) their support for big-time college sports; 2) an institution's regional affiliation (mostly this pertains to state schools) and/or religious affiliation (e.g., Notre Dame).
> 
> Still, few would likely wear, say, a Williams College sweatshirt without having attended the school. Maybe some in Western Mass would do so, but I doubt there are many of them.


There are those who might wear gear from UC Santa Cruz or UC Irvine just to display the mascots ...


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## Acct2000 (Sep 24, 2005)

Alleline said:


> So, what this thread tells me is that I'm not altogether delusional for worrying about it. Thanks!
> 
> Funny thing - in New Mexico, my UVA tie (blue and orange stripes) draws fire from people who assume I am a Broncos fan, and disapprove. So, you can never win. But at least I've never had an altercation with a former Marine who wanted to strip anything off of me. So, I've got that going for me.


I'm pretty sure that this thread is telling you not to worry about it. Especially in America. There has been one person with one case. If someone tries to accost you for your tie (like that would really happen - - -) call the police.


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## Acct2000 (Sep 24, 2005)

I have a University of Michigan necktie and a couple T Shirts. I'm a fan of the sports teams even though I never attended the university. Many other people do this (although probably not so much with the ties.) I frequently wear the UM tie to work on the day before they play Michigan State. (Michigan State is located in Lansing, where I live.)


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## Spin Evans (Feb 2, 2013)

firedancer said:


> I think the ENTIRE state of Alabama missed this memo.
> I don't think you can live there unless you fly your Tide/tiger gear any chance you can.


Bless their hearts, they get a pass because that's all they got going for 'em.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

MaxBuck said:


> There are those who might wear gear from UC Santa Barbara or UC Irvine just to display the mascots ...


Correction. The SLUGS are from UC Santa _Cruz_, not Santa Barbara. The SB-er's are the Gauchos for some unfathomable reason.


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## thegovteach (Dec 2, 2012)

firedancer said:


> I think the ENTIRE state of Alabama missed this memo.
> I don't think you can live there unless you fly your Tide/tiger gear any chance you can.


It is the same way in Texas.....people wear A&M and UT gear like mad. You can buy the stuff in every Dollar Store, Walmart, Target in the state....same thing with LSU gear in Louisiana, Razorback gear in any town in Arkansas...


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## drlivingston (Jun 21, 2012)

firedancer said:


> I think the ENTIRE state of Alabama missed this memo.
> I don't think you can live there unless you fly your Tide/tiger gear any chance you can.


Don't make me mad or I will come and poison your trees. :devil:
Seriously, I attended both schools and detest the fanaticism shown by both fan bases. I understand school spirit but I quit going to any of their athletic events because of their incredible stupidity.


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## MaxBuck (Apr 4, 2013)

Oldsarge said:


> Correction. The SLUGS are from UC Santa _Cruz_, not Santa Barbara. The SB-er's are the Gauchos for some unfathomable reason.


You're right; I thought I had corrected that, but obviously not.

Someone mentioned Williams College, whose team name is the "Ephs" (pronounced "eefs"). That's a reference to the college's initial chief benefactor, Ephraim Williams. Apparently no one has any idea what the guy looked like, so the team logo is a purple and yellow spotted cow.

I don't want to see any ties with that graphic.


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## maximar (Jan 11, 2010)

rowanlane said:


> Maybe it's just my college campus, but sometimes when I wear a tie, someone will ask me about it assuming it's related to a Hogwarts house. Must be a generational thing.


I get this a lot from the younger employees in my office. They also say that my moscot Lemtosh and Arthur glasses are so Harry Potter.


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## EastVillageTrad (May 12, 2006)

My position on this has been consisent.

Stripes should have an association.


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## Acct2000 (Sep 24, 2005)

EastVillageTrad said:


> My position on this has been consisent.
> 
> Stripes should have an association.


Why? There are plenty of stripes that don't have one; probably about 98% of the striped ties sold in America do not have one.


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## EastVillageTrad (May 12, 2006)

From Nov 2010:

"I think the problem here is one of context and perception.

If you live in Anytown, USA and wear a tie to church on Sunday and to weddings, funerals, etc., I can see that you're in a quandry on this issue, it might not matter or seem an issue to you because you have no real connection with the larger 'identity' of a particular club/regt tie, etc.

It also doesn't help with the Harry Potterization of the look by BB, J Press, RL, etc.

If you live in the parts of the US (where the tradition is adheared to) and actually belong to private social clubs, societies, and have served in the military or spend time in the UK or with those that have, or have served in the UK Armed Forces, you understand a bit better where the issue is.

I think you have to "get it" to be "in" on the discussion...

My bottom line is; if you don't see a problem wearing the tie of a group you have no association with, it is likely because you don't have any interaction with that segment of society. Just my opinion... "

https://askandyaboutclothes.com/com...98-Repp-Regimental-Ties&p=1167376#post1167376


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## drlivingston (Jun 21, 2012)

EastVillageTrad said:


> From Nov 2010:
> 
> "I think the problem here is one of context and perception.
> 
> ...


Do you allow girls into your little clubhouse? Seriously, dude, it's a tie. Every time a kid in Alabama throws a white sheet over his head on Halloween and claims to be a ghost, you don't see the KKK stepping in shouting trademark infringement.


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## orange fury (Dec 8, 2013)

I have multiple striped ties from RL, HSM, BB, Nautica, etc, and I don't have the slightest idea if the stripe patterns belong to any organization. I think striped ties are so ubiquitous here in the states that no one really identifies them as an organizational logo as much as they see it as a pattern (similar to tartans). When I personally think "organizational logos", the first things that come to my mind are the Freemason square and compasses, the Rotary gear, the VFW cross, etc., and these organizations have fairly tight controls over the use of their symbols and logos. If I'm going to Brooks to buy a tie, I'm not going to research what I should and shouldn't purchase before I go, bc IMHO, if they sell it, thousands of other guys have probably purchased it and I consider it to be fair game. The bigger thing in my mind is that if the organizations that use stripes have a problem with retailers carrying similar patterns to theirs, they should take it up with the companies.

now with all this said, I also know that I would never wear a striped tie in Europe for the issues stated here, but let's be honest, most guys in the general population that don't post on clothing forums would and wouldn't think twice about it. Also, I'm not going to go out of my way to purchase something that isn't widely available so I can wear something I didn't earn (like the military patch that was brought up earlier). 

Just my $.02


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## gamma68 (Mar 24, 2013)

If some folks take issue with people wearing striped ties that belong to an organization, better confront Ben Silver.

Yesterday, I received Silver's latest neckwear catalog, which features dozens of striped and emblematic ties belonging to all sorts of organizations: university, prep school, military, etc. Many more are available on its website.

Right or wrong, it's clear that Ben Silver is marketing its wares to the masses, whether you belong to the organization or not.


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## Magnusson (Feb 4, 2014)

I think context is everything with club ties. They only really have meaning and usefulness in a relatively small social circle where they can be recognized. You and I know whether we belong to that particular circle or not.

For example, if I were an Englishman, and an upper class Englishman, rubbing shoulders on a day to day basis mostly with other upper-class Englishmen, and we all attended the same handful of schools, went to the same two or three universities, and are perhaps members of the same handful of gentleman's clubs, my striped tie has meaning because it enables fellow Old Etonians or fellow members of the Reform Club, Coldstream Guards veterans, or what have you, to recognize me as "part of the team."

In anyplace outside Central London, possibly certain resorts in the South of France where I might run into a greater number of upper class Englishmen, or towns like Oxford that might be particularly associated with certain tie colors, the odds of my running into someone for whom certain stripes have meaning are nil, and the odds of them recognizing my tie even if I should run into them are equally nil: they won't be looking for it, because they will instinctively know that the odds of running into a fellow member of Her Majesty's Own 73rd Wiltshire Fusiliers in New York City are exceedingly slim -to say nothing of the odds in Indianapolis or Topeka. Therefore, if I found that that (fictitious) regiment's tie was pleasing, I would feel very free to wear it wherever I wanted, even London. I would only refrain from wearing it if I were planning to take a vacation in Wiltshire, or if I were going to some kind of Veterans' social event, parade, etc. For generic striped ties this is even more of a non-issue, because there are millions of combinations possible and only a few hundred of them have meaning. It is incredibly unlikely that my favorite striped tie actually corresponds to the colors and patterns of the 73rd Wiltshire Fusiliers or any other group.

I think if one exercises a little common sense about where one wears striped ties that might have some meaning, or any other logo, the whole thing is a non-issue. In Alabama where I find myself living right now, it's just as well for me to refrain from showing my support for the Denver Broncos (the city where I was born and whose football team I occasionally support out of principle and family tradition) because it will assuredly be interpreted as support for Auburn University -an association that in this neck of the woods will earn me a lot of instant friends, and some enemies.

Truthfully, I think people have much more to worry about wearing the wrong color combinations and unwittingly showing the "wrong" sports affiliation than wearing the wrong tie. There are only probably a few hundred thousand upper class Englishmen who will readily recognize club ties, but there are hundreds of millions of rabid sports fans...


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## gamma68 (Mar 24, 2013)

Magnusson said:


> I think if one exercises a little common sense about where one wears striped ties that might have some meaning, or any other logo, the whole thing is a non-issue. In Alabama where I find myself living right now, it's just as well for me to refrain from showing my support for the Denver Broncos (the city where I was born and whose football team I occasionally support out of principle and family tradition) because it will assuredly be interpreted as support for Auburn University -an association that in this neck of the woods will earn me a lot of instant friends, and some enemies.


This is certainly true. I would be very hesitant to wear a maize and blue striped tie in Columbus, Ohio. Not a way to gain friends.


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## MaxBuck (Apr 4, 2013)

gamma68 said:


> This is certainly true. I would be very hesitant to wear a maize and blue striped tie in Columbus, Ohio. Not a way to gain friends.


Darn tootin'.


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## Reuben (Aug 28, 2013)

gamma68 said:


> This is certainly true. I would be very hesitant to wear a maize and blue striped tie in Columbus, Ohio. Not a way to gain friends.


I've learned not to wear my blue-striped OCBD with my yellow or my melon-colored shorts. Good color combinations, bad connotations.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Royal blue and gold, however, will do fine anywhere in California except near USC or Stanford and even then the reaction might be nothing more than a rude look. After all, with nine campuses in the UC and twenty-three CSU's, we _outnumber_ everybody!


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## Acct2000 (Sep 24, 2005)

gamma68 said:


> This is certainly true. I would be very hesitant to wear a maize and blue striped tie in Columbus, Ohio. Not a way to gain friends.


I'm from Michigan and I was in Columbus Ohio with a blue and gold tie, light blue shirt, khakis and a blue blazer once. I was out after the meetings. No one was hostile or anything. I remember mentioning that I was from Michigan and a couple guys made a big (in humorous good spirit) thing about eyeing me from head to toe and saying, "Really." I wore different sport coats in Columbus after that when I had to visit. It was funny more than awkward, but I'll avoid doing that again.


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## mendozar (Dec 13, 2005)

Barnavelt said:


> With all due respect I would propose that most Americans would do just the opposite and that many Americans wear apparel branded with colleges and universities they themselves have not attended (nor their children for that matter). Notre Dame, Duke, North Carolina, and Georgia are just a few of the schools which many people follow and that includes wearing all the gear. I would say that an alumnus would be more likely than a non-alumnus to wear, say, a watch or a necktie for their school. As far as regimentals go, I think it depends on context. If one were to wear a "Queen's Grenadiers" tie with the express intention of faking their way into a battalion reunion in order to raid the complimentary cocktail bar, I think it would be frowned upon. If a more-or-less innocent trad on the way to his office in the morning were to sport that same tie, impeccably matched with his suit of course, I think he could be excused for just liking the pattern and color of the tie.


The most amusing licensing issue to me has always been Franklin & Marshall (). Abroad, it's some giant fashion label. But in the States, it's a small liberal arts college (https://www.fandm.edu/).

I recently saw a picture of Vladimir Putin wearing one of my club's ties, but with the stripes in another direction. No, we did not feel compelled to grab it from his neck whilst boulevarding around Sochi, but a few of us did have a good laugh about it (he is not a member of our club). We also tend to snatch up ties that resemble our club's tie-but just because it's such a rare occasion when you see the design. It seems more of a novelty factor.

I went to a Division I school and our logo is on a ton of athletic wear that's just as likely to be worn by non-affiliated people who are just sports fans. And logo ties (Vineyard Vines style) seem more popular than stripes these days. But we also have cufflinks and blazer buttons that are far more likely to be worn by alumni than non-alumni.


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## Pale_Male (May 20, 2013)

EastVillageTrad said:


> From Nov 2010:
> 
> "I think the problem here is one of context and perception.
> 
> ...


Sober and accurate response, making it a prime target for the silly & snarky. It's a class thing, and as usual in these cases, has little to do with the size of one's paycheck. Highly unlikely to happen today, but Tom Ripley's story begins with a Princeton patch on that borrowed blazer...


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## DannoRye (Feb 1, 2013)

thegovteach said:


> It is the same way in Texas.....people wear A&M and UT gear like mad. You can buy the stuff in every Dollar Store, Walmart, Target in the state....same thing with LSU gear in Louisiana, Razorback gear in any town in Arkansas...


And Mississippi, and many other places I would imagine.


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## Roycru (Apr 13, 2011)

If one is concerned about wearing a regimental tie from a regiment that one has not served in, and being mistaken as an old soldier by an old soldier from that regiment, many of the regimental ties offered by Ben Silver are from regiments that have been gone for well over fifty years, so the chance of there being any problems are very remote.

https://www.bensilver.com/The-Corps-and-Regiments.html


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## JLibourel (Jun 13, 2004)

When I was working, I wore rep ties a lot. Nobody ever identified any ties or asked me whether they had any symbolism. The only ties I have that have any symbolism that I am aware are two of Balliol College, Oxford--striped and crested, and these I have every right to wear!


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## 2010doran (Feb 5, 2014)

Roycru said:


> If one is concerned about wearing a regimental tie from a regiment that one has not served in, and being mistaken as an old soldier by an old soldier from that regiment, many of the regimental ties offered by Ben Silver are from regiments that have been gone for well over fifty years, so the chance of there being any problems are very remote.
> 
> https://www.bensilver.com/The-Corps-and-Regiments.html


I wonder if someone has been called out for wearing a Argyll Sutherland tie or Blackwatch flannel by someone who associates with those groups.


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## mhj (Oct 27, 2010)

Muffy has just weighed in on this too, https://www.muffyaldrich.com/2014/02/bad-ivy-style-when-is-it-good-form-to.html. Although the subject was school scarves the same principles apply to ties.


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## LordSmoke (Dec 25, 2012)

A quick reading of Muffy suggests there should be a distinction in the discussion between actual names, logos, and emblems and some arrangement of colored stripes. I certainly wouldn't wear something that would give the impression of a true affiliation unless there was one, albeit tenuous. I used to carry a Yale notebook I picked up there after giving a talk and doing some collaborative work with one of the profs. I tend to collect paintings and prints of universities and museums with which I have some professional affiliation besides a one-time visit.


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## straw sandals (Apr 14, 2010)

The only time I would be concerned about being "called out" for wearing Black Watch tartan is at an Irish pub on St. Patrick's day.



2010doran said:


> I wonder if someone has been called out for wearing a Argyll Sutherland tie or Blackwatch flannel by someone who associates with those groups.


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## smmrfld (May 22, 2007)

mhj said:


> Muffy has just weighed in on this too, https://www.muffyaldrich.com/2014/02/bad-ivy-style-when-is-it-good-form-to.html. Although the subject was school scarves the same principles apply to ties.


Bunch of pretentious blather in that post. When schools stop marketing and selling their highly-profitable gear to those who can't prove affiliation of some reasonable sort, then let's talk. As with many things, it's all about the almighty dollar; if you like the tie/shirt/hat/whatever then by all means go ahead and buy/wear it.


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## LordSmoke (Dec 25, 2012)

smmrfld said:


> Bunch of pretentious blather in that post. When schools stop marketing and selling their highly-profitable gear to those who can't prove affiliation of some reasonable sort, then let's talk. As with many things, it's all about the almighty dollar; if you like the tie/shirt/hat/whatever then by all means go ahead and buy/wear it.


Yes, I wouldn't have the least bit of concern about wearing commercially marketed logos and such. On the other hand, I wouldn't don, say, a Congressional Medal of Honor emblem if I didn't have one, and from what I have read, I would never want to earn the right.


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## Odradek (Sep 1, 2011)

LordSmoke said:


> . I certainly wouldn't wear something that would give the impression of a true affiliation unless there was one, albeit tenuous. .


I recently came across a Lancashire Fusiliers tie, a British Army regiment that my grandfather was in. The colours are attractive and I was initially tempted, and there is that family connection, but the Lancashire Fusiliers website makes it very clear that they don't appreciate anyone wearing their ties who was not one of them.


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## Flairball (Dec 9, 2012)

straw sandals said:


> The only time I would be concerned about being "called out" for wearing Black Watch tartan is at an Irish pub on St. Patrick's day.


Really? I make it a point to wear my Black Watch tartan kilt bar hopping on St. Pats day, and no one has ever mumbled a word. St. Patty's day is a day when everyone is 1/365th Irish, and nothing more than another excuse to get drunk, and act like an a$$.

Truth be told, March 17th should be an American holiday, but not many people remember their history, and what happened on that day. It is fundamental to our nation's history.

This year I'm gonna wear it with an A & S regimental tie. Maybe I'll get called for not matching my tartan & regiment? Doubt it.


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## dks202 (Jun 20, 2008)

Wearing a tie that you didn't earn is like wearing combat medals you didn't earn. On the other hand, fortunately, American ties are the reverse of British regimental ties so it's OK to wear them here.

School ties don't seem as important to me, I would wear them and I probably wouldn't even know it was a school tie.


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## Youthful Repp-robate (Sep 26, 2011)

EastVillageTrad said:


> My bottom line is; if you don't see a problem wearing the tie of a group you have no association with, it is likely because you don't have any interaction with that segment of society. Just my opinion... "
> 
> https://askandyaboutclothes.com/com...98-Repp-Regimental-Ties&p=1167376#post1167376


I think this is probably true...

Not that I'm likely to jettison my repp ties, but I'll probably try to find some approximating my school colors and wear 'em more often. And I have some stripes that are, well, just stripes, in which case I will lie about their provenance.



Roycru said:


> If one is concerned about wearing a regimental tie from a regiment that one has not served in, and being mistaken as an old soldier by an old soldier from that regiment, many of the regimental ties offered by Ben Silver are from regiments that have been gone for well over fifty years, so the chance of there being any problems are very remote.
> 
> https://www.bensilver.com/The-Corps-and-Regiments.html


That's an interesting one...

Even Argyll & Sutherland aren't a going concern any longer.


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## straw sandals (Apr 14, 2010)

I only mentioned it because some Irish folk are sensitive about the role of the Black Watch during the Troubles. And I'd never want to get into a drunken altercation on St. Patty's where I'm cast as the anti-Irish one!



Flairball said:


> Really? I make it a point to wear my Black Watch tartan kilt bar hopping on St. Pats day, and no one has ever mumbled a word. St. Patty's day is a day when everyone is 1/365th Irish, and nothing more than another excuse to get drunk, and act like an a$$.
> 
> Truth be told, March 17th should be an American holiday, but not many people remember their history, and what happened on that day. It is fundamental to our nation's history.
> 
> This year I'm gonna wear it with an A & S regimental tie. Maybe I'll get called for not matching my tartan & regiment? Doubt it.


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## Flairball (Dec 9, 2012)

dks202 said:


> Wearing a tie that you didn't earn is like wearing combat medals you didn't earn. On the other hand, fortunately, American ties are the reverse of British regimental ties so it's OK to wear them here.
> 
> School ties don't seem as important to me, I would wear them and I probably wouldn't even know it was a school tie.


This is where part of the problem lies. Stripes on a tie are quite arbitrary, as most striped ties have no meaning. In fact, I'd bet there were a whole lot of striped ties in existence before any of the regiments decided to hi-jack the design. As such most people don't recognize the significance of a regimental tie, whereas people know what medals are, and the significance of them.

This brings us to the cultural perspective. If I were traveling the UK I'd not pack a striped tie, because over there the significance of them is understood by the population. Here in the US it is not part of our culture, and people don't understand he significance. Whichever way he stripes run, it's arbitrary, and makes no sense for anyone in the US to worry about a British tradition here.


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## LordSmoke (Dec 25, 2012)

The solution, if there s a problem to be solved, is simple. An organization that wishes to maintain control of a particular pattern can trademark or copyright it. E.g., Burbury plaid, but see https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/28/burberry-check-_n_4356526.html


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## Flairball (Dec 9, 2012)

It seems The Black Watch is so concerned about non-members wearing their ties that they aren't offering them on their website.

https://www.blackwatchshop.co.uk/ties/

Ooops.  Never mind.


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## phyrpowr (Aug 30, 2009)

Flairball said:


> If I were traveling the UK I'd not pack a striped tie, because over there the significance of them is understood by the population. Here in the US it is not part of our culture, and people don't understand he significance. Whichever way he stripes run, it's arbitrary, and makes no sense for anyone in the US to worry about a British tradition here.


Agree. Very few people here have any sort of "official" tie, some clubs perhaps, and they only sell them to members. So a tie in the US is just a tie. But I wouldn't wear stripes in the UK where it could mean something , just as I wouldn't wear e.g., a non-UNC university sweatshirt here (not that I wear sweatshirts, anyway, but you get the idea)


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## Odradek (Sep 1, 2011)

straw sandals said:


> I only mentioned it because some Irish folk are sensitive about the role of the Black Watch during the Troubles. And I'd never want to get into a drunken altercation on St. Patty's where I'm cast as the anti-Irish one!


First rule of not getting into a disagreement with an Irish person on March 17th.... It's Paddy, not Patty.
Better yet, St. Patrick's Day.

On the whole, as an Irishman, St. Patrick's Day in Dublin city centre is something I've tried to avoid for many years.


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

^

In this I concur with Christopher Moltisanti "That's our hell. It's an Irish bar where it's St. Patrick's Day every day forever."


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