# Question about British Regimental Ties



## MikeWB (Jan 8, 2010)

I'm a big fan of British Regimental ties, and have quite a few of them. My question is, if I were to visit the UK and wear a British Regimental, would I run afoul of someone who had actually served in the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, or any of the other regiments whose stripes I have? Would I be seen as an upstart Yank? Any comments from members in the UK would be welcome.


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## JaredC (Dec 30, 2009)

I'm no limey, but I've read that one should be cautious of this when _doing business _with the Brits. I would imagine that counts when visiting them, as well.


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## Sean1982 (Sep 7, 2009)

Very few people would know! I doubt you'd ever be pulled, up and being an tourist you'd be treated more kindly. Only if you were trying to fake being an old boy would you be in trouble.

BUT, I would not wear them personally, it's disrespectful. My grandad worked to get his!


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## Dandy (Aug 7, 2008)

yea i would save it for haloween


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## Orsini (Apr 24, 2007)

I always recommend leaving regimental ties at home when visiting the Commonwealth.


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

Good patterns to wear:

Army Benevolent Fund (https://www.soldierscharity.org/)

https://www.smartturnout.co.uk/prod...non-crease-silk-tie-army-benevolent-fund.html

Help for Heroes (https://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/):

https://www.smartturnout.co.uk/products/ties/military-ties/military-silk-tie-help-for-heroes.html

Smart Turnout is run by a former officer in the Scots Guards (https://www.smartturnout.co.uk//about-smart-turnout). When he says that a cut of the sales revenue from these patterns goes to the charities involved, I believe it.


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## LilacCords (Apr 28, 2009)

*As long as there is no pretension on your part - and there clearly isn't otherwise you wouldn't be asking the question. I see no problem, further more in the unlikely event you were pulled up for wearing it a simple; "I just liked the colour" and your accent should be more than enough.*


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## balder (Jan 23, 2008)

LilacCords said:


> *As long as there is no pretension on your part - and there clearly isn't otherwise you wouldn't be asking the question. I see no problem, further more in the unlikely event you were pulled up for wearing it a simple; "I just liked the colour" and your accent should be more than enough.*


You could always say that they are the colours of your school/university and that it is a coincidence.


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## Matthew Schitck (May 12, 2009)

If you have any ties from regiments long dispanded (Seaforths, DCLI, Derbyshire Yeomans etc.) that would avoid any mutterings. Although a H4H tie would get more approving nods from those in the know.


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

MikeWB said:


> I'm a big fan of British Regimental ties, and have quite a few of them. My question is, if I were to visit the UK and wear a British Regimental, would I run afoul of someone who had actually served in the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, or any of the other regiments whose stripes I have? Would I be seen as an upstart Yank? Any comments from members in the UK would be welcome.


Exactly what Sean1982 said.

With a slight alteration, take note of what Jared said too.
I have seen people pulled up on this on more than a few occasions, both in London and overseas, in Sweden, and in South Africa just 3 months ago. BUT then I move and work in those circles so it's not surprising.

I've even done it myself, once on duty in Chelsea, early 1990s, an old boy stopped me to ask directions. I gave him directions and seeing his Guards Brigade tie and wanting to honour that, I asked smiling, "By the way what guards regiment, I'm ex- RAF Reigment myself?" His exact reply was "What?" I then said, "Your guards tie, what guards regiment were you in?" He said "what are you talking about?" I said "Nevermind".

In November, last year at a societal security conference in South Africa, one of the US delegation was wearing a Royal Navy tie. And one of the UK delegation (another ex-police officer) asked him why he was wearing it? The answer was "I didn't know it was a Royal Navy tie" I turned around and looked at it, and there was no mistaking it, the classic Navy blue with the thin red & white stripe and in the British direciton top R to bottom L.

So although it might seem unlikely, people do get pulled up on it.

I mean, remember that the old shool tie and the regimental tie exist for a reason, they do still serve important purposes. Identification, networking, recognition, respect.


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## Simon Myerson (Nov 8, 2007)

Don't do it. The ties are reserved for those who can properly lay claim to them. This may or may not be sensible, but it is so. Help for Heroes is a good idea as a substitute.


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

Simon Myerson said:


> Don't do it. The ties are reserved for those who can properly lay claim to them. This may or may not be sensible, but it is so. Help for Heroes is a good idea as a substitute.


A very good cause and a very good suggestion Simon.


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## StephenRG (Apr 7, 2005)

Plus even if no-one comments, some of the people who won't say anything will think the worse of you...


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

PJC in NoVa said:


> Good patterns to wear:
> 
> Army Benevolent Fund (https://www.soldierscharity.org/)
> 
> ...


+1. An absolutely splendid suggestion, offering a positive solution to the OP's present dilemma! Ge gets his tie and a good cause is well served in the process. :thumbs-up:


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## Busterdog (Jan 1, 2010)

Good advice here. Never wear the tie of a club, school, or regiment of which you were not a member....... even the old long dead regiments.....there are still some of us about! And remember the old adage....no club ties after 6m.

On the subject of ties, I noticed Ben Silver had British regimental ties in longer lengths (hard to come by in the UK), including that of my old regiment. I purchased one - at an exorbitant cost - whereas the quality was superb, the pattern of the tie was incorrect (colours reversed), rendering it unsuitable for wear at reunions, etc. So if you actually ARE a former member of a famous Scottish Regiment and looking for a regimental tie in the USA..... don't go to Ben Silver's!


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

Earl of Ormonde said:


> I've even done it myself, once on duty in Chelsea, early 1990s, an old boy stopped me to ask directions. I gave him directions and seeing his Guards Brigade tie and wanting to honour that, I asked smiling, "By the way what guards regiment, I'm ex- RAF Reigment myself?" His exact reply was "What?" I then said, "Your guards tie, what guards regiment were you in?" He said "what are you talking about?" I said "Nevermind".


He may have been a graduate of the universities of Pennsylvania, Kansas, or Arizona, or some high school that has roughly the same colors as the BofG. Or perhaps a New England Patriots or Buffalo Bills fan.

PS: The ABF and H4H chain-linked enamel cufflinks are mighty sharp as well (but don't wear 'em w/ their respective ties, as that would be just too matchy-matchy):

https://www.smartturnout.co.uk/prod...ry-enamel-cufflinks-army-benevolent-fund.html

https://www.smartturnout.co.uk/prod...ilitary-enamel-cufflinks-help-for-heroes.html


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## Cardcaptor Charlie (Jul 7, 2008)

Although this is on a different league and situation altogether, just remember what happened to this little fella:

https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/8454415.stm


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

Conicdientally Charlie I was telling someoene about him just yesterday. What gets me with the whole incident is that his much younger wife, who clearly had a heart of gold, didn't question the fact (due to historical ignorance) that he was born in 1939!!!!  I didn't even need to open the link to know what it was about.


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

PJC in NoVa said:


> He may have been a graduate of the universities of Pennsylvania, Kansas, or Arizona, or some high school that has roughly the same colors as the BofG. Or perhaps a New England Patriots or Buffalo Bills fan.


Possibly, but unlikely, he was your average middle-class Englishman.


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## Cardcaptor Charlie (Jul 7, 2008)

PJC in NoVa said:


> Good patterns to wear:
> 
> Help for Heroes (https://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/):
> 
> https://www.smartturnout.co.uk/products/ties/military-ties/military-silk-tie-help-for-heroes.html


I just ordered one!


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

Cardcaptor Charlie said:


> Although this is on a different league and situation altogether, just remember what happened to this little fella:


You are correct in that this is entirely different. Wearing military medals is not the same as wearing an item of clothing, even military clothing. As the previous post pointed out, many U.S. colleges, universities, clubs, etc. also promote ties in their school or club colors.

Cruiser


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

Busterdog said:


> And remember the old adage....no club ties after 6 pm.


Hello, that might hold true for the US but certainly not in the UK, were club & regimental ties are expected at club & regimental functions. Unless of course they are formal functions (No. 1s, mess kit or black tie). For example, whenever I was at evening do's at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the hospital NCOs, the officers and attending police officers (that were ex-military), ALWAYS wore regimental ties.

Other evening functions I've attended at various barracks and military clubs also witnessed many regimental ties.


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## Portly_polar_bear (Oct 15, 2008)

Earl of Ormonde said:


> Hello, that might hold true for the US but certainly not in the UK


Very true. Wearing the colours of a club, regiment, school or university loudly proclaim "I belong!" here.

Of course you can wear whatever the hell you like, but it's worth knowing the above if you wish to avoid confusion.


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

Earl of Ormonde said:


> Conicdientally Charlie I was telling someoene about him just yesterday. What gets me with the whole incident is that his much younger wife, who clearly had a heart of gold, didn't question the fact (due to historical ignorance) that he was born in 1939!!!!  I didn't even need to open the link to know what it was about.


The phenomenon of people pretending to service records and decorations that aren't theirs is dismayingly widespread enough in the States that B.G. Burkett has written a well-known book that contains a section dealing with it:

https://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Valor...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265298626&sr=1-1

The fake Vietnam veteran seems to be the most common of this breed of faker, memorably spoofed by Nick Nolte in the film _Tropic Thunder._

And as has been pointed out, wearing shanghai'ed decorations is surely something on a whole different order of gravity than wearing a tie, even in the eyes of those who are sticklers for never wearing an "unearned" piece of totemic neckwear.


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

PJC in NoVa said:


> that B.G. Burkett has written a well-known book that contains a section dealing with it:


I love this kind of writing on such small ultra-specific subjects. It reminds me of Sherlock Holmes who was forever writing monogrpahs on very small specific subjects, for example, his monograph on identifying foreign cigarettes from their ash! Ash presumably left at the crime scene. :icon_smile:


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

God is so often in the details, including the dog that did not bark in the night, but whose nonbarking did not escape Holmesian notice.


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## Droog (Aug 29, 2006)

Wouldn't recommend it. As an American officer, I was attending a coat and tie social event while on staff with the Australians in Sydney. One Australian officer noted my tie and took great exception that I was wearing the Royal Australian Army Staff College tie to which I was indeed not entitled. A bit surprised, I said I had got it at the British Army Staff College, which I had attended. So we were both surprised that the ties are the same, but makes sense due to the Commonwealth and so forth. This put all things right.


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## jrk (Oct 1, 2008)

What about a cricket club tie?


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

Any sports club tie is acceptable for anyone to wear, as long as it is a "fan" tie and not an official "members" tie. Let me give you an example.

I sometimes wear one of the various Middlesex County Cricket Club tie, mine is the one with wide maroon & blue stripes with the 3 Middx scimitars crest, that is a tie that all fans of Middx CCC can wear & anyone can buy that tie on line or at the tiny Middx CCC shop at the western end of Lords, which is where I bought mine.
However, the official members tie, should only be bought and worn by paying members 

The same is true of the most famous cricket tie of all, the red and yellow striped tie of the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) also at Lords.

Now in their shop, at the eastern end of Lords, which is a combined England Cricket Board, England Cricket Team and MCC shop you can buy England ties and MCC fan ties, but you can't buy the MCC members tie, because they don't sell it. It is only given to joining members. And the MCC as the most prestigious Cricket Club has a very long waiting list

MCC member putting his members tie on 

Fan/souvenir ties


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## Busterdog (Jan 1, 2010)

Earl of Ormonde said:


> Hello, that might hold true for the US but certainly not in the UK, were club & regimental ties are expected at club & regimental functions. Unless of course they are formal functions (No. 1s, mess kit or black tie). For example, whenever I was at evening do's at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the hospital NCOs, the officers and attending police officers (that were ex-military), ALWAYS wore regimental ties.
> 
> Other evening functions I've attended at various barracks and military clubs also witnessed many regimental ties.


My Dear Lord Ormonde,

The adage is an anachronism and written with tongue in cheek, the practice defunct. I've noticed certain idiosyncracies of dress among retired contemporaries during my infrequent visits to the UK, The wearing of Regimental trews, for example, at re-union parades, by retired officers - while not 'the done thing' during my day is now the norm. Likewise some have abandoned their Coke in favour of a Glengarry!

BD

XXV


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## Rowley (Jan 18, 2010)

Earl of Ormonde said:


> Any sports club tie is acceptable for anyone to wear, as long as it is a "fan" tie and not an official "members" tie. Let me give you an example.
> 
> I sometimes wear one of the various Middlesex County Cricket Club tie, mine is the one with wide maroon & blue stripes with the 3 Middx scimitars crest, that is a tie that all fans of Middx CCC can wear & anyone can buy that tie on line or at the tiny Middx CCC shop at the western end of Lords, which is where I bought mine.
> However, the official members tie, should only be bought and worn by paying members
> ...


Thanks for the info. Funny you should mention Marylebone Cricket Club because years ago I bought a MCC tie from Ben Silver because I thought it might look smart with a blue blazer. I didn't know what it was when I bought it and have never worn it. I suppose seeing an American parading down the street wearing the eggs and bacon tie at a non cricket event would be quite amusing to a brit yeah?


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## MikeWB (Jan 8, 2010)

Thank you for your replies, gentlemen, one and all. Your advice will save me from committing a _faux pas _when I finally do visit the UK!


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## turban1 (May 29, 2008)

*prince charles*

people take this seriously and sometimes different club ties resemble one another.

visiting australia in the 1970s, prince charles wore his gordonstoun (old school) tie when someone was overheard to complain 'some bloody cheek, him wearing a woolamaloo yacht club tie.'

some will assume that if you wear the tie and are not a member, you are trying to fool people


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

Busterdog said:


> My Dear Lord Ormonde,
> 
> The adage is an anachronism and written with tongue in cheek, the practice defunct. I've noticed certain idiosyncracies of dress among retired contemporaries during my infrequent visits to the UK, The wearing of Regimental trews, for example, at re-union parades, by retired officers - while not 'the done thing' during my day is now the norm. Likewise some have abandoned their Coke in favour of a Glengarry!
> 
> ...


Dear Mr Bustamente Canine,

Thank you for that Sir, I wasn't sure if it was meant TIC or not, as I thought the emoticon instead of the P in PM might have been in error. Added to that, I still read some things written by my colonial cousins that are very much out of date but which they still wholeheartedly believe. Yes, I've noticed and heard of the increase in the wearing of trews by civvies. 
And mine's a Bushmills malt, dash of water please. :icon_smile:

Yours sincerely,

Ormonde - James


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## Cardcaptor Charlie (Jul 7, 2008)

turban1 said:


> people take this seriously and sometimes different club ties resemble one another.
> 
> visiting australia in the 1970s, prince charles wore his gordonstoun (old school) tie when someone was overheard to complain 'some bloody cheek, him wearing a woolamaloo yacht club tie.'
> 
> some will assume that if you wear the tie and are not a member, you are trying to fool people


The New Sheridan Club tie falls into the 'so many look the same' category.

We have discussions about who can spot non-members wearing 'it' (most recently HRH The PoW!).










Of course, our tie has a shadow weave of the logo on the black which sort of distinguishes it from the others but unless closely examined, you cannot tell the difference between it and others that do not have the shadow weave logo.


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## Busterdog (Jan 1, 2010)

Earl of Ormonde said:


> Dear Mr Bustamente Canine,
> 
> Thank you for that Sir, I wasn't sure if it was meant TIC or not, as I thought the emoticon instead of the P in PM might have been in error. Added to that, I still read some things written by my colonial cousins that are very much out of date but which they still wholeheartedly believe. Yes, I've noticed and heard of the increase in the wearing of trews by civvies.
> And mine's a Bushmills malt, dash of water please. :icon_smile:
> ...


:icon_smile_big::icon_smile_big: You are so right regarding the mind set of ex-pats. We live in a time warp, all very confusing for us old duffers when we visit the 'Old Country'
though refreshing non the less.

Whiskey-pani coming up!

BD


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## NorthShorer (Apr 17, 2009)

Sean1982 said:


> Very few people would know! I doubt you'd ever be pulled, up and being an tourist you'd be treated more kindly. Only if you were trying to fake being an old boy would you be in trouble.
> 
> BUT, I would not wear them personally, it's disrespectful. My grandad worked to get his!


I've attended the Henley regatta a number of times in recent years when in UK at the same time, sometimes at Phyllis Court Club, occasionally in Stewards'. Sometimes when there are old boys from my school rowing that day, I've worn our old boys tie (which could easily be mistaken for a UK regimental tie - I've not checked - except for the school badge on it). During Henley, Phyllis Court Club (like Leander I imagine) is full of people wearing the right clothes (ties, blazers, buttons, badges, hatbands, etc) and meaning it so you must be ready if you are in a class-conscious environment where these things matter.

I think for us "New Worlders", in the same way you get bonus points with the French for rustling up some schoolboy French when there, you get bonus points for respecting the sensibilities of traditional Brits if you play by their rules when you are on their patch.


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## Literide (Nov 11, 2004)

Busterdog said:


> My Dear Lord Ormonde,
> 
> The adage is an anachronism and written with tongue in cheek, the practice defunct. I've noticed certain idiosyncracies of dress among retired contemporaries during my infrequent visits to the UK, The wearing of Regimental trews, for example, at re-union parades, by retired officers - while not 'the done thing' during my day is now the norm. Likewise some have abandoned their Coke in favour of a Glengarry!
> 
> ...


Scottish Nationalists clearly


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

Literide said:


> Scottish Nationalists clearly


On the contrary. Scottish nationalists, when feeling the need for "patriotic tartan" attire, usually wear kilts. Those who wear trews, in my experience, are more often than not serving or ex-military and very pro-Union. Trews, you understand, are purely a military item therefore not the thing a nationalist would wear. Kilts, of course, are not only military.


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## GBR (Aug 10, 2005)

MikeWB said:


> I'm a big fan of British Regimental ties, and have quite a few of them. My question is, if I were to visit the UK and wear a British Regimental, would I run afoul of someone who had actually served in the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, or any of the other regiments whose stripes I have? Would I be seen as an upstart Yank? Any comments from members in the UK would be welcome.


You have no right to wear any of these and were you to encounter a genuine member of such a regiment would find your self in difficulty.

Why do you need to represent yourself as something you are not?

Does the 5th Brigade of the Nazareth Home Army not have something for you to wear or do you aspire to something pretentious?
Would you wear a USMC tie or whatever?


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

GBR said:


> You have no right to wear any of these and were you to encounter a genuine member of such a regiment would find your self in difficulty.
> 
> Why do you need to represent yourself as something you are not?


That's a little strong considering the fact that to most people these are simply striped ties and nothing more. While I don't mean to discount their meaning to those who served in this or that regiment, the fact is that the same or very similar tie may also be a tie worn by some organization in the U.S. Almost every university in America has school colors that are worn in clothing, including ties that are often striped, by supporters of that university.

Obviously if the tie has a seal or crest or something along these lines on it the implications are different, but I doubt that any thinking Brit would treat an American negatively for simply wearing what to them is nothing more than a striped tie.



> Would you wear a USMC tie or whatever?


People do it all the time, including Brits. The USMC, for example, wears a solid tan (khaki) tie and I doubt that a Marine has ever got into a snit because he saw a civilian wearing a tan tie. The U.S. Navy wears a solid black tie. Would a visiting Brit even think that he shouldn't wear a tan or black tie in the U.S. for fear of offending Marines and Sailors. Of course not.

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that someone should go to the UK and deliberately wear one of these ties while fully aware of it's significance to a portion of the population there. That would be rude. But it would be equally rude for a Brit to chastise an unknowing American for simply wearing what Americans wear every day.

Cruiser


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

Cruiser said:


> The USMC, for example, wears a solid tan (khaki) tie and I doubt that a Marine has ever got into a snit because he saw a civilian wearing a tan tie. The U.S. Navy wears a solid black tie. Would a visiting Brit even think that he shouldn't wear a tan or black tie in the U.S. for fear of offending Marines and Sailors. Of course not.
> 
> Cruiser


The khaki and black are uniform ties though Cruiser. We're talking about regimental ties worn with civvies.

From recollection, I might be wrong, isn't the USMC regimental tie green with a red and gold stripe?


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

Cruiser said:


> That's a little strong considering the fact that to most people these are simply striped ties and nothing more. While I don't mean to discount their meaning to those who served in this or that regiment, the fact is that the same or very similar tie may also be a tie worn by some organization in the U.S. Almost every university in America has school colors that are worn in clothing, including ties that are often striped, by supporters of that university.
> 
> Obviously if the tie has a seal or crest or something along these lines on it the implications are different, but I doubt that any thinking Brit would treat an American negatively for simply wearing what to them is nothing more than a striped tie.
> 
> ...


FWIW, I think by a USMC tie he didn't mean the actual service tie worn with the uniform, but rather something like these:

https://www.bensilver.com/fs_storefront.asp?root=1&show=19&display=1086&group=1

https://www.bensilver.com/fs_storefront.asp?root=1&show=19&display=1173&group=2

I'm not sure how, say, actual Marines or Marine veterans would regard the 'ethics' of wearing these ties--would they take a non-Marine wearing one as dispositive evidence of deliberate and damnable fakery, or would they assume (more charitably) that perhaps one had a family member or close friend in the Corps and was wearing it b/c given it as a gift or to honor that friend or loved one?

Any Marines out there care to comment?

PS: I couldn't help noticing that BS also sells a WWI veterans' tie:
https://www.bensilver.com/fs_storefront.asp?root=1&show=19

Under the strict school of tie-wearing ethics, is there anyone left who can wear this one?


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## JustJosh (Nov 25, 2009)

Well said Cruiser.

I personally own a great number of striped ties, and they were purchased because I believed they looked good with shirts and suits that I own.

To be completely honest, I have no idea if they are the tie of specific regiments etc. Until I found the forum, it would have never crossed my mind.

If some of Zegna's regimental looking ties are actually colors of specific regiments, I am sure that I am making this mistake from time to time as well, though never have I been confronted about it.


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

Yepp, you're second link there is the one I was thinking of. I remember it from having seen it a fair bit on my travels.....(especially one evening in 84 when I got into the US Naval & MC residential block in Grosvenor Square with a very attractive young officer, never knew her rank, but she was a southern belle! The Marines exiting the building for the evening were so attired....I exited about 2 am...to odd looks from the USMC sentries on the door...ah happy times as a young bachelor police officer :icon_smile_big: )


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## TheRomanhistorian (Feb 7, 2010)

I'm only chiming in, really, to reinforce some of the things already said. I would think a lot of people in Britain would probably be fine with this if the wearer didn't know or realise. Most might be too polite to comment to your face, at least. Still, probably best not to as you never know what will happen and what faux pas might result. 

I have only one striped tie myself at present, which I wear very rarely for this reason, and it's just dark blue with a few shield designs and some silver and blue stripes (I do not believe it is based on an actual regiment and I purchased it since I liked the design). Incidentally, I've just ordered a university tie from one of my old universities (I attended two colleges of the University of London) so I will add to my striped tie collection.


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

I've been admiring the handsome Cirencester Royal Agricultural College (new stripe) tie from PCC for a while, but now I fear that should I buy one and wear it, I shall run the risk of being slapped silly and then throttled with my own neckwear by some outraged agronomist or tree-farm manager:

https://www.pakeman.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=0594


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## The Dandy (Feb 7, 2010)

MikeWB said:


> I'm a big fan of British Regimental ties, and have quite a few of them. My question is, if I were to visit the UK and wear a British Regimental, would I run afoul of someone who had actually served in the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, or any of the other regiments whose stripes I have? Would I be seen as an upstart Yank? Any comments from members in the UK would be welcome.


My friend, one should never wear a stripped tie without being entitled to it, the same applies to a coat of arms which is the property of an individual and not a family as some seem to think. It would be improper to wear a tie which you have not earned. As of now i am only entitled to wear three types of stripped ties myself, a Green School tie, a School Senior and Leaver's tie and a ACF Sergeant Tie.


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## MikeWB (Jan 8, 2010)

GBR said:


> You have no right to wear any of these and were you to encounter a genuine member of such a regiment would find your self in difficulty.
> 
> Why do you need to represent yourself as something you are not?
> 
> ...


Who is representing himself as something he is not? It is precisely my desire to avoid any misrepresentation that motivated my question. Your fellow countrymen who have responded to my post realize this, and have answered my inquiry with courtesy which I appreciate. Not only do you lack their courtesy, you obviously lack their acuity as well.


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

PJC in NoVa said:


> FWIW, I think by a USMC tie he didn't mean the actual service tie worn with the uniform, but rather something like these:
> 
> https://www.bensilver.com/fs_storefront.asp?root=1&show=19&display=1086&group=1
> 
> https://www.bensilver.com/fs_storefront.asp?root=1&show=19&display=1173&group=2


I agree; however, with regard to the second tie pictured I doubt you would find many Marines that could even identify that as a "Marine Corps tie." The first tie, on the other hand, has the USMC Globe and Anchor on it and that makes it something entirely different. That is the official emblem of the Marine Corps and is what is worn on their uniforms. The problem wouldn't be with the tie but with the wearing of that emblem.

I view the regimental ties in the same way. A simple striped tie is just a striped tie even if it has been adopted by some group or organization. Is it disrepectful to Augusta National if someone in England wears a green sport coat? It becomes a horse of a different color when a crest or emblem representing some organization is used, such as with many of the regimental ties. If everyone had to stop wearing ordinary striped ties just because some group or organization had adopted those colors it would pretty much eliminate most from wearing striped ties at all. A lot of groups wear striped ties in addition to British military regiments.

Actually the gist of my discussion was the suggestion that any thinking Brit would attempt to reprimand an American citizen who was simply wearing a tie that he wears on a regular basis without any knowledge that it is a "regimental tie." Before visiting this site I had no knowledge of such a thing, and I've actually served in the same unit with British military officers from both the Royal Navy and Air Force. We had to wear ties to the club on Saturday nights so who knows, I might have been wearing regimental ties and not even have known it. If I did they never said anything. :icon_smile:

Cruiser


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

Cruiser said:


> I agree; however, with regard to the second tie pictured I doubt you would find many Marines that could even identify that as a "Marine Corps tie."


I wonder . . . could it be that the so-called USMC stripe was simply concocted by Ben Silver out of colors associated with the Marine Corps?


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## Simon Myerson (Nov 8, 2007)

Cruiser said:


> Is it disrepectful to Augusta National if someone in England wears a green sport coat?
> Cruiser


Certainly not as there is no pretence that only a member of the Augusta National would ever wear a green jacket.

However, it _would _be a crime against dressing and it perhaps _ought _to be the case that only members of a notoriously stuffy club wear green jackets . The punishment would then - as the Mikado encouraged - fit the crime.


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