The Plot Thickens

Tie Tuesdays

As I write this column, I’m wearing black slacks, a black dress shirt, and a Batman bowtie. If you’re wondering why that might be, it’s because this past Saturday was Batman Day and today is Tie Tuesday.

Let’s backtrack a little. Tie Tuesday started in high school. My mother has always liked me to dress up and wear ties, vests, cufflinks, the whole deal. I’ve always done that and eventually it started to rub off on me too. I liked dressing up because it felt fun to wear tie clips and polish your shoes. When I got to high school, my mom told me that even though I had to wear a uniform, if I wore a tie that was school colors, I wouldn’t get in trouble. So, I did.

My mother gave me a blue and gold stripped necktie and I began to wear that. I decided that I didn’t want to be the weird kid who wore ties every single day, so I relegated it to only on Tuesdays. I thought that “Tie Tuesday” had a nice ring to it since it rhymed. Eventually, I began to wear non-school ties. Over the years, I’ve amassed a collection of roughly 20 ties, ranging from solid colors to patterns, Mickey Mouse to Bugs Bunny, and Halloween to Christmas. I really like my ties, including the seven or so bowties that are part of my collection.

When I wear a tie (which is not every Tuesday by any means), I know that to even the smallest extent more than normal, people notice me. It feels like a classy form of self-expression. I find some joy in pairing ties with shirts, then adding on clips or pins. Plus, you have a reason to wear dress shoes and a nicer belt than normal. I realize that for some people maybe this is a nightmare, but for me, as long as my collar isn’t too tight to breath, I’m having a good time.

Maybe for these reasons, I am the weirdo who dresses up for classes. Is it especially weird now that I’m in college? I have no actual clue. I get frequent questions about why I’m dressed up. I’m pretty sure some people think I have a job interview every single Tuesday. But alas, I don’t care. I get just as many compliments on my fancy dress as I do questions about it, so I think it’s working.