Should men still wear a tie?

FOR Lewis Hamilton it was a sartorial slip-up that saw him denied entry to Wimbledon’s poshest seats. In the case of BBC economics editor Robert Peston, his refusal to wear one led to a barrage of online criticism. But with times having changed and dress codes fast becoming less formal, do we really still need the necktie?

Peston, for one, doesn’t think so. He branded complaints from viewers that he looked too casual in an open-necked shirt as he interviewed Chancellor George Osborne “bonkers” and insisted he did not need a tie to be a “serious journalist”.

“Last week I got a lot of stick for not having a tie on when interviewing the chancellor,” he said. “I did not wear a tie out of disrespect for the chancellor. I just did not wear a tie because I do not really like wearing ties. I think these TV conventions are nuts.”

He is not the first BBC journalist to get into hot water for what he chooses to wear – or not to wear – around his neck. In 2002, news anchor Peter Sissons was heavily criticised for announcing the death of the Queen Mother while wearing a burdundy tie rather than a black one.

In a similar vein, former Hull MP John Prescott recalled in his autobiography that he had been appalled by the decision of some of his fellow Cabinet members to attend extraordinary meetings in the run-up to the Iraq War in open-necked shirts. Feeling this was inappopriate for such a grave issue, he made sure he didn’t follow suit.

Meanwhile, racing driver Lewis Hamilton’s ignorance of etiquette proved costly this summer when he was barred from the Royal Box for the Wimbledon men’s final between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic because he turned up in a floral shirt and no tie.

For bespoke tailor Scott Hufton, not wearing a tie means you simply cannot expect to be taken seriously.

“As a gentleman you should always be smart. There is no point putting on a jacket without a tie, it’s just too casual.

“A tie speaks volumes about the individual who is wearing it and offers an insight into their personality. It makes you look sharper and people are more likely to take you seriously.”

Hufton, who owns the Owen Scott tailoring shops in Huddersfield and Leeds, said he felt so strongly about the importance of appropriate neckwear that he was considering launching some sort of campaign to champion it.

“I was thinking we could get a Bring Back the Tie campaign off the ground, with everyone who isn’t wearing one having to make a donation to charity.

“The good news is that although they tried to kill it off a couple of years ago, the tie is enjoying a bit of a resurgence. We are going through more of them than ever in the shops and have to keep re-ordering.”

However, some people consider the tie to be an outdated nod to formality, with entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson leading the charge. Indeed, those working for the Virgin founder who make the mistake of sporting neckwear are in for a surprise. “I often have a pair of scissors in my top pocket to go cutting people’s ties off,” he once wrote. “I’m sure they only exist because bosses, after being forced to wear ties all their life, are determined to inflict the same fate on the next generation.”

And there are some places were ties are not permitted simply for practical reasons. Hospital doctors are instructed not to wear one as they are viewed as a recipe for infection. Police officers are issued with clip-on versions for safety reasons, not least arising from a confrontation with a criminal.

Elsewhere, the question of whether or not a tie should be worn in the workplace is more of a grey area and comes down to personal preference. But if you do wear one, Scott Hufton recommends a nod to the 1960s.

“Wool ties with square ends are very much to the fore at the moment, it’s a classic look.”