Once considered an essential men’s accessory for work and formal occasions, the classic business tie seems has gone out of fashion in the office.
But now the clothing item and all its traditional variants – including the ascot, bow, bolo, zipper tie, cravat and knit – is making a comeback in an unexpected form.
The 2024 Grammy Awards were awash with fashionable A-listers choosing it as their statement accessory, from band Boygenius matching white suit and black tie co-ords to Billie Eilish pairing hers with a Barbie jacket.
In fact, the 22-year-old singer so loved the tie that she wore it again two weeks later at the SAG awards on Saturday, pairing it with black, loose-fitting trousers as well as a white shirt that was left partially unfastened towards the bottom.
Even Kim Kardashian has cemented the tie’s newfound style status on the cover of GQ’s 2023 Men of the Year issue, eating a bag of Cheetos with her office-esque ensemble.
Fashion company Ssense has even gone so far as to call 2024 the ‘year of the tie’ in light of the latest trend.
Speaking to FEMAIL, stylist Lisa Talbot revealed that that the fashion scene is embracing the tie as ‘being worn by women as an alternative to a scarf or necklace and for men in a more relaxed way’.
‘Tailoring for women is a huge trend for SS24, and both the waistcoat and tie trend have been included to complete the outfit,’ she added.
‘I really like how it creates a slight masculine edge to the look and can be worn in a very sleek conservative way or it can be incorporated into a creative look including print and colour.
‘We have seen Prada and Hilfiger really embracing this trend & many were seen at the Baftas recently.
‘The model Sabrina Dhowre Elba arrived at the Gucci show during Milan Fashion week in a simple white shirt accompanied by a red skirt, leather tie and blazer with Jenna Ortega looking gorgeous with black tailoring, white shirt and a tie.’
Meanwhile film’s latest leading man Barry Keoghan looked snazzy at this year’s BAFTAs in a tie-centred outfit and jacket embellished with edgy zips, while the Last Of Us’s Bella Ramsey looked cool in a floral suit and tie combination at the Critics Choice Awards in January.
Elsewhere, Rosamund Pike channelled effortless chic as she opted for the bowtie look in December, once again bringing officewear to the red carpet.
And the tie is not only being popularised by the world’s celebrities: New York Fashion Week was filled with ties on the catwalk and in the audiences.
‘Dressing up is back. We are moving away from streetwear into a more polished look. It’s in the air – I can feel it,’ Tommy Hilfiger said at his NYFW show.
At the Prada menswear show in January, the majority of models also wore ties, while Depop states its sales of ties are up 31 per cent.
But conversely, ties are being worn less and less in offices with the rise of work from home – and trends for smart/casual businesswear on the rise instead of traditional attire.
Even the BBC is now embracing a more relaxed dress code, stating that reporters are now allowed to ditch their formal looks.
Last year William Wright, of New Financial, shocked social media when he shared a snap of Selfridge’s depleted tie selection on sale.
Wright, using the Twitter handle @Williamw1 shared the photo following a visit to Selfridges department store, writing: ‘This is the entire tie department at Selfridges in London. The end of days is upon us.’
The photo showed one rack, filled with a selection of coloured ties in shades of blues, greens, pinks and purples. A few striped ties and one bold Versace-style barocco tie also make the mix.
It has also been over a decade since Tie Rack, which had 450 outlets at its peak, shut up shop.
Tie Rack’s miniature stores became a familiar fixture at train stations and airports since it was founded in 1981 by heel bar owner Roy Bishko.
The explosion of office-based jobs in the City of London financial district helped it expand rapidly, reaching a peak of 450 stores during 1998.
But competition from internet retailers, coupled with high costs, hit sales hard – and the increasing trend for casual attire in offices proved the death knell for the store.