RANDOM REMINDER

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31762, 20 August 1968, Page 18

RANDOM REMINDER

PASSING PARADE

It is time to shed a tear for the faithful neck-tie—-both vertical and horizontal—which has been doing its best to decorate the male of the species with quiet fortitude down the centuries. Its days are numbered, thanks to fickle fashion, and it will soon be reduced to its most humble task—keeping up the work trousers of the farming community. Turtle necks which have been much in the news lately—are to blame. Like some pop singers, turtle necks have come up from nuffink and been rocketed to stardom. They can be seen in photographs of society bunfights, and have even had Royal patronage from the Earl of Snowdon. The Duke of Bedford, following his maxim that it is better to be looked over than to

be overlooked, wears one too. What will happen to the tie and all that it stands, or hangs, for? To many a messy eater and soup dribbler, the tie has been a valuable reservoir of nourishment in hard times—like the camel’s hump. To others, it has been a symbol of status and class. Can the old school tie ever really be replaced by the old school turtle? As well as being a barometer of mood and weather, the traditional tie in all its forms has been a reliable guide to both character and vocation. To the experienced observer, a subdued tie means a banker, a black tie an undertaker, a grey tie a candidate for matrimony, a floppy bow an artist or retired barrister, a luminous hand-painted tie a theatrical agent, a spotted bow tie a free-

lance journalist, and so on. So far, Christchurch, men have been a bit furtive about turtle necks. Shops report booming sales, but hardly one is to be seen on the streets. Unlike women, men tend to wait until everyone else has tested a new fashion before venturing forth themselvgs. indeed, far from being devastated by the sight of someone else at a party in an identical turtle-neck shirt, a man would be delighted and greet the stranger as a friend and brother. A woman in similar circumstances would shriek with horror and rush home to change. Still, change is the name of the game, and any innovation in men’s clothing should be refreshing. The clergy should be particularly pleased they have been trying to introduce turtle-neck shirts for years.