Fashion 88 : This Fall, the Power Tie Goes Purple
To have the upper hand at a power meeting conducted at a power lunch, a man must have the right power suit--and, of course, a power tie.
The right power tie. Red is fine, but predictable. Yellow is definitely passe. And come fall, fashion-conscious power mongers may be turning to olive green and purple.
That’s the prediction of the Men’s Fashion Assn., which forecasts coming trends. Says Tom Julian, associate fashion director, purple is “being incorporated into some of the neutral palettes, and as an accent color, woven into the fabric. I’ve seen purple used in an Art Deco pattern, and it’s a color that can be incorporated with navy and charcoal.”
Purple, Julian says, is also big in fall women’s wear, and is part of the overall autumn trend toward jewel tones: ruby, sapphire, topaz and emerald.
Clearly the power tie, that masculine accessory that defines a suit and is often its only mark of distinction, is going through an evolution.
Ties, in general, are getting wider, as big as 4 1/2 inches at the base in some of the ‘30s- and ‘40s-inspired looks, tied with very small knots.
But there also is some dispute about just what a power tie is. Is it defined by the color, shape, texture or who wears it?
Donald Trump seldom is seen without his red tie, while George Bush campaign chief James Baker turned up on television recently with a bright-green one. Michael Douglas, portraying slimy Gordon Gekko in “Wall Street,” wore dark shades in rich textured silks.
In New Orleans, Glenn Michener, senior vice president of WEMCO, the country’s largest tie manufacturer, says among his peers a power tie is considered a trendy tie. “It’s shorter, wider, more like the ‘40s look, with bright geometrics and patterns. People on the West Coast are telling me that they’re being worn about 12 to 14 inches from the neck.”
But designer Alan Flusser, whose clothes in “Wall Street” sent men scurrying for suspenders and double-breasted, peak lapel suits, said the whole notion of “power ties” is ambiguous.
“To me,” he says, “it’s more curious to try and predict what’s the best-looking tie, as opposed to the most powerful-looking tie. It does seem, however, that if you’re wearing a navy or dark-gray suit, burgundy or some shade of red offers enough of a contrast to make some sort of a statement. Ties with shades of gray don’t seem to have the same kind of richness or contrast.
Weaving Technique
“This year, unquestionably the woven Jacquard tie would be the most important. It’s been the most important for a couple of years now, but it’s also a kind of weaving technique that enables a tie to have the most depth of color, richness and texture. Actually, the Cherry Coke I’m drinking right now is the right color.”
Nina Garduno, men’s sportswear buyer for Fred Segal Melrose, says: “Definitely, ties are very happening right now, and I would say it’s a very ‘40s kind of feeling, like in the movie ‘Tucker.’ ”
Alex Rodriguez, who outfits men through his Best Dressed Company, says clients often ask for “The power outfit. They say, ‘Alex, I’m going into a power meeting. I need a power suit.’ ”
He defines that as a navy-blue shadow stripe, double-breasted suit with a white shirt, white pocket square and a power tie: “Something with some color, so that when you come in--boom--it makes a statement.”
Rodriguez also is betting on the “conversational” tie to take off. “It’s great to have a nice rep tie, but conversational ties are what men’s neckwear is going to. It can have a picture on it, or interesting pattern or texture. And depending on how you put an outfit together, that can be a power tie.”
Next Cultural Revolution
Robert Perry, a sales manager for Premore, a video firm in the San Fernando Valley, says the new colors will be bronze, brown and olive: “It’s the new post-revolutionary Reagan phenomenon, or the Ollie North syndrome. These are executives who want to look like bunker commandoes. I call it ‘gunboat diplomacy chic.’ During and after this election, people are going to be ready for the next cultural revolution in America.”
Perry, 46, admires the sartorial verve of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, but thinks Ronald Reagan looks like “the best-dressed salesman at an Allstate booth at Sears.” Perry considers a power tie now to be “red, or burgundy, or anything that’s bold, that doesn’t fit into the background of a shirt or a suit.
“When did I become aware of power ties? I always knew there were some ties that looked better--I’d use the term ‘snappy.’ They commanded attention. And suddenly your outfit dominated. Actually, I have a power tie on right now, it’s a Reagan-red foulard. It makes me look absolutely powerful. And when I came in this morning my secretary said, ‘Oh, you’ve got your power tie on, Mr. Perry!’ ”
