WFH: Ties at Home

I knew that I would eventually break down and put on a tie while working from home. All of the ingredients were there. I like ties, I can’t wear one at the office, add in the the monotonous boredom of working from home alone in a small apartment with no outdoor space, and you have yourself a pretty solid recipe. The question became, which tie?

I generally shy away from ties with crests or affiliations that I have no affiliation with, but I do have a few of them. I was glad that I did because this blue crested tie worked out really well. Navy was the perfect color as it took the place of a blazer and grounded the look. It didn’t look too out of place without a jacket as some of the others that I tried out and the crests added a little pop of a color so that the tie didn’t get lost in the blue of the shirt.

Now that I had the tie figured out I needed to attend to the shoes. I wanted the look to make sense even though wearing a tie while working from home doesn’t make all that much sense. Penny loafers looked to formal to my eye so I lost the socks and went with some Eastland camp mocs. I liked the moc look and rolled with it.

There you have my balancing act. I wore a tie without a jacket in the most informal setting imaginable which is working from my couch and I think it looked pretty good. This crested navy tie walked a fine line. It was subdued enough to lay low against a flap pocket OCBD while the crests added just enough whimsy to make it fun while the camp mocs balanced out the bottom half. The most important part of all of this effort was that I had fun. Something that is hard to come by these days.

oxford cloth button down
Jerrod Swanton is a simple man interested in simple, classic, and traditional style.

11 Comments on "WFH: Ties at Home"

  1. Woofboxer says:

    Solid look as always OCBD, what’s the deets on the shirt? A nice collar roll and flap pocket, great Austin Reed tie too. AR are another sad story on the menswear front, their flagship store in Regent St shut down 3 or 4 years ago and I think they are just online now, actually who cares as they went down the pan years ago in my eyes. Like you, I’m not a big fan of WFH, the odd day is alright to give you a break from commuting and early rising, but every day … I can only imagine. Keep smiling chum, things will get back to normal, when it does , wear that tie to the office to celebrate.

    • oxford cloth button down says:

      Thanks, Woof! The shirt is from Michael Spencer. It is one of their unlined collars. Great shirt!

      Thanks for the encouragement. Hope you are well too!

  2. Tweedy Prof says:

    What, no comments?
    In that case, let me be the first to congratulate you on your excellent taste, Jerrod!

  3. Thomas E. Friedman says:

    Yeah, I wore a tie for a Zoom meeting, too.

  4. JDV says:

    Very nice. Like the pocket flap. I have had 4 Michael-Spence shirts and they are a great company with fabulous customer service. On hiatus now. Three pinpoint oxfords are exquisite. Heavier than any pinpoint I have owned. Where else can one get a locker loop on a point or club collar? Extra long tails are very nice also. The one full oxford I got there, however, which seems to be what you have in the photo, faded at the laundry, along the seams. The laundry told me that they press them damp and thus the color in the shirt must not have been “set” yet. They would not budge. My wife soaked it in Oxyclean overnight which removed the fading wonderfully, but somehow left 3 small white dots on the chest. But they don’t show with a blazer or sweater, so not a huge problem. But no more $100 plus shirts to the laundry till they have been washed many times at home first. With Brooks closing their American factory we gotta hope Spencer and Mercer survive this unpleasantness very well. Both very well run and respected companies. J. Press too of course.

  5. Ben says:

    I have to say that I am a big believer in keeping up the dress standard even if you are only keeping your own company.
    If “you are what you think”, then a positive standard of dress can only serve to help to maintain a positive attitude.
    Keep up the good work!

  6. Yep, a sharp looking combo of attire and accessories. Been putting on a few ties (and navy blazer) myself for recent Zoom and Teams meetings.

    Best Regards,

    Heinz-Ulrich

  7. andrew friedman says:

    I wear a suit and tie periodically due to work demands, when I must look presentable on a video-conference. I have been leaning toward solid stripe repp ties and foulards lately. Shoes – good compromise. I have oscillated between the regular dress shoes I wear to the office and a rotation of my favorite water sandals or flip flops.

  8. Old School says:

    Jerrod,
    It’s been a month since we last heard from you.
    Looking forward to another dose of good taste in these troublesome times.

  9. Sir Mark Easterbrook MBA says:

    Why in the hell can’t you wear a tie at the office? This explains the gradual decline of your style toward athleisure.

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