MW Ties are back as a fashion statement - and just in time for Father's Day

By Charles Passy

The necktie - long a popular gift for dads - has been making a comeback as more people return to the office

Could the hottest Father's Day gift this year end up being an old favorite from generations ago - as in, the classic necktie?

It may seem improbable, but ties are suddenly trendy again, according to many a style expert. Granted, no one is expecting the fashion accessory to enjoy the same degree of popularity it did decades ago. Indeed, it was considered a go-to gift for dad on his big day, almost to the point of being a national joke.

But at the same time, ties are no longer seen as out of synch with the work culture and fashion world as they were just a few years ago, experts say.

"It's reclaiming this as really cool," said Julie Matos, a celebrity stylist.

The decline in tie-wearing probably started as far back as three decades ago, as men shifted to a more casual manner of dress. The heyday for ties, according to one report, was the early 1990s, when 110 million were sold in the U.S.

By the time we entered the COVID era and remote work became increasingly the norm, the accessory was almost completely forgotten. After all, who needs to put on a tie when they're wearing sweatpants?

But since then, the tie has begun to find a home again around men's necks - and even some women's necks. One telling statistic: U.S. tie imports increased from $64 million in 2020 to $95.6 million in 2023, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity $(OEC)$, a trade-tracking website.

What's behind the change, according to experts? Certainly, the "retro chic" factor cited by Matos plays a big part in this - in other words, what's old is new again. There's also the sheer fact more of us are returning to the office - if not five days a week, then at least three. (In some white-collar industries, from banking to law, ties are still considered a fairly compulsory clothing item, after all.)

Experts also say the return of Donald Trump to the White House could be another reason. Trump has long sported a long tie as a kind of signature statement, and ties are even sold on the Trump Store site for $125 a pop.

Of course, men have plenty of other places to turn to for ties. Fashion labels from Louis Vuitton (FR:MC) $(LVMUY)$ to Ralph Lauren $(RL)$ have long offered them. (Ralph Lauren himself was a tie salesman early in his career.) On the more affordable end of the spectrum, Walmart $(WMT)$ carries a vast selection of ties, with some priced as low as a few dollars.

Boutique companies are getting in on the act, as well. Take Secret Society Neckwear, a company that launched last year and is offering a line of 30 to 50 ties each season, with styles both familiar (think solid and striped patterns) and creative. Founder Nathan Green says the response so far has been very strong, and he's nearly selling out of his product.

Green thinks men just want to return to a more formal sensibility, and ties play a big part in that. "We're swinging back to some decorum in our dress," he said.

Perhaps another sign of the tie's resurgence can be measured in the success of Dapper Woodworks, a company that specializes in - you guessed it - custom wood tie racks. Founder Justin Trewitt says demand for his pieces has been steadily growing: He now sells up to 25 a month, priced roughly from $140 to $500.

Trewitt thinks ties, with their array of stylistic choices, allow men to express their individuality, and that's becoming key to their renewed popularity. "It's being able to make a personal statement," he said.

Of course, there are still plenty of men who are not putting on a tie anymore and who wouldn't welcome a Father's Day gift of such. You'll find no shortage of online screeds about why the accessory deserves a place in the dustbin of history.

Some men complain they are a tired symbol of class and status. Others just say they're uncomfortable to wear.

Stephen Johnson, a senior writer with the Lifehacker website, is among the antitie brigade.

"Unless you use it to wipe your mouth, a necktie has no function," he once wrote. "It's entirely affectation, so you have to ask yourself why you, or someone else, wants you to tie a piece of cloth around your neck."

-Charles Passy

This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 13, 2025 14:29 ET (18:29 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.