While the necktie may never completely replace the casual workplace attire that became ubiquitous in the past two decades, its resurgence reflects a more nuanced approach to modern workwear. The necktie is no longer just a symbol of rigidity or stuffinessâit’s a powerful tool for self-expression, a bridge between the past and present, and an accessory that adds both style and substance to any professional outfit.
For workers and employers alike, the necktie is becoming a tool for navigating the evolving office landscape, offering a subtle but meaningful way to re-establish professionalism, boost personal branding, and express individuality in a world thatâs anything but uniform. So, whether youâre dressing for a Zoom meeting or heading into the office, consider tying one onâbecause the necktie is back, and itâs here to stay.
The Necktie Is Making an Office Comeback
The boss wears a hoodie. The intern wears a necktie.
For those who spent years, even decades, with silk knots around their necks, the business-casual movement has been a breath of fresh air, literally.
But for those professionals never subjected to stuffy dress codes, transitioning from college campuses to nearly-as-informal workplaces can feel like missing a rite of passage. Some 20-somethings are embracing the necktie to project gravitas and show personality with a pattern or pop of color.
Women are getting in on the tie renaissance, too, saying it helps command a room.
Ryan Klein, 21, sported a suit and tie daily as a Republican congressional intern the past two summers. The senior at Pennsylvania State University reached back in time for hand-me-down neckties his great-grandfather wore from the 1940s to 1960s, plus a few new purchases.
Often Klein was more decked-out than lawmakers and senior aides.
He was surprised, during one of his first weeks on Capitol Hill last year, when House and Senate leaders wore dress sneakers to a meeting in the Oval Office. Then he remembered a viral photo of open-collared world leaders at a G-7 summit in 2022. Dressing down is now the norm, he realized, even at the highest echelons of power.
That may change as President-elect Donald Trump and his signature shiny neckties return to Washington. Klein admires Trumpâs business-formal look because it conveys seriousness about the job, he says. But he wears ties mostly because of how they make him feel.
âIt gets me in that mindset of, âHey, Iâm going to do something professional today,ââ says Klein, who plans to work in Washington after graduating in six months.
Neckties may never regain prepandemic levels of popularity, but sales data show signs of resurgence. After tumbling to $61.4 million in 2020, U.S. tie imports rebounded to $106 million by 2022, according to the most recent data from trade-tracking website Observatory of Economic Complexity.
Tie on neck, tongue in cheek
Much of Wall Street has officially been tie-optional for almost a decade. JPMorgan Chase was among the first to codify a business-casual dress code in 2016. Other firms followed suit.
Nevertheless, associates often get the hint that theyâre still expected to wear suits and ties, says David Murray, co-founder of New York City menswear store Grey Clothiers. The young employees conformâŠsort of.
Perhaps youâve seen men in their 20s whose suits appear borrowed from someone twice their size. It isnât bad tailoring; itâs intentional.
âThe Gen Z guys are doing it in a fashion-forward way, where the suit doesnât fit in the proper sense and theyâve got a big, funky tie,â Murray told me.
I thought of how millennial hipsters wryly adopted fedoras and tortoiseshell glasses. Is the next generation wearing neckties ironically?
âA hundred percent,â according to Murray.
Several young men and women who don ties confirmed that half the fun is subverting an old symbol of masculine status. They relish tweaking the power tie by wearing it rebelliously or making it feminine.
Women in Windsors
Ami Vyas started borrowing her husbandâs ties about a year ago as an experiment. A relationship manager at Canadian Western Bank, she wondered if her clientsâmostly men, all with at least $750,000 of investible assetsâwould treat her differently in meetings.
Vyas, 35, reports an uptick in follow-up calls from people seeking her input on real-estate purchases or business transactions. She canât prove it was the ties that imbued her with an air of authority, but sheâs purchased several of her own from Banana Republic and Shein. She now wears a necktie to work about once a week.
âIâll incorporate a tie into my outfit when I have internal meetings with executives or maybe a client that could refer me to another high-net-worth client,â she says.
I noticed NBCâs Maria Taylor wearing a Prada tie on âSunday Night Footballâ a few weeks ago and subsequently learned ties for women are on-trend this fall. (Thank you, Fashion and Elle magazines, for the education.)
Ties work for celebrities and 9-to-5 women alike because you donât need to be a certain age or body type to pull them off, says Danyela Schupak, a New York real-estate agent who puts on a tie once or twice a week. She describes herself as a conservative dresser who adds one bold accessory to an otherwise tame outfit, not the corporate crop-top type. Attention-getting neckties are now in her rotation of statement pieces, along with shoes and jewelry.
âThe first reason I wear them is for people to comment, which starts a conversation and leads to networking for my business,â says Schupak, 51. âAnd the second reason is, I feel powerful when I wear a tie.â
One of her favorites is a crystal-studded tie from fashion startup Nandanie that cost about $250. The brandâs founder, Nancy Berman, is a presidential appointee to the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of Americaâs Heritage Abroad who wore ties for two days of meetings in Washington recently.
âWhen you walk into a room and youâve got on a tie, like a man might do, youâre making a statement: Iâm here to be taken seriously,â she says.
Write to Callum Borchers at callum.borchers@wsj.com
