What Do I Do With All My Old Ties?

My partner, a scientist/engineer, labored in Tokyo for 13 a long time in which company apparel for males is quite rigid: dark, nicely-tailored go well with, white shirt and tie. Now he is in Silicon Valley, exactly where no a single wears ties. What to do with the 50-plus stunning silk ties in his closet? Even thrift and charity shops do not have a major need to have. I am pondering of turning them into a psychedelic quilt. Any other thoughts? — Kat, San Jose, Calif.

I picture there is an ocean of men with the similar challenge: a tie rack full of ties and nowhere to don them.

Silicon Valley is not the only field exactly where the necktie, at the time investment dressing and just one of the couple strategies for males to express their individuality in an place of work placing, has fallen out of favor. Even in the economic sector, ties are ever more an endangered species, which might be why resale stores are less interested the current market isn’t there.

That claimed, there are still occasions the place a tie comes in useful: weddings, court docket, funerals and Washington, D.C., between them. There’s a rationale that, when the tech titans testify right before Congress, even they arise in satisfies and ties. So I’d continue to keep a handful, probably even 10, about for great measure. The extremely aged-fashioned-ness and establishmentarianism of the tie can sometimes be an benefit.

And ties are nevertheless usually anticipated in career interviews, so there are charities like Profession Equipment, Vietnam Veterans of The us and Suited 4 Success designed specially to support men get back to get the job done (they’re the male equal of Dress for Achievement), which are on the lookout for donations of a lot more formal professional costumes. The RealReal will also accept ties by title brands like Hermès, Brioni and Ralph Lauren if you want to go the resale route.

As for the rest, you have the proper plan: upcycle. Ties are generally created in magnificent silk shades and patterns, and they can be place to all types of excellent future-use scenarios. Erin Beatty, a designer whose new manufacturer Rentrayage is completely devoted to upcycled garments and homewares, instructed contemplating about a skirt.

“Start by pinning the ties all alongside one another with the narrowest element on major till you get your waist measurement,” she said, and sew from there. Ms. Beatty also proposed that the ties could be utilised to insert some pizazz to a button-down shirt by opening the facet seams and inserting a bit of silk. “Suddenly you have a 1-of-a-form shirt that every person will recognize,” she reported.

If you are wanting for inspiration, Etsy has an total section devoted to repurposed ties that have been presented new daily life as pillows, pins, patches, scarves, bracelets and so on.

If all that would seem much too a great deal, or if extra challenging stitching is not one of your skill sets, Ms. Beatty had a less complicated recommendation: “Simply cut them up and sew them on as patches,” she reported. “Cover 50 % the back again pockets of your preferred jeans or the major one particular inch of a patch pocket on a shirt.”

In no way, she added, “underestimate the energy of trimmings.”

Your Type Concerns, Answered

Every week on Open up Thread, Vanessa will reply a reader’s style-relevant problem, which you can send out to her anytime by using email or Twitter. Issues are edited and condensed.