Tie tying

The Dean’s Blog. ‘Tietying’


Continuing the theme of what they wear, when it’s MUN* time, or there is a final Awards Assembly your children, and our students, look terrific – about five years older and way more sophisticated. Talk to them and they sound better, too. They use a more effective vocabulary. They finish sentences. ‘Duh’, ‘like’, ‘dude’, ‘whoa’ and ‘whatever’ recede into the background of lexical popularity. They look you in the eye. Maybe there is a direct ratio of good conversation to stylish dress (and we are talking about smart not expensive); there will be research out there. I myself have had memorable conversations with kids who dress more smartly on a day when they are asked to look more formal for the occasion.

A misguided act of power sharing
Some studies have indeed shown that behaviour becomes less antisocial when the kids feel smart in their outfits, but not if it is an imposed uniform. Attempts to have kids design their own and then impose the results on the student body are generally unsuccessful; a misguided act of power sharing that ignores the fact that half a dozen students will not satisfy the ideas of hundreds of others. (Strangely, this ratio is precisely what works in the weird world of women’s high fashion.) The girls do this dressing-for-the-occasion especially well. The style and colours they choose to combine create an elegance that is really effective – (even if they should have to pass a driving test to operate those ultra high, thin heels.) But too many boys ignore the advice and just do the jacket and the shirt that hangs out thing. Or it’s a smart suit and shirt and tie with old trainers. Or they turn up baggy and saggy anyway. But those guys could make a formal school uniform in anthracite and silver striped tie, look dishevelled in two moves. They don’t get it or they don’t want to get it, or they are making a statement. I remember greeting a graduating student at the Gemeindehaus just before the Graduation ceremony and commenting on his jeans + T shirt + sun goggles in the hair look. He was hurt. He pointed out that it was a clean white T shirt. We just didn’t get through to them …yet.

Chaps just don’t
As the opening ceremony of the Science Debate approaches, a few boys ask politely if I can help them knot their tie. And I introduce them to the stylish, arcane and endangered world of the Manhattan, the Cross aka Christensen, the Half or Full Windsor and the Prince Albert; and these are not outlandishly priced cocktails at a Zurich in-club with a French name. The knot matters. James Bond once spotted a villain not just because he ordered full bodied Claret with his fish but because he was sporting a Windsor knot and no gentleman would think of tying one of those. Chaps just don’t, so he knew him for a cad. And the choice of knot depends on the tie; extra long tie can take a Windsor, a woven fabric will take a half Windsor, and avoid a Manhattan on a skinny - better to go for the Prince Albert especially if it’s silk(don’t tighten) or light fabric. Being given yet another tie on your birthday becomes interesting as you try various knots at the birthday dinner table.

Impress their elders
And this, at last, is my point. There are occasions when our students’ appearance will count for them, or against them. There are times when dressing up and doing it within current convention is expected by the controlling generation above them – it’s part of personal marketing at, say, interviews for college or job. ICS offers an increasing number of occasions which prepare in many different ways for this expectation, speaking persuasively to an adult audience, maybe an unknown audience, taking questions with assurance from the floor, prepping a formal speech in a limited amount of time with students from other schools. Our recently introduced end of year Award Assemblies have been formalised in this spirit. And if the boys continue to take it seriously someone will have to offer tie tying as an after school activity.

* Model United Nations

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