Jon's Guest Post: Setting the Tone
A common theme that yo
u will find discussed in all my outfits is that of tone. Whether it is appropriate or not, people form an opinion of others they meet in the first few seconds of their encounter.This opinion is based on the information about that person that is available at the time. This usually includes the following: location and context of the encounter, the people with that person, who and how they were introduced, and what they happen to be wearing. I am by no means saying that you should be dressed in the latest fashions all the time. If you are dressed head to toe in the latest brand one person may think that you are extremely stylish and up on the latest trends, while someone else might think that you are a pretentious, self-important, and a sheep of consumerism.What I am suggesting is that you dress how you like, and in the tone you want to convey to others. Be they your friends, family, or complete strangers.
Whenever you are getting ready, be it for a special occasion or for the regular work day, I suggest that you ask yourself the following three questions:
i) Where am I going?/ What am I doing? You want to make sure that you will be comfortable and dressed on a similar level to others.
ii) How will I feel in what I'm going to be wearing? You want to feel comfortable both in the literal and figurative sense. This is the first part of the tone. Regardless of the situation, you want to convey a comfortable but confident tone.
iii) What do I want people to think of me when they see me? This is the second part of looking at tone.The tone of your dress may make the difference between people thinking you are: interesting, funny, trustworthy, smart, a fun time, weird, or sketchy. This is a tone that takes a little thought and is what I will be talking about in the following examples. Not everyone will see the same tone that you do, but these aren't the people who you want to hangout with anyways;) The people you want to hangout with will see things similar to you!
1. A night out on the town
Tone: Interesting and fun
While some people may be intimidated by someone in a bow tie, adding the vest gives a more relaxed tone. It also helps to break up the colouring of the shirt to give it more interest. If you don't have a vest, you can achieve the same effect by rolling up your shirt sleeves to just above the elbows. (Just be sure to make it neat and crisp. Otherwise, you may look impatient or like you've dressed up because you have to.) Though it may be difficult to see it in the photo, small details like the black on black paisley, OoOTie bow tie and cufflinks show that you are someone who knows how to take care of the details.
While some people may be intimidated by someone in a bow tie, adding the vest gives a more relaxed tone. It also helps to break up the colouring of the shirt to give it more interest. If you don't have a vest, you can achieve the same effect by rolling up your shirt sleeves to just above the elbows. (Just be sure to make it neat and crisp. Otherwise, you may look impatient or like you've dressed up because you have to.) Though it may be difficult to see it in the photo, small details like the black on black paisley, OoOTie bow tie and cufflinks show that you are someone who knows how to take care of the details.
2. Out for some R&R
Tone: Easy going, Classy
Dressing well will impress others even if you are a bit of a hack (bad Curling pun) at whatever you're doing. If you have read my previous OoOTie blog interviews, you know that I like solid colours (as opposed to stripes and patterns). I like solids because they're easy to match and contrast other pieces with. With the more colours and patterns you introduce, the more likely it will be that some of the colours and patterns will clash. You need colours that compliment each other, and you want to match everything otherwise it may be overwhelming. A simple rule is to go with opposite colours, or pick one of the minor colours in the pattern you're trying to pair it with.
****Pro Tip: If you're like me, you are a fan of the double-sided bow ties. They allow you to match with either the front or back side of the tie, as the front and back sides have been paired because they're complimentary.
****Pro Tip: If you're like me, you are a fan of the double-sided bow ties. They allow you to match with either the front or back side of the tie, as the front and back sides have been paired because they're complimentary.
3. Professionalism With a Twist!
Tone: Intelligent, Trustworthy
Like any good presentation, keep things simple and to the point. You don't want to be too over the top because then people are more apt to think of you as all flash and no bang. Adding a little flare like this black on brown paisley bow tie is enough to get people's attention, but not so much as to distract people from the point you are trying to make. If you want to tone down the seriousness of it, remember that the rolled up shirt sleeves is the 'sitting on the chair backwards' of the dress shirt.
Tone: Dashing, Conversationalist
Like any good presentation, keep things simple and to the point. You don't want to be too over the top because then people are more apt to think of you as all flash and no bang. Adding a little flare like this black on brown paisley bow tie is enough to get people's attention, but not so much as to distract people from the point you are trying to make. If you want to tone down the seriousness of it, remember that the rolled up shirt sleeves is the 'sitting on the chair backwards' of the dress shirt.
4. Coffee and a Scone, Please and Thank You!
Tone: Dashing, Conversationalist
A dark shirt can really help make a bright tie pop. If you are going to go with a dark shirt I would suggest going with a more interesting patterned tie. This again, adds a bit of flare and helps to draw some attention. This is a good example of matching your outfit to where you are going. If you're going out for a hot beverage, you don't want people to think that you are just out to get their attention (whether that's your intention or not).
Tone: Playful, Wholesome, Take Home to Mother-Able
Bow ties are an any kind of day accessory. They are more playful then their straight tie cousins. Because they have less surface area, they can have more interesting and complex patterns. By wearing a bow tie, you can convey a more playful tone without being overwhelming. This allows you to take the bow tie out of the office or banquet hall and wear it proudly around town as you buy groceries, run errands in, or when you just simply want enjoy the nice weather.
5. Some More Fun On the Town!
Tone: Playful, Wholesome, Take Home to Mother-Able
Bow ties are an any kind of day accessory. They are more playful then their straight tie cousins. Because they have less surface area, they can have more interesting and complex patterns. By wearing a bow tie, you can convey a more playful tone without being overwhelming. This allows you to take the bow tie out of the office or banquet hall and wear it proudly around town as you buy groceries, run errands in, or when you just simply want enjoy the nice weather.
Fine Adjustments in Tone With Double-Sided Bow Ties!
For any bow tie there are three different faces:
a) Center-- Divides your tie and gives it the distinctive bow shape, and is also the focal point of the tie.
b) Front Face--This is the face of your tie as it has the largest area and should be your first concern when matching colours.
c) Back Face--Most of this face is covered by the front face. But the fraction that is visible can make the difference from a good tie and a great tie.
With a little care each of these faces can be independently flipped to one of the two sides. This means that we have three possible faces with two settings each.
With a little math: 2x2x2=2^3=8
We can have eight different combinations of the bow tie, which can be seen below:
Assuming that the tie cost $40, a double sided bow tie at the value of $40/8 different ties=$5/tie!!! Who said math wasn't fashionable?
Because of the flexibility that the doubled sided ties allow for more control of your look (assuming you have matched both colours), you can add that little extra detail to your look!
****Pro Tip: If you're having problems matching a tie with shirts, match white shirts with dark ties and black shirts with bright ties since they will never be out of style!
I hope my suggestions have been helpful. And if nothing else, remember that you have to be happy with what you're wearing. Confidence will help you pull off any look and if people don't like it, well then they don't get to be your friend;)
****Special thanks to Mike Dutton for indulging my inner model during the photo shoots!
a) Center-- Divides your tie and gives it the distinctive bow shape, and is also the focal point of the tie.
b) Front Face--This is the face of your tie as it has the largest area and should be your first concern when matching colours.
c) Back Face--Most of this face is covered by the front face. But the fraction that is visible can make the difference from a good tie and a great tie.
With a little care each of these faces can be independently flipped to one of the two sides. This means that we have three possible faces with two settings each.
With a little math: 2x2x2=2^3=8
We can have eight different combinations of the bow tie, which can be seen below:
Assuming that the tie cost $40, a double sided bow tie at the value of $40/8 different ties=$5/tie!!! Who said math wasn't fashionable?
Because of the flexibility that the doubled sided ties allow for more control of your look (assuming you have matched both colours), you can add that little extra detail to your look!
****Pro Tip: If you're having problems matching a tie with shirts, match white shirts with dark ties and black shirts with bright ties since they will never be out of style!
I hope my suggestions have been helpful. And if nothing else, remember that you have to be happy with what you're wearing. Confidence will help you pull off any look and if people don't like it, well then they don't get to be your friend;)
****Special thanks to Mike Dutton for indulging my inner model during the photo shoots!
What about adding the right side one color and left side the other color? Add this to the different colored front and back blades, and you'll get SEVERAL more options!
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