OcTieBer 2016

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

11219586_10103104106223068_3417019149543021304_n — OcTieBer on a casual day.

It’s the season of cooling temperatures, pumpkin spice lattes, and tweed – that is, it’s time for another OcTieBer, “a month long sartorial celebration of quality neckwear worn in a traditional style.”

It’s hard to believe we are on our sixth OcTieBer – what once started as a challenge for a small group of sartorially inclined swing dancers to dig deep into their closets and put together ensembles with classic neckwear has grown to include persons outside of the dance community, perhaps some people who thought they might not be up to the challenge of neckwear every day for a month or people who don’t really wear ties/scarves regularly. This is includes me – last year I made it a priority to do every day, having maxed out at 16 or 17 days out of the month in the past, but I pushed myself to find new and creative ways to pull wardrobe items together and by the end I couldn’t believe I had actually done it (except for the large pile of laundry, of course). It was refreshing to think inside this box (which is outside of my normal box) and I don’t think I will look at my closet the same way again.

If you don’t believe in sartorial challenges or don’t feel like you have enough ties, no matter – you don’t have to complete the 31 day challenge to celebrate OcTieBer, all excellent ensembles featuring neckwear are welcome at any time during the month (and, really, anytime thereafter if you are feeling particularly natty). If and when you do participate, be sure to share it with the Facebook group – this is a supportive group of people who love dressing well and celebrating it with others.

For more information, to stop in and take a gander, or post your neckwear-inspired ensemble, visit the OcTieBer Facebook group.

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OcTieBer Starts Tomorrow!

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

One of my favorite outfits from last year's OcTieBer. — One of my favorite outfits from last year’s OcTieBer.

Now in its fifth year, OcTieBer is “a month long sartorial celebration of quality neckwear worn in a traditional style” – in reality, it is much more than the sum of this description: it is the encouragement of people of all walks, creeds, and genders to embrace classic style (or modern twists on classic style); it highlights accessories that we don’t often consider in our modern lives, unless you happen to be a lawyer or just really like wearing neck scarves or ascots; it encourages you to dig deep into your closet and pull out those neglected ties or challenges regular tie wearers to create new ensembles and be inspired by others; it may cause people to notice you in positive ways; it creates a sense of camaraderie within the OcTieBer Facebook group where novice and even professional dressers can share their creativity and efforts for the day or every day of October.

OcTieBer IS inspiring. The challenge is to wear neckwear every day for the month of October, but even if you only join us for a couple of days, I invite you to join us for the fun of dressing, learning from and being inspired by others, and being supported in your endeavors by a wonderful group of people.

Here are the official rules, from the Facebook group:

“How to participate? It’s simple:

1. Wear a collared shirt and tie each day (be it a long tie, bow tie, ascot, cravat, bolo, western double string tie or any other traditional neckwear that expresses your personal style). Preferably your outfit will be paired with a jacket, sweater, vest or other accessories that suggest why you’ve chosen that day’s tie.

2. Upload an image of your fine outfit with an optional description of the designer, type of knot, fabric, etc.

3. Share the love by encouraging your friends to admire your statement of personal style.”

Dapper Designs on Etsy

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Tampa, Florida dancer Tom Blair tipped me off to Dapper Designs, an Etsy store that specializes in bow ties, hair bows, and other swing-inspired accessories, made by another Florida dancer, Margie Sweeney. There are a few things I really like about this shop:

1. The bow ties are available in four different styles: classic, diamond point, and those skinny nod-to-the-1950’s bow ties in both straight and wide straight. Let’s not deny that this period in history happened and that one does not have to look like a gift wrapped package to call it a bow tie. Options are always welcome.

2. The neck-wear extends to women, so we can all get a jump on our neck-wear wardrobes to give the guys a run for their money during OcTieBer. I especially like the custom cross-tie, being reminiscent of some Girl Scout neck piece I may have worn and I think it would look fab with a blouse, a 30’s skirt, and a jaunty hat.

3. The fabric selection for the custom ties has a little something for everyone – from classic plaid to dots to geometric patterns to a faux bois print.

And there you have it! Lots of custom options for guys and gals, handmade by one of our own.

(Edited to add that David Lochner has informed me that “the “cross tie” is called a “continental” in menswear and the straight bows are “batwings” – I learn something new every day! 🙂 )

Oc-Tie-Ber 2012

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

303024_10150490960568238_13675512_n — Mike Thibault – one of the most formidable Oc-Tie-Ber sartorialists

It’s October 1, which means it’s time to kick off another Oc-Tie-Ber, a month-long sartorial celebration of quality neck-wear. While I’d like to consider this the male counterpart to Floweruary, I have seen more encouragement given to the ladies to participate. I believe it was decided that scarves would count?

Here’s the skinny from the Facebook invite (Edited to add that Oc-Tie-Ber has outgown its invite and is an official Facebook group now):

“‘A well tied tie is the first serious step in life’ – Oscar Wilde

With the arrival of fall, men (and a few fashionably adventurous women) of style and good taste will once again bond together to demonstrate their embrace of dapper design and finely tailored fabrics.

In short, a month long sartorial celebration of quality neckwear.
How to participate? It’s simple:

1. Wear a tie each day (be it a long tie, bow tie, ascot, cravat, bolo, western double string tie or any other neckwear that expresses your personal style)
2. Upload a photo of your finely attired dudeness wearing said tie with an optional description of the designer, type of knot, fabric, etc.
3. Share the love by encouraging your friends to admire your bold fashion statement.”

Looking forward to seeing all the photos from this month’s festivities – it is always so interesting to see the variety of neck-wear available and I am always surprised at how appropriate and well-put-together everyone looks. Onward, ladies and gents!

World’s Fair

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

$(KGrHqN,!k8E1F5WYp9YBNfiqmuk!g~~0_3 — Scarf from 1939 World's Fair

I’m still looking for the perfect compact and keep coming across ones I like from the swing era World’s Fairs. The World’s Fair is a series of large expos held in different countries, the highlight of which were the national pavilions, created by participating countries. According to Wikipedia, the early expos, starting in the early 1800’s and, until the late 1930’s, were focused on trade and “were the platform where the state of the art in science and technology from around the world was brought together.” After that, the World’s Fair focused more on cultural exchange. Key expos of the swing era held in the United States were Chicago in 1933 and New York in 1939 (the 1939 World’s Fair also featured performances from Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers). The merchandising opportunities for these expos were in abundance and you saw everything stamped with a world’s fair logo, from silk scarves to money clips to parasols.

Here are a few fun World’s Fair items on eBay: