The US Army celebrated its 250th year today with a massive parade...
derek guy@dieworkwear
70 views
Jun 15, 2025
~3 min read
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The US Army celebrated its 250th year today with a massive parade in Washington, DC. It appears @ComfortablySmug believes that this is an appropriate tie for the occasion.
I disagree and I'll tell you why. 🧵
x.com/ComfortablySmu…
I disagree and I'll tell you why. 🧵
x.com/ComfortablySmu…
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It's once again worth reminding that men's dress used to be governed by time, place, and occasion (TPO). If you were of a certain social station and had to do a certain thing, you were expected to wear a certain outfit.
This tradition can be seen in men's neckwear.
This tradition can be seen in men's neckwear.
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In Britain, where we derive most of our traditions for classic men's dress, the term "regimental stripe" refers to neckwear with diagonal lines, like you see below. These were not purely about decoration. Each design symbolized belonging to some organization.
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For instance, the first tie signals that the wearer is part of The Rifles, an infantry regiment of the British Army.
The second tie signals the wearer is a member of the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, a regiment in the Royal Armoured Corps.
The second tie signals the wearer is a member of the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, a regiment in the Royal Armoured Corps.
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Some of these designs can take other forms. The zig zag design you see in the first photo represents the Royal Regiment of Artillery. The little flag motifs in the second photo represents the Old Pangbournian Society, connected to Pangbourne College.
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In fact, even buttons can signal one's position in the British foot guards. Look at these uniforms. Seemingly identical right? But take a look at the subtle differences in the way the buttons are placed on the jacket sleeve cuffs. They signal one's regiment.
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The US takes most of its men's dress traditions from Britain. But when Brooks Brothers imported regimental stripes, they reversed the direction of the stripes so as to not seem like they were stealing valour. Notice the US stripes running in the other direction below.
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In the UK, it can be offensive to wear certain club ties if you don't belong to the organization. But in the US, most of these rep stripe ties are worn for decoration, so shop as you wish.
However, *some* US organizations have club ties, such as Harvard and Princeton.
However, *some* US organizations have club ties, such as Harvard and Princeton.
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While the US military doesn't have official club ties, many companies have taken that historical language and used it to express the US armed forces.
These Sam Hober ties represent the US Army West Point and US Army Corps of Engineers. The third represents the US Marines.
These Sam Hober ties represent the US Army West Point and US Army Corps of Engineers. The third represents the US Marines.
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Sec. Hegseth is the head of US Defense, so he calls the shots. But I think a better tie — one in keeping with the language of traditional men's dress — would be a US Army tie, such this one on Etsy (has org colors and crest!). Not camo, which is a pattern with no real belonging.
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To be sure, a lot of this historical language can be seen as arcane today. But I think it's up to leaders to keep these traditions alive. This tie would look better in the outfit above and represent an understanding of traditional men's dress, as well as respect for the US Army.
