Ruche Tie

[Brian K]

Wow I'm surprised that in a world of utilikilts and leather kilts and other new age kilts there are so many who HATE this look.



So even this looks bad to most if you? I know it's a little dated but not bad looking in my opinion.

Well, I also wouldn't be caught dead in any of the modern style kilts you mentioned.

This picture shows an old fashioned stock/cravat and is quite elegant for formal wear. The ruche tie is anything but elegant. I don't care for ascots because they appear affected and so does the ruche. If you're going to wear a cravat tie it traditionally. Scrunching is for socks and young women's hair ties not for gentlemen's ties. If you want a four in hand style knot you should stick with a four in hand (or other similar) knot on a regular long tie. A tie that is sloppily tied and quite wrinkled may make a fashion statement, as one member said, but unfortunately that statement is that you're a fashion victim. Another reason I don't like it is that whether you wear it with Highland dress or Saxon formal wear it screams hire shop to me.

It may just be wishful thinking on my part, but 5 years from now we'll probably never hear of the ruche tie because it will have given way to another fashion horror worn by parvenus trying to impress everyone around them with how up to date they are.

Regards,

Brian

[Bugbear]

new age kilts...

The harmonic vortex is all wrong for that...

[OC Richard]

I don't like ruche ties and I'll tell you why: they're a recent contrivance which has, as far as I can see, no tradition in Highland Dress.

They strike me as something the kilthire industry recently cooked up.

Now cravats and such, that's another story. It means crossing the line from Traditional Highland Dress into the realm of Historical Clothing. Yes, if I was a re-enactor wearing an early-19th-century Highland costume, complete with an 1820-1840 style sporran, tartan jacket cut to the style of that period, etc, then a cravat would be just the thing, for example with this costume from 1835:



But wearing a cravat with modern traditional Highland Dress would strike my eye as anachronistic, the same as wearing a Beaver Hat would.

The Highlanders of Scotland gives a near-encyclopaedic overview of the Highland Dress of the 1860s including a large number of shoe styles which no longer exist but the neckwear is quite straightforward: nearly all the men are wearing narrow black neckties tied in a bow or tied as a long tie. There are no jabots, cravats, ruche ties, or any such stuff. The ties are occasionally patterned and are sometimes wider.

[SlackerDrummer]

So even this looks bad to most if you? I know it's a little dated but not bad looking in my opinion.

No. That looks wonderful. The Ruche tie, however, is a modern contrivance, a pale imitation of that.

[mookien]

Cowher: I assume that my response qualified, but just in case allow me to elaborate. I like people walking up to me and asking, "What in the hell is that?!" ;-)

More seriously, over the years (decades?) bow ties, deservedly or not, have gotten the reputation of being "stodgy, boring and/or up-tight", or at best "requisite to invisibility". There is no risk of that in the ruche, especially bright colored ones. They're more like the plumage on the Bird of Paradise boldly announcing, "Here I am! Look what I've got! Isn't it cool and colorful?!"

Some people like that and some don't. :-)

[Zardoz]

I'm not a fan, I think they look sloppy most of the time.
But to each his own. Like the aformentioned gillie brouges and white hose, I don't get personally 'offended' if I see one, they are just not for me.

[Jordan]

As bad as white hose, ghillie broques, semi dress sporrans, flat caps worn with the kilt? Yes.

+2

Cowher: I assume that my response qualified, but just in case allow me to elaborate. I like people walking up to me and asking, "What in the hell is that?!" ;-)

More seriously, over the years (decades?) bow ties, deservedly or not, have gotten the reputation of being "stodgy, boring and/or up-tight", or at best "requisite to invisibility". There is no risk of that in the ruche, especially bright colored ones. They're more like the plumage on the Bird of Paradise boldly announcing, "Here I am! Look what I've got! Isn't it cool and colorful?!"

Some people like that and some don't. :-)

I'm not too sure about them being plumage, a kilt stands out enough that I can't really see any need for a bit more "look at mee!". Ymmv though.

I remember when I got my first kilt the lady in the shop telling me how much I needed a Ruch tie, how proper and traditional they were. Unfortunately when I voiced my opinion on them (that o wouldn't wear it if I was paid) she got a nit upset and started insisting I buy one

That said if you like it and want to wear it thats fine by me but go for a self tied one they look (slightly) better.



Just my tuppence.
Jordan

[Spartan Tartan]

I'm neutral about them. I say that because to me they look better on some people and not so good on others. Whereas a properly made kilt looks good on everyone. I believe I fall into the latter group where it doesn't/wouldn't look good on me. So, although i wouldn't wear one, I have seen some people look good wearing them.

[NorCalPiper]

I love them and when I'm stepping out in a formal setting, I think they work fantastically. Not for everyone though, but I love them!

[KenB]

I neither like nor dislike the this tie. As a fashion statement it is like every fashion trend that has preceded it. Some will like it others will not.