Tie me up, baby

Goodness, we've been lax. Real life caught up with us, so please excuse the lack of updates (and rantings) on this blog. Besides, Fly to the Sky have been going through too many wardrobe changes for us to spew intelligently (and objectively) on a regular basis. Nevertheless, here's a post!

During FTTS' early 7th jib days, they pushed out a very clean look which was a massive improvement over the disgusting fashion disaster that was 6th jib. Both boys cut their hair and opted for a more mature and sleeker look that says very firmly: "we are men, not boys". They went through a few (satisfying) variations of the clean look, and we shall look at some, in particular experiments with ties. 

Ties are often associated with a more formal look, to give a man (and the occasional woman) that extra dose of professionalism and authority. Most ties are simple and elegant as they're accessories and meant to complement the outfit. 

This is what we call Brian's tie-in-shirt look. It just means sticking the rest of the tie inside the shirt instead of leaving it out as normal men do. It seems a little weird at first glance and may take some getting used to. Something like that is a hit or miss. For me, it exudes a more sensitive, softer feel even though a long-sleeved shirt and trousers give off a more formal aura. Most men do okay with the standard shirt-trousers-tie, but not many can carry off a tie stuck inside the shirt. I think Brian was able to pull off this look without seeming like he'd lost his marbles, because first off, you need to just go simple - off-white shirt and black trousers with a black tie is a combination that's easy on the eye, no clashing colours and your attention is not immediately drawn to the tie, but to how gentle the whole look is. There's an air of sensitivity that befits a gentleman and this look works best with a long-sleeved shirt - either with the sleeves slightly rolled up as in the picture, or not rolled up at all. 

Here's how not to to wear a tie:

If you have nowhere to stick a tie, just leave it alone, it won't hurt you. Just don't stick it into your shirt pocket or whatever pocket holes that happen to be part of your shirt. That's just weird. It's funky, but the wrong side of funky, so when in doubt, play safe. You don't want to look a mess when you're in the public eye.

How not to wear a tie Part II:

This is overkill. Either wear the tie or the denim jacket but not both and definitely not with the sleeves rolled up. Don't pile it on thinking a tie will give the outfit a more formal or professional look, especially with a denim jacket. There's a reason why ties are associated with suits and not out to make you look like jailbait.

For a risqué look, try hanging it loose and adopting the appropriate expression, like this:

This loose-tie look is one of the best I've seen from Brian so far - a mix of 'come hither' and the right degree of sexiness, with a touch of 'I don't give a damn' attitude. Even though the picture is in black and white, I would recommend going simple with the colours - the tie can be in a dominant or matching colour but nothing overly garish or clashing. Does not work with short-sleeved shirts, so don't try. Best for sex after work.

le jun