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Comment by readthenotes1 | Hacker News Reader

I do not believe the author understands what the word "timeless" means.

There was a time when men did not have to wear ties to be dressed up. Freedom cannot come soon enough

The necktie of today began in roughly the early 1600s. There were far earlier examples dating back to ancient Egypt, and examples in ancient China. I don’t really think ties are an imperative for being “dressed up”, but they’ve been around for quite a long time.

It was more of a scarf before the 19th century. I don't consider the tie the sane thing. But formal dress is kind of arbitrary like that.

It's not completely arbitrary. Standard business wear of one century becomes the formal wear of the next century, and casual wear mostly comes from military or sports clothing. Formal wear is just very conservative.

I don't see any contradiction. What becomes standard business wear is often arbitrary, as is the stuff that sticks around. It's not like we've discovered a platonic ideal of dress.

I just wanna know when we can go back to formal robes. Superior in nearly every way for office work.

Here's a top hat as a symbol of office by a British railway station manager in 1952.[1] From the days when railway employees all had hats and outfits that indicated their job.

Sir Topham Hatt in Thomas the Tank Engine is not a joke. That's what railway managers wore.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsbIiZ4lCo8&t=575s

I thought military suit/tie would be timeless, but then I compared the dress uniforms of different countries. I guess some uniforms have different timescales for "timeless".

Price and officers wanting to make their mark by changing things. Those wool outfits of WWII still look excellent and are still influencing civilian fashion, but they’re probably too pricey to make for the actual military, now.

I never ever wore a tie. Freedom is already here man ;)

I'm sorry for you, ties (and bowties) are cool :)

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