Obama, Biden and Clinton ditched ties at a fundraiser. Are ties out of fashion? : NPR

Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Bill Clinton attend a campaign fundraiser in New York on March 28.

Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

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Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Bill Clinton attend a campaign fundraiser in New York on March 28.

Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Last week, Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton – three Democratic presidents – were all gathered in one place to help Biden raise money for his re-election campaign.

This is not a campaign finance story, however. This is a look at fashion, as none of these current or former commanders in chief wore what is typically a standard element of presidential attire: a tie.

This has prompted several men’s fashion observers on the Internet to declare the death (or at least the beginning of the end) of the tie. Because if presidents don’t wear them to fancy events in Midtown Manhattan, then who wears them?

To delve deeper into this critically important topic, All things Considered host Scott Detrow spoke to fashion historian Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell about what’s going on.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Interview Highlights

Scott Detrow: I was wondering what your first reaction was to the speech or the images from this event.

Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell: Well, I wasn’t really surprised to see this for many reasons. Of course, the death of the tie has been predicted for at least a hundred years. But it really accelerated after the pandemic and everyone went back to work, to the office – not the tie.

Détrow: RIGHT. And like you said, it’s been a long time coming. But is there any reason to think that there are far fewer links in circulation than before?

Chrisman-Campbell: Absolutely. Tie sales have been declining for a long time. And I don’t think they’ll ever go away, but I’m not surprised that, especially at a Democratic fundraiser, which is a slightly more informal event than, say, a White House press conference, the lack of equality was both a fashion statement and, I think, a subtle message to America.

Joe Biden – with a tie – delivers the State of the Union address on March 7.

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Shawn Thew/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Détrow: What does it say? For example, especially now that it’s more optional in a more formal work environment for men or people who wear ties – what is the statement at this point of “I put on a tie” or “I don’t wear a tie” tie” ?

Chrisman-Campbell: They’re really reserved for the more formal events: for weddings, for graduations, job interviews, things like that. And they can actually work against a man in a less formal setting, because they can come across as stuffy or pretentious. If you’re the only one wearing a tie and everyone else is casual, that’s a problem. And conversely: if everyone wears a tie and you don’t, you will stand out.

Détrow: This kind of reboot of a conversation that arises from time to time, are they still relevant? Can you remind us what the original feature was?

Chrisman-Campbell: Well, in the 17th century, men’s shirts were tied with thin laces rather than buttons, so the cravat or cravat back then actually helped keep the shirt collar closed, keeping you warm. It had a practical function. But it very quickly becomes a marker of taste and respectability, of social class, of wealth, even of sexuality and intellect, as in school bonds. And it still works that way, even though it has completely lost its practical value.

Détrow: When you look at the photos of these three presidents, what do you think of the look of “I’m wearing a formal suit but no tie because I want to look casual, even though I’m clearly a formal person in a job important” ?

Chrisman-Campbell: Looking at these photos, I was really fascinated by the different shades of formality that we saw, especially in the photos of the presidents with the famous podcasters or some of the younger guests, because there’s always a hierarchy there- down. There is the shirt with collar and the shirt without collar. There’s the matching jacket and pants and the mismatched jacket and pants. There were dress shoes and tennis shoes. So there was always a generational divide and a sort of formal hierarchy.