A couple of years ago, and maybe even now, Elvis Costello seemed to sporting the Duchamp look. And it worked for him.

The problem their look has, outside of a few select industries its not going to be accepted as business attire. There's no way I could turn up for a meeting with one my clients in a jacquard shirt and peacock tie not to mention some of their jackets and clinch the deal or be accepted. It just isn't going to work.

Their demographic is probably too limited to permit rapid expansion beyond media luvvies and the few industries were rampant individualism and eccentricity is seen as a valuable commodity. And in saying that, a lot of creative industrial artists and the like, are satisfied with a white button-down, they let their work do the creative talking.

Indeed, I was exaggerating somewhat, some of the ties, yes. But most of the shirts are not business in my opinion and yet, that's how up until very recently, they marketed their products, at least the jackets and some of the shirts as suitable for work. Which in conservative industries they are not.

I have boring ties and fun ties (the latter including several Georgia Tech ties, a history of Mickey Mouse, my old high-school tie and one with shamrocks)

I figure the rest of my get-up is sober enough that a silly tie now and then cannot hurt.

I'm sorry to hear Duchamp might be in trouble. I think it is partly a consequence of their marketing - too many images of "Duchamp men" dressed head to toe in the stuff, and together it's really too much. A lot of men obviously can't isolate the individual items and use their imagination to picture how they might compliment more traditional designs.

I like what Penrose is doing. I noticed they were stocked in Selfridges last time I was in London and I bought a pocketsquare which I often wear with a pair of Duchamp cufflinks.

Last edited by Bishop of Briggs (2011-09-26 04:35:31)

Last edited by Bishop of Briggs (2011-10-15 13:02:35)