Vintage Lady's Necktie

Thrifted Ties

Two weeks ago I strolled through an open-air flea market in the area. 

I wasn't looking for anything in particular, and as I was about to leave, a lady with a neat sales stand caught my eye. The two ties (2£ each) were my only haul of the day, but I had a complete outfit in mind for the brown checked tie as soon as I pulled it out of the pile.

The Lady's Necktie in

Punk & Post Punk 

During the punk and post-punk era, women wearing ties was not uncommon. In 1975 Patti Smith coolly combined a tie with a white shirt and pleated trousers on stage, while in 1976 and again on the True Colors tour in 2007, Punk style-icon Debbie Harry wore a red tie with printed T-shirts, showing us that true style is timeless. 

Female power dressing also found its way into pop culture: In 1983, singer Annie Lennox was filmed wearing a Wall Street outfit and tie for the music video for the Eurythmics song "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)".

Since then, the lady's tie has appeared in every decade. For years, ties have been one of the most photographed accessories at fashion weeks in Milan, Paris, London or elsewhere: black ones with a school uniform look, pinstriped ties with dark suits, ties in pink, yellow or blue with logos as a splash of color with a pastel-colored blouse.

Brown Lady's Necktie Fit 

I very rarely wear brown, partly because I rarely wear anything other than black. However, I find this silk tie so pretty that I'll make an exception: For the fit, I need a white blouse and a brown skirt as basics. 

I'll start with the basic boxy blouse. I'm aiming for a more feminine look, which means this blouse needs a minor alteration. Let's pull an elastic band through the hem of the blouse sleeves and create some cute puffed sleeves.

The white blouse alone looks faaaaar too boring, the silhouette definitely needs more drama.

You might have a corset (or corset belt) in your wardrobe, but if not, don't panic: you can also use a well-fitting vest, tank top or cropped tube top. Keep in mind that more subtle combinations are probably better suited for school, work, or hot summer days.

Skirts.

I love tulle skirts. They're so reminiscent of the '80s, especially Cyndi Lauper and Strawberry Switchblade. Plus, they're cute and versatile - they can be worn individually, as an underskirt or as a top layer.

First, I paired the tulle skirt with my thin brown corduroy skirt. To make the tulle pop, I shortened the brown skirt by turning up the waistband. I tucked the whole thing under a white stretch patent belt like the ones worn in the 80s. 

The chunky leather boots are reminiscent of the cottage core aesthetic, which I really love in this combination.

For the second look, I draped a brown checked scarf that looks very similar to the tie over the tulle skirt. The leather Converse give the outfit more of an urban look.

Given the current temperatures, the second option is definitely my first choice, but as quickly as the weather can change, it's only a matter of time before you want to wear boots and corduroy with a blazer or cardigan.

Clothing is gender-neutral! 

Wear what you love!