The London Lounge

For my maiden post, I thought I'd pose a few (hopefully not idiotic) questions about regimental ties. Following each question is the answer that I've typically recevied, and I'd be interested in your thoughts on these:

1. Is it appropriate to wear a regimental tie if one didn't serve in the relevant regiment? Answer: No.

2. Are the "regimental" ties made for sale -- particularly in the United States -- the same as the ties worn by invdividuals who served in a given military unit? Answer: Yes, at least in some cases. For this reason, I've typically shied away from buying many otherwise attractive striped ties. (Of course, there are many attractive, striped ties that don't appear to have any possible connection to a military unit, club, etc. My questions aren't addressed to these ties.)

3. Is there a "safe" version of a regimental tie -- for instance, a tie on which the stripes are angled in the opposite direction from the stripes on the regiment's actual tie. Answer: I've been told "yes," but I have my doubts about this one.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts on these.

But if an American version of British Regimental tie has its stripes upwards in the reverse direction, i.e., from left to right instead of from right to left with respect to the wearer's "viewpoint", it cannot be considered a genuine Regiment's tie and therefore a person who has not served in that Regiment should be able to wear the American version.

As for those ties which are practically copies of British Regimental ties with the stripes rising in the right direction, i.e., from right to left with respect to the wearer's "viewpoint", perhaps someone in the profession that walks around in proper Strollers, e.g., a QC or barrister, could advise us on whether copyright laws apply. One must be careful; after all, surely someone must have heard of foreigners carrying pirated branded handbags being detained at some European airports and given heavy fines.

Personally, not being an English man, I feel the best way to wear a British Regimental tie is to wear one with the stripes rising in the proper direction. But I wouldn't wear it in Great Britain, just in case.

There are so many regimental and school ties in Britain that the differences between many of them is often slight. If the stripes go in the opposite direction it can hardly be described as the official tie. However as most British stripes go in the same direction such a reversed tie is likely to be recognized for what it is (ie a mistake or a fake).

There are no laws against wearing ties you are not entitled to wear unless I suppose you are doing so as part of some greater fraud or misrepresentation. It is a matter of courtesy and honesty.

Bear in mind that 'club' ties are not actually worn that much in the UK and usually only at the kind of event or occasion when you would expect them to be recognized. In that sense they are a kind of uniform.

There has been some discussion elsewhere about the propriety of wearing ties 'in honour of a parent or relative'. For example could I wear the tie of my deceased father who belonged a (WW2) wartime army that no longer exists and to which I could not possibly have belonged? The argument in support of this is that in the unlikely event of meeting someone who was genuinely entitled to wear the tie he would probably assume at first that I did not know what it was but then be interested to hear about my father and my respect for his military service.