An invisible contraption: the tie strap -also known as tie down. As a kid I had to wear uniform to school, beige tie included. I learned to do my Windsor and half Windsor knots early on, and I practiced them every morning for many years. But I had never heard about tie straps until today. My question: is human civilization better off with tie straps than without? While I wonder what could possibly be the profile of your typical tie strap user, I learn that this rather insignificant object fulfils the function of keeping one’s tie close to one’s shirt. I have not worn a tie since my school days but, back then, the least of my problems was that my tie would separate from my shirt in a windy day. The tie strap is made of leather or plastic and connects tie and shirt by bridging the gap between two shirt buttons and looping through the tie label in the process. This little object is designed to provide an efficient way of restricting the movement of one’s tie while remaining out-of-sight. A tie strap belongs to the world of accessories, that is, unnecessary stuff that is sold to us to minimally improve our lives or, at least, to give us the impression that our lives are greatly improved and we are truly sophisticated individuals. Who could possibly think that inventing something to keep your tie under control could significantly improve anyone’s life?
