If you think about it the tie is an odd piece of garment. As far as clothes go it is both physically functionless and a hassle to eat soup with. Not to mention a source of many an embarrassing memories for an inept 16 year old Faisal for whom the intricacies of a ‘Double Windsor’ knot remained elusive for years. Now, I’ll readily admit that this is a straw man argument and that we don’t wear it because of its physical function but rather as an indicator of formal wear, occasion or ‘professionalism’. It has become so accepted in the Western world (and increasingly globally) that the tie is a symbol unto itself.