Remember when a necktie was the gift of choice for fathers from many sons and daughters? Many of you dads and sons and daughters do, and us dads have closets full of ties to prove it. Wide ties. Narrow ties. Striped ties. Paisley ties. They are all in there in my closet, right next to the suspenders and the now-too-small belts I am hanging onto for unknown reasons.

My dad’s profession made him more of a blue jean and work shirt guy than a suit and tie guy, except for church services, of course. But he did have a bunch of ties. I remember being a teenager searching through them and finding what I thought was a cool one — narrow and black with some subtle unique stitching. I asked him about it, and he said it was my grandfather’s, and he thought Grandpa would be happy if I would have it. So I wore it a few times, until someone told me that style wasn’t cool. Now I store it in my closet. With my other ties that aren’t cool.

In the early years of my professional career at The Des Moines Register, I wore a suit and tie every day. It was the expectation, and I was not one to break the rules — written or unwritten. While there, I got to know a great guy named Mike Wegner, whom I connected with later as well. Mike was a holdout from the glory days of the Register, and you could tell by his choice of bow ties instead of the standard neckties. “They used to be part of the uniform,” he told me.

So, are ties of any sort still selling? The answer, maybe surprisingly, is yes. Although neckties are not as popular as they once were, sales are apparently growing.

According to Data Intelo, the global necktie sales market size was $3.12 billion in 2023 and is estimated to reach $3.67 billion by 2032, expanding at a rate of 2% per year. Their report states that the market growth is attributed to “the ¬¬latest fashion trends, expanding applications, increasing usability and a growing consumer base.” The growing consumer base for neckties is apparently extending beyond the traditional corporate sector into creative fields, students attending formal events, and fashion-forward individuals seeking to make a style statement.

The report also states that “increasing urbanization and westernization in emerging economies are expected to drive the global necktie sales market. As more people move to urban areas and adopt Western-style formal attire, the demand for neckties is likely to increase. This trend is particularly noticeable in countries such as China and India…”

With all this in mind, I guess I will hang on to those ties in my closet. Meanwhile, if you need some suspenders or 30-inch belts, let me know.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman 

President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com

See Shane Goodman's previous columns here.

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There is a special beauty about great stage scripts for children’s theatre. In the hands of an experienced producer such as the Kate Goldman Children’s Theatre at the Des Moines Community Playhouse, true magic manifests when the actors and the audiences combine to create meaningful memories through the power of live performing arts. A legacy of children’s theatre by this nationally recognized community theatre has been part of its programming for almost all of its 106-year-old history. Their May production of “Ivy + Bean: The Musical” holds an allure that blends a great story and music with its lead characters and meaningful content that will spark wonderful intergenerational conversations.

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Kyle Berns and his son, Gabriel, have been studying Jiu-Jitsu at Pinnacle University/Pinnacle Jiu-Jitsu in Norwalk since 2018, and the two have bonded through the sport.

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These celebrities were born on this date: Kathleen Sebelius, Chazz Palminteri, Brian Eno, George Brett, Giselle Fernández, Ray Lewis, Andy Murray, Ousmane Dembele, Emmitt Smith, Alex Verdugo

SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

The answer to yesterday's riddle:

What does a frog order at a restaurant? Lots of answers to this one! French Flies: Nick Ruiz, William Snyder, Gail Tomlinson. Croak-a-Cola: Jayde Vogeler, Rex Post. Everything on IHop’s menu! - Mark Arends. Chicken legs! - Diane Mergens. Ribbit stew! - Lori Bluml. Or, "Toad in the Hole" (a traditional English dish consisting of sausage in Yorkshire pudding). - Carolyn Rogers

Today's riddle

What did Miss Piggy say when asked on a date?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

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