Fellas, It's 2013. Get Tied Up.

No, this is NOT a late Happy New Year write up. Nor am I about to express to you how busy you should be with your unattainable resolutions, which I am sure you've most likely completely forgotten about by now. My purpose here is to give you this single line of advice: Embrace Your Inner Necktie.Long gone are the days when it was acceptable to neglect the necktie, and when the inclusion of a necktie with your outfit indicated you could possibly end up overdressed for the occasion. Yup! It’s over for that. The tie is cool now. And although I’m sure Joan Rivers may beg to differ, to be completely honest and frank with you, in today’s fashion world, with a high level of self-confidence, you can pretty much get away with anything. See: Lady Gaga and Russell Brand.But I digress. If you haven’t spilled some coffee on your white oxford, your tie is the first thing people notice if you’ve decided to wear one. Here’s the catch though: they will also notice if you were supposed to wear one and didn’t. You don’t want to be that guy. The necktie is your subtle, yet bold statement that commands the attention of the room. Its job is to highlight the rest of your ensemble, and it does that naturally. So leave the overbearing renditions on the clearance racks, or in the boxes in which they were gifted.Ok, now that you’re comfortable with ties…can we discuss the wide versus the slim, utilizing the classic tie clip, and getting comfortable with patterns and different fabrics? No? Ok. I get it. Baby steps.Image Source: Urban Jungle Comic, GQ