Tie Food

Q: “What do you think of people who put their ties inside their shirts while eating? I get that they don’t want to accidentally stain their ties, but I think it looks weird.”
- James, Antipolo

A: In all my tie-wearing years, I’ve never had to resort to this practice to “protect” my tie from getting soiled. If you’re going to wear a tie you have to know how to behave in one. We’ve all seen comedies where a guy’s tie gets eating up by an office shredder or gets trapped in a car door. In both cases, the accident happens because the wearers forget that they’re wearing ties. Same goes for eating. If you are aware and careful enough, your shirt and your tie should be spared from any eating disorders. You wouldn’t wear a jacket just to protect your white shirt from getting stained, would you?

Tie-Pod

Q: “I am an iPod junkie; I listen to it even at work. My problem is where to put it. My phone already occupies one of my pants’ pockets. If I put it on the other pocket, my pants already bulk up. Right now, I end up putting it on the table or just holding it when I’m on the move. Any ideas? ”
- Marco, Pasig City

A: Thomas Pink, makers of bespoke dress shirts, offers an ingenious solution to your problem. They’ve come out with a limited tie collection that includes a hidden pocket at the back for the ubiquitous iPod. Although, while I give them props for this innovation, I can’t help but think of how uncomfortable it must be to have something constantly tugging on your neck. I haven’t been able to find this locally so the best place to check it out is through the Thomas Pink site: http://www.thomaspink.co.uk. Personally, I find that my shirt’s breast pocket works just fine for small gadgets.