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Kipper Tie

Extremely wide tie with huge knot! Great for keeping your shirt clean. (Mid to late 70’s), this tie just gets wider and wider as it goes down the front of your chest… really wide.

The tie used up so much material that I used to use it as a blindfold in the school playground. There was no chance of peeking out of that. It was called kipper because of the shape. That is if you hold a kipper it gets wider as the body goes down, and the same with this silly tie.

I can say it was ridiculous as I had so many myself. Not only did I have kipper ties, but I also had the most 1970s gory designs you could think of. Orange spots on a red background. Orange and yellow, the louder the better and the colour clash continued for years.

One of the most difficult things to do with a 1970s kipper tie was to make up the knot. You had to pull so much material through, that it was always getting stuck, or looked like a huge frog grasping at your throat. It was truly of its day.

If you look at old news programmes you will see reporters and politicians alike wearing these great big colourful monsters. They were always a great Christmas present to give to Dad and most men wore some version of the kipper tie – along with their slightly long hair and sideburns! It looks very weird now.
I was very fashion aware with my bright coloured 1970s ties, but some people actually wore their ties showing great big cartoon animals on them. Had they no taste?

However, by far the most popular style was the paisley design and pastel colours of the 1970s. Everyone wore these ties and you could see them on businessmen and city types as well as young fashion conscious school kids. Kipper ties could be lethal over a business meeting, or a business lunch. Just try to keep that flopping monster from slipping into your pint, falling into the tea and coffee, or wiping itself around your plate.

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70s Fashion

I loved the fashions of the seventies… why you ask? Was it the colours of the fabrics? No? Or maybe it was the cool flowing styles? Maybe. Or possibly it was that I am a little restricted in the height department and that those platform shoes were a heaven sent present from the Fashion Gods. More...

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