Fashion

Monday 27 April 2026

Ties that earn their stripes

Ties are back from the style wilderness, and we’ve got Ryan Murphy’s Love Story to thank

Menswear mood boards are flooded with images of Love Story’s central figure JFK Jr, who was regularly seen riding his bike through New York in the 90s wearing a backwards baseball cap with a shirt and striped club tie. On the SS26 runways, too, ties were a top-line trend. At Dior, club house styles popped against striped shirts, while at Junya Watanabe they were worn half undone with a last-day-of school energy. Rip up the rule book and contrast a bold stripe with a pastel shirt, but don’t think ties stop with shirts and blazers – consider styling with sportswear or suede. Take a tip from Rudy Mance, Love Story’s costume designer and raid vintage stores for originals. Rokit has a great selection of styles from YSL and Dior (from £45-£65). If you’re still in need of inspiration take a trip to The Bear, Oxford's oldest pub and home to a vast collection of more than 4,500 club tie clippings (snipped off with scissors in exchange for half a pint). Cheers!

Green and navy tie, quilted cape and stripe shirt, all Dior

Green and navy tie, quilted cape and stripe shirt, all Dior

Black, brown and red tie, vintage Yves Saint Laurent from Rokit; tie clip, Ralph Lauren; track jacket, Palace and pink shirt, M&S

Black, brown and red tie, vintage Yves Saint Laurent from Rokit; tie clip, Ralph Lauren; track jacket, Palace and pink shirt, M&S

Red and navy tie, Polo Ralph Lauren; suede jacket and lemon stripe shirt both Rokit

Red and navy tie, Polo Ralph Lauren; suede jacket and lemon stripe shirt both Rokit

White and lilac tie, check blazer and peach shirt all Brunello Cucinelli

White and lilac tie, check blazer and peach shirt all Brunello Cucinelli

Pink, grey, cream tie, Moss; car coat, M&S; denim shirt, Gap

Pink, grey, cream tie, Moss; car coat, M&S; denim shirt, Gap

Photo of John F Kennedy Jr in 1988 (Photo by Brownie Harris/Corbis via Getty Images)

Newsletters

Choose the newsletters you want to receive

View more

For information about how The Observer protects your data, read our Privacy Policy

Follow

The Observer
The Observer Magazine
The ObserverNew Review
The Observer Food Monthly
Copyright © 2025 Tortoise MediaPrivacy PolicyTerms & Conditions