'Party season' (whatever that means) puts many a neck on the line – and we're not just talking about that grovelling meeting with your boss after the office Christmas shindig.
When it comes to dressing up, we're so often limited to the dull binary of a standard tie or a bowtie. The former, a little pedestrian, the latter, a little office funny man that thinks card tricks are still an acceptable form of flirtation. Let us pay thanks to Mahershala Ali then, for breaking the bind.
At the AFI Fest screening of Green Book, the Esquire Townhouse favourite went for a cravat, and better yet, proved it isn't just for thoroughly evil game hunters with stuffed elephant heads mounted on the wall.
The rules are simple. Like the Moonlight star, settle for a relatively fresh print that'll contrast (but not clash) with your overall look. Better yet, avoid anything you'd find in those musty bargain bins of a provincial vintage shop: paisley, microdots et al. It's that sort of stuff that'll stick you firmly in the hunting lodge.
It helps to know your event, too. An Ali-approved cravat will work at a fancy do (like a really fancy do with free champagne and a live harpist), but may be a step too far for a general business-casual thing. Nobody wants to look over-dressed, after all.
But say there is a befitting event on the horizon, get your own version next time you find yourself on Savile Row.
