The Headmaster’s Tie

by John Sadden

As anticipation mounts with the arrival of the new Head next term, widespread speculation based on her clothes, in the style of tabloid newspapers, has reached fever pitch. In the spirit of equality, a retrospective analysis of the current Head’s neck ties, based on archive photographs, reveals that a wide range of colour and designs have appeared over the past decade or so.

The preferred knot style has been, invariably, the most common and simplest to achieve, the “schoolboy knot”. The Head has eschewed the far more prestigious Windsor knot, even when meeting and greeting royalty. Whether this is due to a lack of time or dexterity, or is a subtle democratic statement, is not known. 

However, expert interpretation of the colour and design of the Head’s ties helps allay any concerns raised by the lack of sophistication in the type of knot. The predominance of blue (44%) confirms depth, stability and confidence. Stripes (32%) indicate safety, security and conservatism, dots (24%) demonstrate friendliness, and the colour pink (12%) suggests a man in touch with his feminine feelings. Equally, brown (12%) conveys masculinity and stability, and red (8%) is a bold symbol of power and determination. Whatever conclusions may be drawn from this study, one thing is clear - not one gravy stain is detectable, even in photographs taken after lunch.