Fred Astair wearing a tie as a belt.

[Warbaby]

I recently read a book about Fred Astair that mentioned he would sometimes wear a necktie as a belt. I was wondering if this ever caught on with style-conscious young men at the time or if it was too quirky to become a fad?

 

[scottyrocks]

I think by the 60s the tie was replaced by a piece of rope, a la Jethro on The Beverly Hillbillies.

 

[Inky]

You know, now that you mention that I recall seeing him wear pants with a tie or scarf as a belt. Of course he was dancing but it seems it was a "practice" seen in a movie. I shall see if I can recall or find out what that was.

This isn't the image I imagined, but this does look like something along the lines of what you're thinking:

 

[chanteuseCarey]

I have several books on Fred Astaire and hae seen many of his films. The tie-as-belt was something he often wore in his films and in his personal wardrobe as well, like the bright colored socks he wore and the certain way he laced his shoes. I don't think I've ever seen pics of other Golden Era movie stars that adopted it. I think of it as part of his own style signature. Our almost 13yo son Daniel wants to try this look, he's a Fred Astaire wannabe... He couldn't want to emulate a better style icon than Mr. Astaire.

I recently read a book about Fred Astair that mentioned he would sometimes wear a necktie as a belt. I was wondering if this ever caught on with style-conscious young men at the time or if it was too quirky to become a fad?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Astaire got the idea from British Oxbridge students. Those crazy kids also wore socks whose stripes matched their ties.


Americans made the "tie-as-a-belt" more practical by creating D-ring belts whose bodies were faced in repp-striped silk. Several years ago, J. Crew and The Gap revived these belts.


.

 

[chanteuseCarey]

I love this picture! Its almost the exact same pic that is on the cover of LIFE magazine issue dated August 25, 1941 that I have. Yes, I got up an checked it! Fred Junior is the same age in that pic and wearing the same kind of little button-on suit. For the LIFE cover pic, Fred is wearing a dress shirt and a tie, with what looks to be a casual style belt, with the buckle/latch worn off center.

He wore this

You know, now that you mention that I recall seeing him wear pants with a tie or scarf as a belt. Of course he was dancing but it seems it was a "practice" seen in a movie. I shall see if I can recall or find out what that was.

This isn't the image I imagined, but this does look like something along the lines of what you're thinking:

 

[Geesie]

Fred Astaire did it but then again - none of us are Fred Astaire.

One little rule of thumb is to never follow any advice that Carson Kressley gives.

 

[La Julia]

Picture is great nonetheless

 

[Anthony Jordan]

Astaire got the idea from British Oxbridge students. Those crazy kids also wore socks whose stripes matched their ties.

.

It was also quite a common cricketing thing - I think I picked the practice up first from old Vanity Fair prints of Victorian and Edwardian cricketers. It also cropped up a few times in the pages of Apparel Arts/Esquire as a recommended style, e.g. on the tennis court.

 

[H.Johnson]

As is said above, wearing a club tie as a belt (sometimes just tied as in the photograph and sometimes made into a proper belt with the addition of two 'D' rings*) was a common practice in England among young summer sportsmen (tennis, rowing, cricket) at the turn of the 20th Century and beyond. It was a sort of understated show of achievement - like a low-key letterman jacket. In fact, you could say that to do it as late as Mr. Astair is pictured would be something of a 'retro' statement.

* How to do this is explained in Thomas Fink's book on male fashion.

 

[Solid Citizen]

AstaireICLE

You know, now that you mention that I recall seeing him wear pants with a tie or scarf as a belt. Of course he was dancing but it seems it was a "practice" seen in a movie. I shall see if I can recall or find out what that was.

This isn't the image I imagined, but this does look like something along the lines of what you're thinking:

Astaire looked GREAT no matter what he wore Solid Citizen

 

[dhermann1]

I noticed this while watching Royal Wedding last night on TCM. In one of the dance routines he's wearing a red tie as a belt, a red kerchief around his neck, and red socks, all with light blue polo shirt and matching pleated front slacks. Tres cool.

 

[Inky]

I noticed this while watching Royal Wedding last night on TCM. In one of the dance routines he's wearing a red tie as a belt, a red kerchief around his neck, and red socks, all with light blue polo shirt and matching pleated front slacks. Tres cool.

That's the scene I was thinking of - it was driving me crazy since yesterday. thank you, dhermann1!

 

[Nathan Dodge]

On a less-exalted level, Tony Curtis' character in The Persuaders! TV show wore a scarf as a necktie (complete with knot) in that Neo-Edwardian fashion era.