A Knotty Problem

No sooner had Goldman sorted out his socks then his ties called for attention.

Goldman's ties were business-traditional and in the colors of the day, red for power, blue for conservative, darker blue for more conservative. Never yellow, pink or purple, heaven forbid.

And they were always tied conservatively as well. No extra wide Windsor knots for Goldman, just the conservative small Windsor. Ties neatly and unobtrusively displayed inside the suit jacket which was always butted just so.

But lately, Goldman felt his ties mismatched. He found himself wearing red when he should have been wearing a more neutral shade. He was uncomfortable wearing blue. He didn't feel it sufficiently dignified.

Goldman's ties were of the finest silk, loomed by hand from pedigreed silk worms cultivated with exquisite care at select farms around the world. Many other prominent people also have their ties crafted by this same firm. This coterie of customers is known as the “Colleagues of the Cravat.” It is a tight knit group.

So he called on his colleagues for advice. Unbutton your collar and loosen your knot, they said. You'll look and feel a hundred percent better.

He said he'd think about it.