This week, I received an invitation to a fundraising event where our former Prime Minister will be speaking. I must say that I am pretty excited to attend this gala simply because he is speaking—this has nothing to do with politics, I just like hearing good speechmakers.

This is a pretty swish occasion, and a friend who is attending with me asked if I was wearing a jacket and tie, as he was considering wearing an open-necked shirt with a jacket. I suppose I shouldn't be to surprised by this attitude but I did express to him my utter horror that he would attend an event hosted by a former head of state without a tie. Surely of all the things to get invited to, this would warrant dressing up just slightly. My friend told me with a shrug that he just hates ties—he feels they are restrictive and that he only owns one tie and one suit. I, on the other hand, own 100 ties and 15 suits.

So I’ve taken it upon myself to do some research as to why men seem to be quick to dismiss the tie and the most popular response is, "It’s like wearing a noose,” or, “It’s like wearing a dog collar.” This is absurd. I think many men hate ties because their shirts don’t fit because they are clinging to their boyhood neck size and they don’t want to have to try to button the collar.

Other men hate ties because they suspect their own taste, and the selection of a tie presents a much higher degree of difficulty than choosing between a blue chalk stripe and a gray flannel suit. I think that anyone who has a highly evolved aesthetic should welcome the expressive opportunity a tie offers.

I've always thought that one of the great things about male fashion is that you could go through life with one white shirt, several ties and one suit and always look good. Naturally, I go to extremes with everything I do, but I must say, having as many ties as I do really does help. My personal collection includes vintage ties from my three favourite decades: the forties, fifties, and sixties, with styles ranging between wide, thin, ultra-thin, and even short. Regardless of the suit I wear, I can always guarantee that I will look different and fresh. Ties are fantastic because they take the blank page of a white shirt and add a marvelous flourish.

Furthermore, for the young, single man they can be the perfect talking point, a reflection of his individual style. Every time I go out, I always have young ladies comment on my tie—every single time! Who doesn't want that kind of attention from the fairer sex?

So gentlemen, get to your menswear store and start picking out some snappy ties. While you’re there, grab some nice tie bars and cufflinks and I'll see you out on the town.

Koop Kooper is the host of The Cocktail Nation, a lounge and exotica podcast out of the Sydney Penthouse. Each week Kooper talks to the movers and shakers of the lounge and tiki scenes and plays the very best in swingin' tunes, and we are lucky enough to have him bestow his wit & wisdom upon us at Retrospectmag.com.