No Ties in Grammy Fashion Category

The Grammy Awards, usually a showcase of outlandish fashions, were characterized this year by one new trend that indicates trouble for the American necktie industry.

In an unusual turnabout, men made the fashion statements while women performers sported basic colors, designs and fabrics. And for the men it wasn’t what they wore, but what they didn’t wear--neckties.

Bows, bolos, strings, ascots, cravats and straight ties were all conspicuously absent.

Almost every male celebrity, performer and presenter who appeared on the televised 32nd Annual Grammy Awards Wednesday night was tie-less, sporting instead an array of styled shirts and designer jackets.

The anti-tie statements began early during the non-televised portion of the program with host Donny Osmond, who walked out on the Shrine Auditorium stage wearing a basic black jacket, a basic white shirt and no tie.

Comedian Garry Shandling, hosting the televised portion of the ceremony, also shunned the neck bow, but unlike Osmond, accessorized his high-collar white shirt with a single dark stud.

Billy Joel also was tie-less as was one of the first recipients of a Grammy, Michael Bolton, who appeared without either tie, stud or any decoration to accept his best male pop vocal award.

Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvam, the duo making up the group Milli Vanilli, accepted their award for best new artist in red and blue space-age tunics with preacher collars and metal-tapped military boots.

“There are creative black-tie situations and the Grammys are obviously one of them. Rather than finding other versions of neckties, men are abandoning them altogether,” said New York fashion analyst James LaForce. “If a man decides to break a rule, he’s now breaking the rule of wearing a tie.”

Paul McCartney, receiving a lifetime achievement award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, shunned not only a tie but also the basic black of a formal evening. The former Beatle wore a multicolored shirt and shawl-collar formal jacket decorated with round green embroideries.

Sting appeared in the audience with a black T-shirt and a tuxedo jacket while ex-Eagle Don Henley accepted his best male rock performer award in a decidedly wrinkled T-shirt and a leather bomber jacket.