Sartorial success is within your grasp with India's first tie hire service
Sartorial success is within your grasp with India's first tie hire service
Ties can be terrifying, some guys admit. Most however, readily confess that it's tough getting through life without ever sporting one. In fact, some firms like Planman Consulting have made it compulsory wear.
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Rahul Wadhwani, managing partner at the multi-interest consulting and business services corporation says, "Like it or not, it is difficult to sell an idea if you don't look professional.
Unlike a call centre employee who needn't bother because his voice is all that people will notice, we need to make the effort."
Sasta aur tikau
Making access to this mandatory corporate accessory a shade easier and economical is India's first rent-a-tie service.
Called Al'z and started by Amar Lodaya, 26, an MBA in banking and insurance and Lucy Mehra, 26, a management graduate, it offers Mumbai professionals four new ties for a modest monthly membership of Rs 300 (you get 3 ties every month, and the fourth is yours to keep).
A three-month membership at Rs 500 lets you pick 12 ties.
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A rent-a-tie, on the other hand, allows you the luxury of wearing what your branch manager wears, without shelling out big bucks.
Just like a new handbag hire service for women that loans luxury bags at rock bottom rentals, the rent-a-tie help is one among a string of ideas born out of the young urban Indian's need to look spiffy without slashing his wallet.
Why it works
Huzefa Chataiwala, who works with a chartered accountancy firm, says frequent meetings with clients led him to Al'z.
"Being well turned out means people take you seriously, and that in turn might mean more business. A good quality tie costs Rs 900. Here, I get a whole bunch for half the price."
A customer gets to choose from a collection of 75 to 100 ties made from microfibre jacquard. "Amar and I were colleagues at an insurance firm where formal wear was mandatory.
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We noticed how our colleagues would swap ties, either because they didn't have a large enough collection, or they were tired of wearing the same stuff," says Lucy.
Aditya Sharma, chief manager with ICICI Bank says it shows sincerity and effort, that you respect the other person enough to bother dressing in formal attire.
But Arjun Khanna who has designed the corporate campaign for Raymond prefers to take a more realistic view.
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"Although a smart tie and well turned out appearance can make a great first impression, it doesn't carry through. What matters is what happens after you open your mouth. It's merit that counts," he believes.
Hygiene
Since the ties are rented out, Lucy says they are dry cleaned once every fortnight. "Hygiene and duplication aren't a big deal with men.
Unlike women, men don't go into a funk if they see another guy wearing what they are wearing. They are fine sharing," she said.
But damaging a piece or spilling Shiraz over it during an early evening happy-hour session with office buddies at a neighbourhood pub, means you have to shell out extra, of course.
It hasn't been too long since Al'z rent-a-tie kick-started out of Al'z Creations, their Masjid Bunder-based garment and accessory store, but the response has been encouraging, with 20 to 25 male customers dropping in every week.
Word-of-mouth publicity and daily rounds to convince corporates to give bulk rentals a thought, have worked. A group from the same office signing up for the service means a plump corporate discount.
Sallu wore rs 1 crore tie
The world's most expensive tie designed by Satya Paul was sported at a fashion show in 2004 by actor Salman Khan.
The purple silk tie was studded with 261 diamonds of 77 carats each, and another 150 grams of gold. It was estimated to cost Rs 1 crore.
Guys who look killer in ties
> Imran Khan in Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na
> Ranbir Kapoor
> Zac Ephron
> Brad Pitt in the Oceans series
> Craig Daniel in the Bond series
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