Fry's Ties By Stephen Fry, Penguin Random House, $38 .. .. .. .. ..

This is exactly what is says on the cover a book about ties.

And actually, it's fascinating. Why men wear them, social fads and fancies, culture, labels, how to tie them, memoir and history, the stories behind 100 of Stephen Fry's ties and more.

He wrote this during lockdown, when he found himself fossicking among draws full of ties, bow ties, scarves and cravats and posting pictures on Instagram, which received a flurry of positive response. Now he writes about the collarless shirts of his grandfathers, and his own dapper dressing.

There are photos of beautiful ties, many with fancy labels and price tags to match.

As Oscar Wilde said, “A well-tied tie is the first serious step in life”.

There are all the many ways you can tie a tie, too — the half Windsor, full Windsor, Prince Albert, Pratt-Shelby, Van Wijk, Kelvin, Trinity, Four-in-hand.

Who would have thought there was so much to say about a cloth tied around a neck.

To quote PG Wodehouse: “‘What do ties matter, Jeeves, at a time like this?' 'There is no time, sir, at which ties do not matter.'”

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