Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, April 22, 1990                   TAG: 9004200031
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ROBERT DVORCHAK ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: NEW YORK                                LENGTH: Medium

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO STICK YOUR NECK OUT, WEAR RED

At a time when the variety of men's neckties has never been greater, people are seeing red - the traditional, risk-free hue for ties, no matter if they come with polka dots, paisleys, prints, patterns, stripes or geometric designs.

"Red is the brightest color that goes with all men's suits in a business environment," said tie-designer Alan Flusser, who created the neckwear for Michael Douglas in "Wall Street," the tale of yuppie greed in the 1980s.

"It gives new life to somber, conservative business suits," he said.

But be advised. Flusser's personal tie rack is devoid of red. The reasoning is similar to what Yogi Berra once said about a nightspot being too popular: "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

"Red is too obvious a color," said Flusser, whose only concession to red are his luxurious, woven Jacquards in claret, burgundy or bordeaux.

But in places like the nation's capital, crimson is red hot in the corridors of power.

President Bush favors them. TV anchormen love them, and ABC's Sam Donaldson wears red ties so often they've become a personal trademark. Donald Trump flashes them the same way he runs business - unblushingly.

Some trace red's staying power to the 1988 presidential campaign, when politicians out-did themselves to prove their red-blooded patriotism without sticking their necks out.

"I saw one Democratic debate when all seven of the candidates had a blue suit, white shirt and red tie. It was like a uniform," said Bob Beauchamp, fashion editor for Esquire magazine.

The necktie is the only part of a man's wardrobe that has no function other than to decorate.

The average man owns 30 to 40 ties, although only 10 to 15 of them are worn regularly, according to the Neckware Association of America, a New York-based industry trade group. It said about 95 million are sold each year, and red can be found more than any other color.

Fashion forecasters note the mainstream tie is widening from 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 inches. Some risk-takers are even pushing the 4-inch barrier, Anderson said.

And for those who are tired of red, take heart. The latest look is called retro, for retrospective, a back to the future concept that revives the splashy patterns of the '40s and '50s.

The new look is embodied by hipster Arsenio Hall or the trendy characters on "L.A. Law" or "thirtysomething." Bruce Mertz, president of Format Inc., a Chicago company that makes retro ties, has already buried power ties, even the trendy, teal-colored hues.

"If you see a guy wearing a yellow tie, he's really out of fashion. He hasn't bought a new necktie. He's sleeping," Mertz told the Chicago Tribune. "They're gone. Finished. You don't see anybody wearing them."

Meanwhile, New York tie designer Joseph Abboud would rather be dead than red.

"Men fall into safety zones. They see somebody else wearing red, so they wear it, too. They all look like airline pilots," said Abboud, who makes ties for NBC's Bryant Gumbel.

"I think we've got to get the politicans to be a little more daring," he said.