I caught a bit of House of Boateng on the Sundance Channel. That Oswald is good. A cool customer. He's handsome, smooth, super-dapper. He could probably be a good actor. But his reality TV show is pretty hardcore fashionista, and doesn't have much in it to interest anyone except people who want to be a fashion designer or act like one when they grow up. But that doesn't mean that Oswald isn't good at what he does. He makes good clothes and that's ultimately the important thing. But Oswald also knows that sometimes good design isn't enough and that hype can put you over the top, so…here goes! It's risky though. I thought it was very bad for his nice-guy image when Tommy Hilfiger tried to bust a Donald Trump "You're fired" move. Suddenly the smiling Tommy was excoriating poor wannabe designers and before you knew it he was trying to smack Axl Rose.

Anyway, Oswald knows men's clothes. He's good. I'm not the ideal Boateng customer because he cuts for thinner guys and his color palette isn't always right for the Irish complexion. But when it comes to ties he has made some of my absolute favorites. I wore this one today. A combination of orange and purple, it's 3 1/4 inches wide, and since it's a few years old that means Boateng is either a classicist or prescient or both.

I like the surprise of the different-colored small end. The small end is a big deal now as it's becoming the fashion to let it hang below the big, front end of the tie. This is a look I first noticed on Harold Evans when he was running Random House. It's an interesting statement—I wear a tie but I don't give a shit. Now men are being advised to wear their ties this way. I guess it's the natural successor to the shirttail out. What's after that? Have you seen the new Martin Margiela lace-ups with no laces?

Here's my Boateng tie. Shirt by J.Press, jacket by A.P.C.