Peers in the House of Lords will no longer be required to wear ties, after the chamber approved a move to a stated standard of "business attire". The change strips away a long-visible cue of formality in the Lords, and has prompted immediate debate among commentators and tailors on Savile Row about what counts as proper public dress.
The adjustment arrives against a backdrop of looser office dress since the pandemic, a trend that several tailors on the Row link to lower routine neckwear use. James Sleater, 45, owner of Norton & Sons, framed the decision as attention to social change, saying, "The House of Lords should be a mirror of society. What better way of doing it than reflecting current trends?" He also told colleagues his firm is seeing higher demand, "We're selling more neckwear this year than we did in previous years."
Not all voices welcomed the change. Peter York, a writer and style commentator who owns hundreds of ties, warned the relaxed code will "end in tears" and described ties as "little works of art." York argued that removing the requirement risks a slide toward sloppiness among peers who, he suggested, do not always present themselves well.
Other figures on the Row offered more measured takes. Guy Hills, a fashion photographer and owner of Dashing Tweed, said, "I don't think ties are completely dead, they're just having a down moment." Hills backed the looser rule in part because peers historically helped set menswear trends by commissioning tailors and competing on style, and he said a static, museum-like approach can damage the trade. He added a personal note on accessories, "I can't go out without a scarf because it looks too slovenly."
Younger men who work with menswear described ties as increasingly optional, reserved for specific occasions. Chaand Singh, 25, who works in marketing, said, "Dressing up and adding a tie elevates the look." Among peers there are similar mixed instincts, with Labour peer Lord Davies of Brixton saying, "In truth, the only people now wearing ties for business purposes are estate agents and funeral directors."
What happens next is unresolved. The new guidance leaves discretion with individual members and will show whether ties fade from daily use in the Lords or survive as a deliberate mark of formality. The change will be an early test of whether a long-standing sartorial emblem can coexist with contemporary, more flexible notions of professional dress.
