Vintage Smith
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 VTG Smith Corona Seventy Electric Slate Typewriter 70s Blue  US $50.00
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 Vintage Smith Corona Typewriter US $49.99
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 Vintage Corona Smith 12 Automatic Typewriter Works Nice Very Clean US $49.99
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 Vintage Smith Corona SCM Electra XT 3L Electric Typewriter With Original Case US $49.99
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 Vintage Smith Corona Classic 12 Typewriter US $49.95
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 Vintage Smith Corona Clipper Typewriter US $49.95
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Retro Narrow Ties Are Here Again
All good things are worth repeating. A perfect example is mens narrow ties. They first became stylish at the start of the 20th century, only to gain real popularity in the 1950s and again in the 80's. Today they are returning to style again with the likes of Will Smith, Jeremy Piven and other actors choosing narrow black neckties to go with their tuxedos at the recent Golden Globes Awards.
Narrow Neckties from the 20's
It is usually agreed that thin mens neckties range in width from 1 to 3 inches across the widest section of the necktie. Both pointed neckties and flat bottom narrow ties during the first ten years of the last century were slender, varying from 2 to 2 inches wide. Some ties measuring as thin as 1 inches, were even referred to generally at the time as string ties. Things didnt change the next few years due to lack of materials associated with World War I. 2 inch wide ties remained in fashion throughout the 20's and then went missing until the 1950's.
In the meantime, as notes Sarah Gibbings, in her fantastic book "The Tie: Trends and Traditions", the shortages of the second world war left no funds, no extra supplies or manufacturing base in Europe. This compelled former soldiers to move towards the new world for a change, a style to exemplify their upbeat postwar aspirations. Former soldiers were looking for bright and exciting patterns, anything happy and modern. The United States responded with a trend toward the broader, flamboyant and extravagantly colored neckties which went on to dominate the 40's and early 1950's. To display these neckties, the men's jacket lapels became wider and suits were buttoned lower which provided the open area for the necktie.
Thin Ties of the 50's
The American attitude of the middle 50s was restrained by a recession, the Korean War and the Cold War. Men's style reflected the world's more restrained attitude. Styles were becoming more conservative, with tighter pants, less wide lapels and narrower ties to match. Vibrant and outragous color combinations were pushed out by restrained patterns and plain colors. This hearlded the certified rebirth of the quintessential skinny black necktie.
As popular stars such as Elvis started to wear thin neckties, the young men imitated their fashion. By the middle of the 1960's neckties as skinny as 1 inch were worn by most business men and college students alike.
Thin Neckties of the 80's
As the extravegant fashion style of the 70s came to an end the narrow tie reapeared, primarly as a rejection of the former decade's bad taste.
The Current Move Towards Thin Neckties
Thin ties are popular today. Just the other night attorney Anthony Romero, executive director of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) made an appearance on the Colbert Report sporting a dark narrow necktie. During the episode, Stephen Colbert challenged him to show something wrong with him. After a brief glance at Colberts broad yellow foulard patterned tie, Romero quickly pointed out, That tie is not my favorite, which predictably got lots of of giggles at Colbert's expense.
Fashion is a matter of personal style and fashion trends but a well dressed man sporting a distinctive narrow tie will always stay in style. Original classic narrow ties from the 50's, 1960's and 1980's can be found online when searching for "vintage skinny ties". Try one today!
Which Typewriter should I get?
My husband will be graduating in a couple of weeks, and he's been wanting a vintage typewriter for his office. I'm going to try to surprise him with a typewriter, and I've been looking all over for one that definitely works and is fairly reasonably priced. Anyhow, I found a couple of promising e-bay listings and was hoping to get some input from any of you who have knowledge in this area. I'm expecting to pay between $40 and $60 after shipping costs. Here are the two that I'm really considering:
1956 Royal Quiet Deluxe Manual Model RA-925
http://cgi.ebay.com/1956-ROYAL-QUIET-DELUXE-MANUAL-TYPEWRITER-MODEL-RA-925-/300549651630?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45fa27bcae#ht_500wt_1013
Smith Corona Silent Manual
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-SMITH-CORONA-SILENT-MANUAL-TYPEWRITER-W-CASE-/380333986615?pt=BI_Typewriters_Word_Processors&hash=item588dac1337#ht_2118wt_1019
Thanks for any input you can give! 
even after looking at the pic's i'd still go with the smith
less bulky
don't forget his carbon paper and onion paper too
he'll appreciate the onion paper because he won't have to strike the keys so hard
Hower House goes to the movies (the330)
You don’t expect to see a leg lamp glowing in a window of Hower House. But
this season, the proper Victorian mansion is showing her playful side. The
house museum on the University of Akron campus has gone Hollywood for the
holidays.
**Read the full post**
Malcolm Smith: 2010 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days Grand Marshal
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