Is there any item of apparel more useless than a necktie? Why do intelligent men loop rags around their necks and tighten them? U.S. journalist Linda Ellerbee asked, "if men can run the world, Why can't they stop wearing neckties?" The answer is that men, like women, do many silly things in the name of fashion. The necktie may be useless, but it remains popular because of pressures of fashion and social status.