Photo by Alan Clarke via Esquire.
Above from 2010 article on the archetypes of menswear (link) - The Trad (as opposed to The Sport, The Rake, The Outsdoorsman, etc) still one of the best done bits. The angry, about to explode New England academic. Hello pot this is the kettle haha...
Signature accessory: Knit tie.As knit ties are - you guessed it - 'knit' rather than cut from cloth - they have a straight profile down the front so are generally slim. They end almost universally in a straight edge rather than a point (grenadine ties are a different tightly woven type of tie that often end in a point - also great). Why the love? The crumbly, rough texture of the knit takes the wearer into high/lo territory - dressed up but not as 'the defendant'... Signals you have so many ties you even have KNIT ties...
Bragging rights: Wearing the same pair of khakis for fifteen years.
Knit ties have a slimmer section round the neckband, that means you can successfully tie a knot without a lot of bulk. Four in hand (schoolboy knot) the only option due to the heft. Anyway... Windsor knots are characteristic of SMERSH. David Muir over at ABC News wears navy, polka dot, shantung silk versions... Pretty unique choices for mainstream tv, nailing it.