To tie or not to tie?

An article on the Times website had me both irritated and curious. The gist of the article is that, contrary to a earlier article, ties are actually 'out' and apprently not advisable in this climate of economic crisis. The main basis of this argument? That several authors at The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival were seen sporting open collared shirts.

Robert Kennedy - wondering whether to do up that tie?

I can't really put my finger on why this article riled me so much. I think part of it is that is seems supremely fickle. Yes, fashion IS fickle, but for me, the way men dress- wearing ties or not, wearing jeans or trousers, this colour or that- is not so much about fashion or about fads, it is more about personal style. One of the main reasons that I was drawn enough to men's style to want to write about it was because it seemed that bit less fickle than women's. That is not to say that men are not interested in fads or trends obviously (I'm not blind to the number of stylish men I've noticed turning up their trousers a bit shorter of late... I'm looking at you, Steve) but I've always hoped that men who wore ties (or who didn't wear ties) really wouldn't be bothered by whether or not someone else was or wasn't wearing them (or whether the economic climate demanded it!)

So here's my question to you, dear readers. How much DO you feel you're influenced by such things? Do catwalks, celebrities or magazine articles have much of an affect when you're planning your outfits for the day/month/season? Or is it something else, and if so, what?

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This has nothing really to do with any of the above, but doesn't this chap over on Brandish look like he's channelling Ian Curtis of Joy Division to a ridiculous degree in this picture?