very fashionable knitted black tie
a Sqn Cdr of mine (early 70s) had a good line in knitted ties which looked vaguely familiar. Turned out he had connections in the Rag trade, and had "obtained" a reel of officers' SD cap ribbon - the woven black hatband stuff.
He would cut off a length and use it as a tie. When quizzed as to its longevity (not much) he's say: "When it wears out, I bit in and cut off another one from the reel."
Another sartorial eccentricity of his was the 3-piece No 1. He always wore a Number 1 when not flying, and in those pre-wooly pully days obviously found the bosses' office a tad draughty for shirtsleeves nad the jacket a bit constricting for desk work. Solution: he had a matching vest/waistcoat made (full length; not like a No 5 one), complete with little brass buttons (probably from No5, never got that close) which he would don in the office having doffed his No1 jacket. Perhaps if VERY cold he could even wear it under the jacket!
And he retired as a 2-star .........
