Tie Pin A Masterpiece

Perhaps it would be considered the Golden Age of the Gaberdine. Polyester's prime time and the age of the precarious ascot. One thing for certain, televisual detective fashion of the seventies was more brazen than Iain Paisley in a whispering contest. Each of these hard-boiled hawkshaws at any given moment, could be clad in plaid, or be elbow-patched to the shoulder, as could be seen on certain occasions by the ever evolving Joe Mannix jacket, which from Mannix season to season, would offer varying degrees of patch dimensions. Who needed bullet proof vests with that level of armor? 

Some of these snazzy sleuths would prefer to be more conventionally suited and booted, Frank William Conrad Cannon, certainly had a predilection for pricey duds and it would not be uncommon for him to sport such sportswear, and we know there were two things Frank would always splurge on - clothes and cheesecake and sometimes not in that particular order. Mr Cannon was a considerably more careful dresser and probably should have been taken along on clothes shopping expeditions for one such person who was a little less tasteful in the togs department - Thomas Banacek ( George Peppard).

                         Now I want the truth, does this suit match the curtains okay?

Although, must admit, Mr Banacek, (It's Ban-a-check, not Ban-a-sek) despite his lifelong allegiance to the polyester fiber, did manage to get away with these such wardrobe feats, and looking back, it would never be quite the same, if he did happen to boast more fashion sense. The Slavic snoop could very well be forgiven and excused for these misdemeanors in style, had he not decided in season two, to come up with this particular get-up :

                   And it took me 3 hours to learn how to tie this thing.



And I know it's really important to look your absolute best when going 400 miles per hour in your Coppermine Gold 1975 Pontiac Firebird Esprit, and that is why Jim Rockford (James Garner), the setter of trends he was, decided that brash is more - and he did more for the checkered jacket than Smith and Wesson did for the gun. Mr Rockford indeed would make many fine contributions to haphazard haberdashery.

          And my suit matching my deck of playing cards.


And just like you will remember his dusty but delightful '59 Peugeot 403 convertible, you will never forget his real calling card, that very amazing technicolor trench-coat that Lieutenant Columbo would never be seen without. And with a pair of sensible shoes to match, but one more thing - Peter Falk actually provided his own wardrobe and hats off with a big spoonful of credit for the iconic masterpiece. After all, he did mention in the Etude in Black (aired September 17, 1972) episode that he was only garnering twelve-thousand a year for his esteemed position as a lieutenant, which would make him just the veritable authority on how to get more bang for buck. There was no two ways about it - the man was a magician - only he, and he alone could ever turn frump into fabulous!

             Now this is some serious Falkin' fashion


And it's true what they say - clothes really do make the (G) Man.