The politics of the necktie — 'colonial noose', masculine marker or silk status symbol?
- Written by Lorinda Cramer, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Australian Catholic University
Neckties made global news last week when Maori MP, Rawiri Waititi, was ejected from the debating chamber of New Zealand Parliament. He refused to wear a tie, evocatively describing it as a “colonial noose”.
It wasn’t that Mr Waititi eschewed neckwear. Rather, he explained that the traditional hei tiki — the greenstone...





