Oconomowoc

I've been buying a bunch of cheap vintage ties via Ebay lately, to feed my tie habit. My current quest is silk paisley ties between 2.75" and 3.25" width. I've had a hard time finding these new, even amongst the narrow ties now available in stores.

One I received yesterday (and am currently wearing) was originally bought at a store called The Country Squire, in a place I'd never heard of, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.

At first, I wondered if the name was a tie-po (gettit?), but then I could tell it was an Indian name, so I was guessing upper New York state, but then I googled it and found the real location.

Then I found this old photo of downtown O, where the Country Squire may have been located, unless it was in a sixties-style suburban shopping development. This was back in the days before everyone bought their clothes at Old Navy, The Gap, and other monolithic national chains. For men's clothes, you'd go to a department store, or a place with a name like The Toggery or Hibberd and Cole.

One of the things that drew me to this particular item was the fact that my name is already on it:

Nifty, huh? (Hand modeling by Beebo)