Lancaster Mayor Wants To Ban Requirement For Workers To Wear Neckties

LANCASTER (CBSLA) —  Will neckties become verboten in the city of Lancaster?

Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris is expected at this week's council meeting to ask the city attorney to look into the feasibility of forbidding city employers from requiring workers to wear neckties to work.

As part of his proposal, Parris cited a new study that suggests wearing neckties may lower blood flow to the brain, potentially curbing creativity and analytical thinking.

The study published in the journal Neuroradiology argues that restricting circulation by such an amount -- researchers say around 7.5 percent on average -- could be deadly for someone with high blood pressure.

"I spend a lot of hours every week on an elliptical or a bike just to increase blood flow to my brain, and it turns out every morning when I put on a tie I'm diminishing it," he said.

At a minimum, Parris said he wants wants Lancaster employers to make wearing ties to work optional, likening the tie requirement to making women wear high heels to the workplace.

But Parris - who is himself a well-known litigator - said he continues to wear neckties because most courts require such attire in the courtroom.

The mayor has asked the city's Criminal Justice Commission to look into whether such a rule is practical since the proposal would result in infractions being issued to offending employers.

While the necktie originated in 17th century Europe, the tie most commonly known today emerged during the 1920s after a New York clothier named Jessie Langdorf came up with a new method of cutting fabric for the tie, which in turn led to the creation of new tie knot styles.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)