No tie? No problem. But don't go halfway.

Neck ties can be beautiful. They can also be a nuisance.

Ask a guy behind a desk why he likes the weekend and he will often complain about wearing a tie and rejoice in the liberty of not having to wear one on Saturday.

Despite this feeling, neckties are not going away. They are still an interesting way to accent a suit or sports coat, and for many men the tie is the only part of the dress uniform that expresses their individuality. Dressy ties make a different statement from repp ties. Expensive ties are easy to spot and often speak to the standing of the man who wears one. Fun ties with fish, ducks, whales, sporting dogs or holiday themes have their own place.

These are good times for men who want to leave the tie at home but still wear the suit. In fact, it's perfectly acceptable now for a man -- even in formal business settings -- to wear a suit with a dress shirt and no tie. The same is true for men wearing a sports coat. As long as you keep the coat you may go confidently tieless. It's OK.

The issue comes with men who want to wear a tie halfway. That is -- they put the tie on, but they don't cinch it up. It hangs loosely around their neck as if they either don't know they look sloppy or just forgot to finish getting dressed.

Worse still -- it shows significant disrespect to the people around them. It screams that you just don't care, or that your needs are more important than the expectations of you. It's like not shining your shoes, wearing blue jeans to a black tie, or (heaven forbid) wearing business clothes with stains or holes in them.

So, if you are going to wear the tie, wear it proudly. Make a nice knot with a dimple and snug it up to your collar. If you just can't stand that feeling around your neck, rejoice -- you now have an option. Keep the coat and leave your Father's Day gift in the closet.