We all said, posted, or thought it to ourselves at some point in Tuesday’s vice presidential debate: Is J.D. Vance wearing a pink tie? An exact answer to that remains a mystery a day later, with The New York Times ’ Styles team writing that Vance’s tie was red—seemingly against what we all witnessed ourselves on TV (there was no audience, after all).
Regardless of the garb’s exact color—hot pink, candy pink, or fuchsia, all of which were among the guesses shared online—there appears to be a consensus among debate watchers that Vance’s tie was distracting at times. Both candidates showed some flair in their ensembles for the vice presidential debate. Derek Guy, known on social media as “The Menswear Guy,” said Tuesday that he agreed with that characterization.
It wasn’t just the color of Vance’s tie that Guy considered a flop, but also the senator’s decision to wear one that was raw silk and textured. That material and color, Guy said, is more appropriate for “summertime garden parties” than it is a debate stage. “The tie says, ‘I’m here to have fun,’” he wrote.
The fashion guru also criticized Tim Walz ’s tie—a simple, unremarkable dark blue one—as being “a little too plain.” Still, in Guy’s eyes, he said Walz’s tie choice won out on the debate stage. Tim Walz certainly played it safe when it came to his debate night ‘fit.
“Vance’s tie was a distraction, while Walz’s tie helped viewers focus on his message,” Guy .