This Monday I did the first of what should be, for a while at least, a regular call-in to WCAP (at 9:10 a.m. on 980 AM) to discuss the issues of the day with Ted Panos. We tackled two: men’s fashion and gay marriage. I never would have imagined that the former would be the more controversial of the two. That’s because, at the instigation of the local newspaper, we’ve entered into a great debate about when and where a man should wear a coat and tie.

It turns out that we are not alone in having such a discussion. A few days ago, the New York Times wrote about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg arriving on Wall Street to promote his company’s imminent public offering, clad in a hooded sweatshirt. According to the article, “His critics saw it as a sign of immaturity and disrespect for those whom he expected to finance his company.” Others contend that “the hoodie signified Silicon Valley ethos: a brash, youthful self-confidence” that also signaled that Zuckerberg really didn’t care all that much about the Wall Street types which, since he controls Facebook, is not an unreasonable position to hold in my opinion.

Certainly one’s choice of clothing can be intended as a statement or message. But the reality is that some days you just don’t feel like wearing a tie. It’s as simple as that.