Flippin' Our Shades: Ryan and Jon From Tie Or Die

If we could reach through our computer monitor and pinch these guys' cheeks, we totally would. How can you not fall for this charming duo? Philly ad men by trade, they post their work outfits up on TieOrDie.com, where readers vote on who wore the best outfit that day. It's a friendly, stylish competition, like a duel at a tea party. Here are the rules, according to their site:

• A tie must be worn every work day in the month of October
• The same tie cannot be worn more than once
• Contestant must wear a shirt with some sort of collar (can't pair a t–shirt and a tie, etc.)
• Ties cannot be removed during the work day, regardless of work activities (e.g., ping pong, rough day, jazzercise)

The loser is the first person to break any of the above rules or whomever receives the lower number of total votes in the month–long "who wore it best?" competition. The winner is the other guy.

Well, if you ask us, both of these guys are winners in our books. We dig how they are kickin' up their work wardrobe a few notches for our benefit. So, I asked these Tie Or Die-ers, Ryan Brown and Jon Fruman, some questions about being a Philly guy with a tie on. Pull up a chair.

SK: How did you come up with the idea of TieOrDie.com?
[This exchange is taken directly from Facebook:]

Ryan Brown: Tomorrow is October 1st. I will wear a tie to work every day this month, and not just that--but a different tie every day. This is because I have all of these great ties that rarely see the light of day.
September 30 at 3:34pm

Jon Fruman: I'll take that bet. I get to kick you in the pants every day you don't wear a tie!
September 30 at 3:44pm

And then a coworker from our agency misunderstood the exchange and thought that Jon was going to go through with it as well. (He doesn’t really back down from challenges.) We both wore a tie on Thursday, October 1st, and by Friday we had a Web site with pictures and all.

SK: What do you like most about Philly girls?
Ryan: I think they’re typically rather independent, aren’t they? I like a girl that seems like she can handle anything and would be comfortable in a variety of environments.

Jon: I can’t say for sure there are one or two things I like, so perhaps I like the diversity Philly has to offer.

SK: What's your idea of a perfect Philly date?
Ryan: One where you keep finding things to do throughout the evening because you don’t want the night to end: Find the best burger in the city, go see a concert, get drinks at your favorite bar, go for a walk, see how that goes. Maybe an open-mouth kiss or something. I dunno.

Jon: Coffee, sneakers, watches, tequila, Wii, and High Life (the order it happens in is irrelevant).

SK: What do most guys do wrong?
Ryan and Jon: refrain from launching microsites of them shamelessly looking their best for all the girlies to see?

SK: Tell us a secret!
Ryan: a sexy secret? Um. I lost my virginity in a foreign country. Don’t tell.

Jon: I’m a huge fan of R. Kelly, specifically Trapped in the Closet. I frequently think about producing, directing, and starring in the first Broadway adaptation. I’d play Tron.

SK: Where's the most romantic place in philly?
Ryan: A corner booth in a cozy down-home bar (Good Dog, etc.) at 1am during winter when it’s snowing on a weekday. Or the Ben Franklin Bridge walkway during summer at sundown, but I’ve only been there by myself.

Jon: There are a couple rad places in the city and they all depend on a specific time of the year. I’ve always been keen on our skyline and the best place to see it from is Belmont Plateau in Fairmount.

SK: What would you put on a mix tape for a girl that you liked?
Ryan: MSTRKRFT’s “Heartbreaker” featuring John Legend. The video for that song makes me want to get my crush on faster than you can say, “Mstrkrft.”

Jon: “So Much” by Spill Canvas.

SK: Are either of you single?
Ryan: Yes. But. I’m two or three dates in with a lass that I’m excited to be hanging out with, so I need to be careful what I say here!

Jon: Yes, but similar to Sir Brown, things are on the up and up.

We probably should've asked more hard-hitting questions about health care reform or their position on third world debt forgiveness. We threw them some softballs, admittedly. What can we say? We spent the whole time daydreaming about taking one of them home to meet our Mom. High Life, sneakers and Wiis? Have they been reading our diary? What are you doing still reading this? Go vote on who wore the best outfit at TieOrDie.com!