Final. Finally.

For my final tie several alterations were made, obviously most aimed at bringing the presentation quality up. However some of the functional changes included adding two metal strips from surgical masks to the bottom of the tie. This allows the mask to utilize its natural shape more and create a lock-tight fit to the users face.

Another change was the elastic. These pieces were too bulky in the original and actually sat uncomfortably behind the ear. The new elastic is round and softer and thinner. This also allows the elastic to be concealed within the tie easier than before.

The third major change was for bulk reasons. Extending the filter fabric to cover the entire back of the tie made the knot unusually large and at times uncomfortable to wear around the neck. Since the tail of the tie holds no purpose in filtration I changed the backing to a lightweight and thin cotton black fabric. Now the tail has less body and becomes more ergonomic when worn around the neck.

As for aesthetic looks the zipper is now actually sewn into the inseam instead of glued under the fabric. The elastic strips have been carefully sewn into the filter fabric and even drawn through corresponding holes on the mesh to alleviate any stitching being evident on the outside of the tie. The tie is still hand stitched on the back of the tie so it seems as if there are no stitches existing.

In real world application there would be some sort of adhesive used that could easily release when pulled on to hold the elastic pieces in the body of the tie. But for the fact that its functionality will be heavily demonstrated I have decided to leave them loose and just use the tie itself to hold them inside.

I chose the color of the tie because red is a business staple for ties and it is also a striking and bold color for fashion appeal. Below are some pictures and descriptions of the finished piece.

The finished Plague tie Facing front

Finished Plague Tie facing back (elastic strips are barely visible, 4 white dots. Notice the zipper)

A close up of the tie unzipped and the elastic drawn out.

A view of the tie in action on me, notice the form fit across the nose and cheekbones. The zipper closes the gap across the bottom of my chin

The tie opened after being taken off my face. Notice the metal strips still held in position causing the bump at the tip of the tie.