Looking dapper and trim in his custom-made Sen Li & Frye suit, James McGregor waxes lyrical on the "good old days" when he started out as a Wall Street Journal reporter. “I could wear blue jeans, sneakers and a sweater when interviewing a provincial party secretary because he would be wearing see-through socks and a padded Mao suit.” And now? “Even the sanlunche drivers are wearing sports coats!” Having been in Beijing for over 20 years, James McGregor is no stranger to the city's changing styles. His fascination with quirky ties began when he started to wear business suits daily—as would be expected being the CEO of Dow Jones China. These distinctively patterned accessories, ranging from brilliantly colored chili peppers to a dizzying repetition of Paul McCartney's mug, are his tie (no pun intended) to his days as a "slovenly journalist." Although he picks up ties from all over the world, he claims that Beijing’s big tourist markets, like Silk Street and Yashow, are some of the better places to score an affordable eye-catching piece. As for his favorite Three Stooges tie? James explains with an impish grin, “I wear it from time to time to remind me of some of my former business partners, and the type of people I want to avoid in the future.” Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.

Name: James McGregor
Nationality: American
Occupation: Author of One Billion Customers: Lessons From the Front Lines of Doing Business in China
Web: www.onebillioncustomers.com

Fashionista: MeiLi Autumn
For more style analysis or fashion insight, visit MeiLi's website, www.MeiLiAutumn.com
Photographer: Tao Zi
Hair and Makeup: MeiLi Autumn