With

[Xinfu]

-Were the people __ the ties in that place?

Do you think with and in are both correct? I think with is wrong, because a person is in a hat, in a cloak, etc. when it comes to talking about clothes.

[Rusty]

Using 'in' certainly conveys the idea that the people are wearing ties instead of having them in their possession, which is what 'with' would usually convey.

However, if the conversation was already dealing with what two different groups of people were wearing, it would be perfectly fine to ask this question using 'with', because 'in' would be the meaning, in this context.

[Xinfu]

Excellent answer. Thank you.