Wearing a bow tie is a statement. Almost an act of defiance.
There are particular occasions when men wear bow tie, like the Oscars for instance. Some people just prefer the bow tie for their own reasons. All these aspects fit in a reigning bow tie tradition that has been with us since the 18th century.
Wearing a bow tie is a peculiar tradition as it is awe inspiring. For one, when a man is attending a ball or an award’s ceremony, two most prized bow tie occasions, bow tie for men is mandatory. The three most distinguished wearers of the bow tie in living memory might as well be Robin Day, Sir Donald Tsang and Prof. Heinz Wolff. And although Robin Day died and the professor stopped appearing on TV, there are still some ardent personalities wear bow tie and who would seem odd with anything else, such as the Chinese political leader, Sir Donald Tsang. It has been argued that surgeons and snooker payers for instance, wear bow tie all the year around, for it does not get in the way as they work.
Brad Pitt sexy in bow tie
Bow ties can be made from any fabric, though most are usually made from silk, cotton, polyester or a cocktail of fabrics. The 1980s were the greatest days of the bow tie, polka-dotted and made of silk. The origins of the bow tie are usually traced to Croatian mercenaries who fought during most Prussian wars of the 17th Century. They tied a scarf to hold together the neck openings of their woolen shirts. The trend soon found its way to the fashion centers of the French upper classes. The bow tie especially flourished during the 18th and 19th century fashion trends, with the acclaimed French novelist, Honore de Balzac, even writing a full-length book on bow ties. Neck ties are a continued evolution of the bow tie, which itself evolved from the Croat’s neck scarf.
But why wearing a bow tie and not a neck tie? One advantage of wearing a bow tie is that during the bow tie occasions, men are made uniform and less egocentric in their dressing sense. It gives an event a sombre mood of formality that no other item of clothing can, since once you wear bow tie, the next item will be a plain shirt and then a formal jacket. Remove this requirement and the occasion will look like a rainbow, as open necked shirts of every color distinctly mark out the attendees. Waiters, bouncers, accountants, executives, bankers, lawyers, and all other classes of men are harmonized under one dress code by the bow tie.
Besides that, women in most cases find the bow ties for men sexy, an interesting proposition, but very practical. The bow tie is marked by an element of mystery, since a woman cannot tell straight out whom the wearer is, which class he belongs to, unless such nuances forthcome from other personality traits. That in itself becomes attractive to women for they have to judge a man not by what he wears during bow tie occasions.
There are two ways of tying a bow tie. The silk bow ties can be tied with thistle ends turning left or bat wing ends turning right. A bow tie has its left end having a fixed length, while the end to the right has an adjustable length.
Obama bow tie
Churchill bow tie
At the very basic, bow ties are men’s neckties that are popularly worn to complement formal attire like suits and dinner jackets. The bow tie is simply a 14-20 inch fabric ribbon that’s tied around a collar to fit in a symmetrical manner so that a loop is made by the two opposite ends. A traditional bow tie had just a strip of cloth that was tied by hand. These were known as tie-to-tie, self-tie, or free-style bow ties. Designer, ready-tied versions are today available, with a distinctive one-size-fits-all bow already sewn into the ideal shape and then a clipped elastic band provided to hang around the neck.
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in bow ties
Socially, personalities wearing a bow tie hint at die-hard intellectualism, eccentricity, formal decorum, technical acumen and conservative ideology. That is why doctors, lawyers, professors, and the people intent on creating such impressions will wear the bow tie relentlessly. Indeed, bow ties have come to be solely associated with certain professions like architects, politicians, Hollywood actors, attorneys and university professors. Surgeons with operating schedules and pediatricians respectably attribute the suitability of wearing a bow tie to their work, since traditional ties would either swing to block their view or be grabbed by infants.
Modern bow ties are not just the black silky knots you see. They come in designer brands and style. Some of the most popular designer bow ties include the St. Vincent bow ties which tend to celebrate individuality, humor, creativity and artistry. These bow ties are either inspired or contemporary, with assorted silk designs. But the most renown, and prestigious brands of formal designer bow ties are two; those by Josh Bach and by East West Classics. The two brands are exotic and artistically inspired, with examples of classic designer bow ties incorporating Chinese and American art.
Another popular brand for designer bow ties is the Amy Lyon collection, featuring creative artworks and inspiration in stylish designer bow ties. The J. Audrey neckwear designs are an exemplification of the trendy, the chic, the sophisticated, the elegant, the unique and the class style. Others include M.C. Escher exotic bow ties, Scott Franson patterned designer bow ties, Zosha Livingstone – Peters colorfully stunning bow ties, Nick Hotchkiss, among others.
When a man decides to wear bow tie in modern times, it elicits mixed reactions, although there has been a noted come back of the trend. The bow tie tradition, as the embodiment of propriety, intellectualism and formal conservatism, is regaining its place on men’s fashion consciousness.
White Bow Tie
This Umo Lorenzo 100% silk handmade bow tie with elegant motif is perfect for formal bow tie occasions. For cool men…