Bow Ties are Cool Again

We can all remember the one male teacher in High School who wore a bow tie. Often this teacher was aged, sometimes portly, wore tweed suit jackets and had either an ‘air’ of arrogance surrounding him or was the amiable ‘absent minded professor’. But this image is changing! Bow ties are back in style with the younger set thanks largely to the wardrobe of the Eleventh Dr. Who played by Matt Smith and to the tendency toward ‘retro’.

The bow tie can be dated back to the 17th century when mercenaries from Croat used scarves to hold their shirts closed at the top. Cravats and bow ties seemed to appear at approximately the same time and neckties evolved later. The bow tie became associated with certain types of careers such as professors, attorneys, musicians and waiters. In addition, it became a clothing accessory some wore only during very formal occasions with a tuxedo. It seems, however, that bow ties are coming back as more mainstream apparel.

Bow Tie Preferences

One can wear various types of bow ties. Bow ties can be made of silk, cotton, polyester, or combination fabrics, although heavier fabrics such as wool are not common. For those who do not know how to tie a bow tie, one can choose a ‘ready-tied’ tie. For those who are more knowledgeable, one can choose a ‘self-tie’ bow tie. There are different styles of bow ties, although it is usually not considered correct to wear a ready-tied to a formal event. Shapes of bow ties are personal preferences. One can choose a butterfly shaped bow tie or a bat wing shaped bow tie (parallel sides on the bow). Another type is a tie with pointed tips at both ends.

How to Tie a Bow Tie

From the point of view of the person wearing the bow tie:
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·        Put the strand of material around the back of your neck, allowing the right side to be 1-1.5 inches longer than the left side.

·        Cross the long side over the short side near your neck, but still with room to work in the loop.

·        Push the long end up through the loop and tighten a bit, if needed.

·        Pull the short end to the left, fold it back over itself to the right and hold it. This will be the front loop of the bow.

·        Put the ‘long end’ that you pushed up through the loop down over the front of the bow that you are holding.

·        Pinch the horizontally folded bow together in front of the hanging end. (The top of the dangling end is between the pinched folds)

·        Push the middle of the dangling end through the initial knot made in the beginning. This is the back part of the bow.

·        Tighten: Pull opposite sides and halves at the same time. Front left, back right = tightens if pulled. Front right, left back = loosens if pulled.

·        Refine the tightness and shape of the bow.