HomeBy Sara Becker
February 27, 2012
The time for debate has come to a close; the bow tie has arrived, again. Men, this week’s article is dedicated to a fashionable alternative that won’t land in your lunch, can’t be tucked into pants or be turned into a man version of a flapper headband (if this is confusing, see any post-Hora bar mitzvah picture).
Historically, the bow tie has carried connotations of class, intellect, nerdom, black tie affairs and a sense of snobbery towards regular neckties. In the last little while, maybe in an effort to step things up or to alter the bow tie perception, men have been spotted donning bow ties around the globe. The bow tie lends men a sense of mystery and style that seems to imply that a: they are sexy, b: they pay attention to what they are wearing and c: they’ve taken the time to learn how to properly tie their ties, assuming they aren’t wearing a clip on, which I won’t even talk about in this article, they’re embarrassing, just don’t do it, terrible, terrible, terrible…
Where did the bow tie come from? What made men decide that tying their necks up in bow would make them look dapper? It turns out, we have the Croatian mercenaries from the Prussian wars of the 17th century to thank. The Croat mercenaries tied colorful scarves around their necks in battle to signify an officer’s rank and to differentiate the distinguished officers from the enlisted men; they also had the added benefit of holding the openings of their shirts together. The eternally fashionable French, who were fighting alongside the Croats decided to adopt the Croatian invention. They brought the concept back to France, named it the cravat and let it loose on high society.
The idea of wearing a bow tie may make you a little sweaty or feel like you should learn a dozen languages and become a diplomat, but have no fear! There are many kinds of bow ties out there and it turns out they aren’t even that tricky to tie.
Here’s a handy diagram of the ins and outs of this bow tie business.
Also to note, if you don’t want to wear a classic Charvet bow tie, you can opt for something in a more colorful realm such as that of Alexis Mabille. Interestingly, our very own Mr. Sodera is preparing to launch his own line of bow ties. On that front there will be much more coming down the pipeline in the near future.
But whatever you do, remember, you are a man, not a 12 year old boy and diving into the world of clip on bow ties will only bring you pain, misery and embarrassment.
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