The bow tie is a men's necktie popularly worn with formal attire, such as suits or dinner jackets. It consists of a ribbon of fabric tied around the collar in a symmetrical manner such that the two opposite ends form loops. Ready-tied bow ties are available, in which the distinctive bow is sewn into shape and the band around the neck incorporates a clip. Some "clip-ons" dispense with the band altogether, instead clipping to the collar. The traditional bow tie, consisting of a strip of cloth one must tie, may be known as a "self-tie" bow tie to distinguish it. Bow ties may be made of silk, polyester, cotton, or a mixture of fabrics. Some fabrics (e.g., wool) are much less common for bow ties than for ordinary neckties.
Origin and History
The bow tie originated among Croatian mercenaries during the Prussian wars of the 17th century: the Croats used a scarf around the neck to hold together the opening of their shirts. This was soon adopted (under the name cravat, derived from the French for "Croat") by the upper classes in France, then a leader in fashion, and flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries. The French novelist Honoré de Balzac even wrote a book on the subject.
It is uncertain whether the cravat then evolved into the bow tie and necktie, or whether the cravat gave rise to the bow tie, which in turn led to the necktie.
Stereotypes of bow tie wearers
Bow ties tend to be associated with particular professions, such as architects, attorneys, university professors, and politicians. Pediatricians frequently wear bow ties. Infants can't grab them, and they don't get in places where they would be soiled.
In American culture, bow ties tend to be associated with either New England idyllic preppy culture or the culture of the white aristocratic South.
Bow ties are commonly seen in popular culture as items of sophistication, such as those stereotypically worn by professors in movies and fictional spy characters such as James Bond. However, they have also been adopted into the "uniform" of clowns and male strippers, and such associations have lent bow ties a less serious image. Therefore, the "bow tie" presents somewhat of an oxymoron or paradox to anyone trying to define a particular style to be attached to the bow tie.
Current
Although the necktie is more prominent in today's society, being seen at business meetings, formal functions, schools, and sometimes even at home, the bow tie is making a comeback with fun-formal events such as dinner, cocktail parties and nights out on the town. Bow ties are still popular with men of all ages in the American South. It is also still much more common to wear a bow tie with a dinner jacket than it is to wear a necktie with one; the latter, in fact, is technically incorrect.
The dress code of "black tie" requires a black bow tie. Most military mess dress incorporates a bow tie.
A pretied bow tie
Shown on the right is one style of "ready tied" bow tie; there is also a clip-on that does not go around the neck but clips to the collar points; these are the simplest type to put on, but are also considered somewhat of a faux pas. If choosing a "self-tie" bow tie, there are usually two shapes available: the "bat wing", which is parallel-sided like a cricket bat, and the "thistle", sometimes known as the "butterfly". An example of each can be seen above also. Which is worn is a matter of personal preference. Some other shapes do exist, for instance with pointed tips at both ends. Both of these are of the double-ended type, with both ends shaped; occasionally one still sees bow ties of the single-ended type, in which only one end flares out to give the batwing or thistle shape, and the other remains thin. To tie one of these requires careful consideration, to ensure the broader end finishes in front of the thinner one.
Designers
Leading designers of bow ties include Carrot & Gibbs, Charvet, Duchamp, Robert Charles and Paul Smith who are renowned for bow ties with interesting and colourful designs. Likewise designers Frederick Theak and CT Shirts are leaders in formal bow ties (black formal and white marcella bow ties). Within the UK, leading retailers of some of the aforementioned designers include Turnbull & Asser, John Lewis Partnership, House of Fraser, and Selfridges. Within the US retailers include the department stores Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, as well as noted specialty shops such as Brooks Brothers. With the growth of the Internet, many specialized bow retailers and mail order companies have appeared online carrying a wide selection previously seen by many traditional retailers as too broad. These include such major sites as 319 Men's "CharlestonBows.Com", R. Hanauer's "Bowties.Com", BeauTies Ltd. of Vermont's "beautiesltd.com", and the popular Ben Silver. Lee Allison, of Chicago, creates bow ties with whimsical motifs, such as foozball men, as well as more traditional patterns.
Bow tie shapes in corporate logos
Some logos for popular product have incorporated bow tie shapes:
Budweiser beer had a bow tie logo in the 20th century that resembled overlapping red triangles.
Chevrolet vehicles[3] have worn the iconic bow tie logo since 1913.
Playboy Enterprises has a rabbit sporting a bow tie for logo.
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