The necktie remains a staple for men’s clothing for formal events, yet it has remained relatively unchanged. Even with neckties becoming more casual and playful in recent years, the necktie still remains one of the most traditional pieces of clothing. However for those looking to mix it up and try something more unique, then a bow tie could be for you. Perhaps because nobody knows when they should wear one and tying them is a mystery, the bow tie is an underutilized look that could be for you.
There are obviously certain scenarios where a necktie is the standard choice, but there are also certain scenarios where a bow tie might be more traditional. Typically, wearing a suit or a sport coat will be worn with a tie, whereas a bow tie is usually worn with a tuxedo. A general rule of thumb is that a necktie can be substituted for a bow tie, but a bow tie should not usually be substituted for a necktie.
The overwhelming majority of men tend to wear neckties with a suit or a blazer — and who’s to blame them? They’re easy to tie, it’s the classic route and always fashionable. An interesting article attempting to decipher why neckties are much more popular than bow ties believes that part of the aversion to ties is they don’t want to be viewed as pretentious and being different solely for the sake of being different. In an article titled “In Defense of the Bow Tie,” the author states “the bow tie enables a man to distinguish himself as different” but that consistently wearing a bow tie has the potential to “reduce a man to a one-liner or a trope.” There is a way to wear a bow tie without coming off as a preppy snob or a James Bond wannabe, but it requires picking the right type and not overutilizing the look. Also, when you do wear a bow tie, you need to make sure that you can rock the look.
Similar to picking out a necktie, there are a plethora of factors to ensure you pick out the best bow tie that fits your style. With bow ties, you can wear a self tie, pre-tied or clip-on. If you are going to wear a bow tie, Ties.com recommends learning how to tie it to avoid presenting as tacky, and what better way to get advice than directly from the horse’s mouth with the aptly named Ties.com. There are a number of styles ranging from the classic butterfly to the exotic diamond point. The same shirt-tie coordination rules are the same as neckties; you never want to match a pattern with a pattern.
Now that you’ve selected the bow tie, it is time to learn how to tie it. It is probably easier to have you watch a video rather than explain this, so we’ve got a Men’s Fashion video here to help you keep looking sharp.
Picture Credit: Google Creative Commons Licenses
