Thread: Bow Ties

Originally Posted by Bruno

I meant fallacy in the way that a tie is only a sign of respect because other people you respect wear a tie. So you wear a tie because they do. Just like people in ancient china blackened their teeth. And I did say that I thought wearing one was good for your career or in dealing with people who wear ties.

All cultures in all times have such things. It's a fallacy to think the the tie itself has an inherent 'respect' property. The tie denotes respect because the majority of the people in our culture have decided that the tie denotes respect. If tomorrow we all decided that respect is shown by other means, then those other means will take the place of the tie.

The fact that I personally don't like wearing ties does not invalidate the observation that ties fullfill the same role as gang colors, uniform badges or other things in which people express themselves.
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I did a bunch of snipping but I agree. The tie itself doesn't show respect. But someone who has take the time and cares to pick out clothing (that society deems) appropriate or slightly nicer than appropriate shows respect in their dress, as a whole.

And the last bit I left in I really like because, for me, a tie (or bow tie, or my earrings, watch, etc) are just a way to express myself.

A search on bow tie and Playboy yields the best instructional video, although it's a little provocative.

I tend to think of a bow tie as being MORE conservative than a neck tie. I don't think that there are any "rules" concerning the level of panache needed to "pull off" the right "look".

Material definitely does have an effect on how the finished bow looks. Thinner materials tend to crease and "flop" easily, and stiffer materials tend to be the easiest to get a uniform, symmetric shape. That being said, more people ask me if it is a real, hand-tied bow tie vs. a clip-on when it's a stiffer fabric. I presume this is because it looks almost TOO perfect, lol. A former co-worker, and fellow bow tie wearer friend of mine always told me that I worked too hard on making my bow ties look too perfect and "stiff" looking. He felt that being a little careless in the tie created a little more je ne sais quoi, and to this day when I tie my bow ties I intentionally refrain from trying to achieve perfection and smile thinking of his comments.

Creating that "right" level of imperfection is certainly easier with a loose, floppy fabric.

My over-all advice....don't over-analyze it...just tie one on and go with it

I agree with what LinacMan says about thinner materials vs stiffer materials. I do think silk bowties are easier to tie than cotton.

I think if you're looking at a shirt that you wouldn't wear a necktie with, you probably wouldn't wear a bowtie with it, either (the exceptions being the pleated shirt worn with a tuxedo or the marcella dress shirt worn with tails). Similarly, a pattern that looks ugly to you as a necktie isn't likely to make a great-looking bowtie. But that's a matter of personal taste.

Thanks for the replies.

I'm thinking of getting one cotton and one silk. That way I can see for myself how I like each fabric. My initial thinking is that I'll choose a cotton one for my winter suits, which are dark and a little rougher looking (wool). I'll choose a silk tie for my summer suits, which are lighter colored and and lighter weight (cotton-linen blend). Am I wrong in thinking that?

Also, from the links in this thread, Beau Ties of Vermont is noticeably more expensive than The Tie Bar, Bows 'n Ties, and Maine Bows. Are their ties that much better quality?