Why do 'hipster' Gen Y 'men' think bowties are cool? (dreadlocks, difference)
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Bowties have nothing to do with the South. Let's not hillbillize them, please
They are one of the finest accessories to come out of the European fashion scene post-renaissance, from the likes of Beau Brummel.
I do hate to break it to you but it is a southern thing, it's all over down here. Granted I don't care for the look, but every redneck east of the Mississippi has em down here and for some reason thinks they are great. They look god awful, shame people can't dress a little more classy here and wear a nice suit and tie, instead they wear nerdy bowties in gay looking colors, pink bowties on men....seriously??. Bows in general should never be on a man, on a women they look nice, but men need to stick with a nice tie.
Now that I know they are popular enough for someone to get mad and start a thread about it on the internet, I think I will start.
Anything anyone under 30 currently does is sure to anger SOMEONE on this forum.
When I moved to NYC I met this guy who makes bespoke bowties. He started the business in Chicago and did so well that he moved out here. He's a mid-late 30s Black guy with dreadlocks and wears the ties himself so it seems this so-called trend is more popular than the OP would like it to be.
1. It should not be in bright colours like pink, white, red or other pastel-lish colours
2. The colour should be extremely muted - dark burgundy, dark blue or magenta
3. Always have to be self-tied
4. No block stripes or plaid designs
5. Only polka dots, little circles, tiny floral patterns, tear drops, paisleys and rib-stripe allowed on the design
6. And absolutely no pocket square stuff at all, this is a huge faux-pas
The general rule is they they should not take the focus off your shirt. People should know that there is a bow tie but the shirt should still stand out and bowtie like an accessory on top. That is how you pull a bowtie off.
Only buy bowties from British/European designers - mine come from Thomas Pink, Turnbull & Asser, mostly, and I also get a few from a dedicated English bowtie maker called Dickie's bowties. Countess Mara makes good bowties too.
1. It should not be in bright colours like pink, white, red or other pastel-lish colours
2. The colour should be extremely muted - dark burgundy, dark blue or magenta
3. Always have to be self-tied
4. No block stripes or plaid designs
5. Only polka dots, little circles, tiny floral patterns, tear drops, paisleys and rib-stripe allowed on the design
6. And absolutely no pocket square stuff at all, this is a huge faux-pas
The general rule is they they should not take the focus off your shirt. People should know that there is a bow tie but the shirt should still stand out and bowtie like an accessory on top. That is how you pull a bowtie off.
Only buy bowties from British/European designers - mine come from Thomas Pink, Turnbull & Asser, mostly, and I also get a few from a dedicated English bowtie maker called Dickie's bowties. Countess Mara makes good bowties too.
Great post. I'm guessing there are many men who will appreciate your bowtie lesson.
1. It should not be in bright colours like pink, white, red or other pastel-lish colours
2. The colour should be extremely muted - dark burgundy, dark blue or magenta
Not true at all regarding colors/patterns for all men. Sometimes a whimsical bow tie adds punch to a summer casual outfit, especially when mixed with a similar color palette, or a plain white shirt. And, you cannot wear dark ties with afternoon suiting in summer, as the season calls for bright colors, though that would not be for business functions, just social or casual. White ties are suitable for evening wear, year round, when the occasion calls for that degree of formality.
The rule with bow ties that I have always followed is that by nature there is a degree of whimsy associated with the tie, so rules do not apply. However, one has to be comfortable not to adhere to conventions in order to use a bow tie in such a manner.
I do agree that the tie needs to be self-tied, unless someone is under the age of five, or they wish to have a certain sartorial reputation as being under the age of five. However, I have seen pre-tied bow ties in London, Harrods comes to mind, so the encroachment of the ready-made bow tie is not exclusive to the United States.
In the South, the bow tie is more aligned with the English custom, hence why it is used to sartorially link with the genteel style of the region. In New England, bow ties are also tied to the English custom, be they preppy or ivy.
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