[Hencredible Casanova]

I've really stepped up my wardrobe game over the past couple of years, and the forum has had its part in that. I've found great style insights and resources on here and have also contributed to these discussions in turn.

One area I have yet to explore is the world of bow ties. It's a look that's increasingly more appealing to me. I find them spiffier and more original than just leaving a collar unbuttoned in many cases, but that's subject to individual preference. Also, just as with ties, they can compliment a pocket square very well.

I plan to order a bunch of bow ties online but wanted to see if anyone here has any pointers/insights and suggestions about where I should buy them and what to keep in mind when I do. Thanks in advance.

[Stitch]

1) If you're going to do it, do it right. Learn to tie the thing or don't do it at all. I've had a number of women be (surprisingly, to me) impressed that I tie my own rather than having a clip-on or a pre-tied. Besides which, as the night goes on, if you untie it for late-night drinks you get that much more panache (it could be argued that untying it at all is uncivilized, but from my experience as the night gets late and you sit around with drinks talking shit into the wee hours, the bowtie comes untied and your stock goes up).

2) Make sure you have the face and demeanor for it. Just a little hint toward "baby face" or weakness and a bowtie will make you look either effeminate or comical. That's still workable, but where it seems most successful is with the '50s brat-pack or Bond look: fairly strong (not overly rugged; "ape in a tuxedo" doesn't work that well), masculine, but confident.

Still, in the right environment with the right tux (or even some suits), a self-tied bowtie can be very strong.

Sadly, no suggestions on where to buy, but make sure it's good silk (I like matte, but others may differ) and think a bit beforehand on what you want it to look like. In my opinion a more slimline style (slim batswing, not a big fluffy butterfly but widening more than a straight ribbon) just looks a lot better and less dandyish. Similarly, I personally don't like diamond-pointed ends, but I'm sure opinions vary.

Very environmentally dependent (you CAN show up at a bar in a sportscoat and bowtie, but it's harder to pull off) but in more formal environments, it's a good, classic look.

[WanderingSoul]

Check out this site: http://mensstylepro.com/

He seems to wear them quite a bit.

[Hencredible Casanova]

(08-22-2012 10:54 PM)Stitch Wrote:  

1) If you're going to do it, do it right. Learn to tie the thing or don't do it at all. I've had a number of women be (surprisingly, to me) impressed that I tie my own rather than having a clip-on or a pre-tied. Besides which, as the night goes on, if you untie it for late-night drinks you get that much more panache (it could be argued that untying it at all is uncivilized, but from my experience as the night gets late and you sit around with drinks talking shit into the wee hours, the bowtie comes untied and your stock goes up).

2) Make sure you have the face and demeanor for it. Just a little hint toward "baby face" or weakness and a bowtie will make you look either effeminate or comical. That's still workable, but where it seems most successful is with the '50s brat-pack or Bond look: fairly strong (not overly rugged; "ape in a tuxedo" doesn't work that well), masculine, but confident.

Still, in the right environment with the right tux (or even some suits), a self-tied bowtie can be very strong.

Sadly, no suggestions on where to buy, but make sure it's good silk (I like matte, but others may differ) and think a bit beforehand on what you want it to look like. In my opinion a more slimline style (slim batswing, not a big fluffy butterfly but widening more than a straight ribbon) just looks a lot better and less dandyish. Similarly, I personally don't like diamond-pointed ends, but I'm sure opinions vary.

Very environmentally dependent (you CAN show up at a bar in a sportscoat and bowtie, but it's harder to pull off) but in more formal environments, it's a good, classic look.

What's a good price range for a respectable bow tie?

[DVY]

nordstrom rack...they run about 20-30 dollars.

[Hencredible Casanova]

Cool. Doing some shopping this evening so I will be sure to pick up a few bow ties.

Thanks.

[hoops330]

Fine line in this one between style and being a douche bag..if you can pull it off without looking like you tried too hard then go for it.

[Khaleth]

I never trust a man that chooses to accentuate his ears over his dick... I'll stick to the tie.

[Basil Ransom]

I remember seeing some decent Countess Mara ties at Nordstrom Rack.

Occasionally a bow tie will look good, but rarely does it look sexy, outside of a formal ensemble (black or white tie). It can look smart, but... so do sweaters. I prefer to look 'sexy' or 'edgy.'

IMO, it'd be easier to look cool in a neckerchief or ascot, if you want to mix things up:

24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrcfx4hJcy1r2mxyyo1_400.jpg

static.getkempt.com/photos/assets/ascot_crop.jpg

Because these are so unconventional, I'd wear them in a muted way. I actually really want to try wearing a neckerchief. It also helps to have some muscle, specifically in the chest, shoulder, neck area - a masculine body offset by somewhat feminine accessories makes for an intriguing appearance.

[Screwston]

Anyone have pictures of guys that look good with them? Everyone I've ever seen wearing one looks like a goofball.

[Stitch]

I'd go with basilransom's quote:

Quote:

rarely does it look sexy, outside of a formal ensemble... it can look smart, but... I prefer to look 'sexy' or 'edgy.'

The bow tie is so incongruous these days that you almost have to be evoking something else with it, and with the formality and a sexy/edgy vibe, that something is likely to be Bond, who could pull it off--and if you're going sexy/edgy, Daniel Craig did this pretty well...

      

particularly with the tie undone (and I personally think this does the "edgy but civilized" thing even better than a loose necktie). Beckham gets away with something similar below, but that works because of his athleticism and stubble.

   

Otherwise, with the formality and bowtie you're trying to evoke class and perhaps nostalgia, and that's where I think Connery's bond really lived.

   

Also note Clooney vs Grant. Not so much "sexy/edgy", but "elegant with a dash", and some women very much go for that.

      

Now, you may well consider that many if not most of the above look "like goofballs", but the real judge is experience. I will say that at formal events not only is the bowtie appropriate if not mandatory, both there and at semiformal events when you can be a bit classier than other guys it does get noticed (and the rare-in-America ability to tie it yourself actually does get commented on by women, in my experience).

Is it going to seriously help you slay? Probably not. But it's another tool in the arsenal.

[Basil Ransom]

Stitch, those are nice ensembles, but I specifically excepted *black tie* bowties from my point. Black tie formal bowties can look sexy and masculine. Standard bow ties, not so much.

As for neckties, the pattern matters too. Personally, the patterns I find most stunning and sexy are pin dot and madder paisley. Eg, http://www.ralphlauren.com/graphics/prod...60x480.jpg
http://www.mrporter.com/images/products/...p_bk_l.jpg

Stripes are a little too business-ish, IMO. There are nice geometric patterns, but there's something just so fine about a well done pin dot pattern.

[Stitch]

Quote:

I specifically excepted *black tie* bowties from my point.

Dang, missed that. I'd agree; it's much harder outside the formal setting. Much harder. I did get good comments with an olive bowtie in an olive suit, non black-tie and semiformal, but that was also with a very dark green hat and the whole ensemble looked vaguely 1940s-ish: again, evoking a particular nostalgic "gentlemanly" look rather than a modern "edgy" one. Works better if you're an old bastard like me (40s). Otherwise I use them for black-tie looks (even if slightly overdressed for an occasion).

In bright colors or informal circumstances... some can pull off a look containing a bowtie (some hip-hop folks come to mind) but I wouldn't necessarily call it a "sexy" or "edgy" look.

[Basil Ransom]

To put it differently, ask yourself, what adjectives come to mind when considering your ensemble?

The adjectives you want: stunning, striking, sexy, edgy, arresting, bold, devilish, rakish, jaunty, ballsy, cocky, enigmatic, exotic, stylish. It should generate more questions than answers. Genteel doesn't cut it.

A lot of style advice is from limp men who don't lift, and are deathly afraid of dominating a woman. Don't expect these men to tell you how to dress like a raging womanizer.

Also, American girls don't reward you much for dressing formally. I get more mileage out of a sweet leather jacket than I do of my more formal clothes. For a similar impact, I'd have to look like I walked off the set of Gossip Girl.

[Stitch]

Quote:

Genteel doesn't cut it... American girls don't reward you much for dressing formally.

It's all contextual. Standing out and looking sharp, even formally, does work, in the right contexts (after all, we have whole threads about the charms of a good suit). I've been to several events where I received a lot of female attention, compliments, and conversations entirely because I was dressed more formally, just a little above what the other men were, and (critical) was comfortable doing so; my ability to do so with confidence might not have covered "sexy/edgy", but it did edge into arresting/bold/jaunty just fine: partially the clothes, partially because I was extremely comfortable in them (Hardy Amies: "A man should look as if he bought his clothes with intelligence; put them on with care; and then forgotten about them").

All just tools, useful as the occasion demands.

[All or Nothing]

(08-24-2012 02:04 AM)basilransom Wrote:  

The adjectives you want: stunning, striking, sexy, edgy, arresting, bold, devilish, rakish, jaunty, ballsy, cocky, enigmatic, exotic, stylish. It should generate more questions than answers. Genteel doesn't cut it.

Since I use GQ/Styleforums for pretty much all of my style advice, I did of quick search of "GQ bow ties". A few nice article came up about bowties, but here's the one that struck me: http://www.gq.com/style/style-guy/access.../bow-ties. I'll have to say is Glenn O'Brien is right, bow ties were and still are stylish. Shit, Frank Sinatra used to rock 'em. I wonder how many of those adjectives he fits (read: all of them).



A couple more:
http://www.corbisimages.com/images/Corbi...8f5a86c0d9
http://mariehegler.files.wordpress.com/2...inatra.jpg

I think with bow ties, is that they are harder to pull off. For one, I feel that a nice slim tie can make you look good, but for a bow tie, YOU have to make it look good. You gotta bring a level of swagger and confidence to the table when wearing a bow tie, and your look has to bring it too.

Since my level of experience with wearing bow ties is zero, here's a link to a lookbook for bow ties: http://lookbook.nu/looks?q=bowtie#!gender/guys. I'm sure looking at the many different ways a bow tie can be worn will help you find the kind of way you want to wear it.

In terms of buying bow ties and the best deals, I don't really know where to look. I know http://www.thetiebar.com/ has tons of options for relatively inexpensive bow ties, and plenty of stylish options to choose from.

[Stitch]

And actually, on a non-bowtie line:

Quote:

The adjectives you want: stunning, striking, sexy, edgy, arresting, bold, devilish, rakish, jaunty, ballsy, cocky, enigmatic, exotic, stylish.

Certainly right in many contexts. But if you do an image search for George Clooney -- hey, he may not be your style but being voted "sexiest man alive" twice has to count for something, and women can not stop talking about the guy -- at least on the first page of images he seems to either be wearing a tux, a well-cut but not overly aggressive or arresting suit, a good sportscoat and an open collared shirt, or something even more plain. Nice, quality, but not in-your-face striking.

Now, in a dark nightclub, where visuals are damped, maybe striking is more necessary. But genteel can still work.

[MrXY]

I like bow ties, so it is with regret that I say that ,after experimenting with them occasionally over the years, they are much more likely to hurt your attractiveness to women that help it.(bow tie with tuxedo or white dinner jacket excepted).

Bow ties create a huge risk that you are going to come off as either a fastidious, annoying prick or weak or goofy or effeminate or boringly genteel. I might still wear one to a summer garden party but that would be about it.

Quote:

osted by basilransom - Yesterday 04:04 AM
To put it differently, ask yourself, what adjectives come to mind when considering your ensemble?

The adjectives you want: stunning, striking, sexy, edgy, arresting, bold, devilish, rakish, jaunty, ballsy, cocky, enigmatic, exotic, stylish. It should generate more questions than answers. Genteel doesn't cut it.

I 100% agree with this. I have built my wardrobe around the concept of looking dashing and sexy and just different enough to be mysterious.

I want women to look at me and think "Who is that guy?" And I have plenty of proof from experience that it works.

[Basil Ransom]

(08-24-2012 05:29 PM)Stitch Wrote:  

And actually, on a non-bowtie line:

Quote:

The adjectives you want: stunning, striking, sexy, edgy, arresting, bold, devilish, rakish, jaunty, ballsy, cocky, enigmatic, exotic, stylish.

Certainly right in many contexts. But if you do an image search for George Clooney -- hey, he may not be your style but being voted "sexiest man alive" twice has to count for something, and women can not stop talking about the guy -- at least on the first page of images he seems to either be wearing a tux, a well-cut but not overly aggressive or arresting suit, a good sportscoat and an open collared shirt, or something even more plain. Nice, quality, but not in-your-face striking.

Now, in a dark nightclub, where visuals are damped, maybe striking is more necessary. But genteel can still work.

I'm only going to disagree 100% on this. George Clooney is also possibly the most desired man on Earth. He could wear a tutu and girls would line up to bang him. It's like when some actor lifts and has an okay physique, and the tabloids rave about his hottt abs. Yet the tabloids would never cover a no name male fitness model with a godlike physique. When you're famous like him, moderately good style is blown out of proportion.

Oh and no, Sinatra doesn't look great there. If it wasn't Sinatra, it would not be remarkable. True style can stand on its own.

Another thing: flip on the TV, and look at what people are wearing. Now look at their character, the role they are playing. You'll soon see that Hollywood uses clothes to very quickly convey the personality of the cast. There just isn't the time for sophisticated drawn out character development. So sartorial stereotyping is the rule. This carries over into reality - if you have something that loser TV characters wear, guess what people will think when you wear it?

There are exceptions, but if you knew how to do it right, you wouldn't need me to tell you it was possible.

[Screwston]

What type of clothes are y'all wearing with the bowties?

[polymath]

Dude....Kanye's kind of a dick, but he always looks good. Same goes for PeeWee.

[Hencredible Casanova]

Bought a few bowties this weekend. I factored style into my decision as I'm not seeking to portray myself as a genteel individual. I've already worn one out and I made sure to contrast it with the rest of my wardrobe so that it draws attention and portrays originality.

These are some cool images of bow ties being rocked fashionably:

[Zeus]

I have 2 bowties on rotation. It took me 2 hrs to learn how to tie them from you tube. Now they take me no longer than a regular tie.

They are definitely a show stopper and if you don't want it to look dweeby, you need tight style. Otherwise you're not going to rock it. Also, you need to be in the mood for it.

It is a great conversation piece. Countless babes want to touch it. I grab their hand and don't let them.

1 thing, real bowties are supposed to look messy. Don't bust an o ring trying to make it perfect. Make it like you just quickly tied it.

Have fun with it.

[Mr. Cameltoe]

A bow tie is one of the more stylish forms of peacocking, but you have to be really carful about how and when you wear it. Black tie events aside, they should be worn on semi-formal events like birthdays, housewarmings or visits to the theatre, if one is into that kind of entertainment. It's perfectly possible to rock a tasteful combination of sharp clothes garnished with a bow tie in a club, but it would certainly depend on the specific location. In a larger city with high-end clubs? Sure, I might even add suspenders, colored socks and leave the blazer at home. But in a more rural or small-town environment? No way.

This is the outfit I was recently wearing for a birthday party with the dresscode "Dress to impress!" in a public location:



I knew it was a younger crowd on a friday evening and a tuxedo would have been out of place so I opted for a navy blazer, a patterned shirt with matching pocket square, cufflinks and jeans. I ended up being the only guy with a bow tie apart from the host, who also combined it with jeans. Surely I got a lot of attention, but none of it was negative since my outfit still fitted my surroundings and wasn't completely out of place like a full-blown tuxedo.

Oh, and don't even think about buying those ghastly ready tied ones. It really impresses girls if you loosen your bow tie later into the evening and they are all like "Wow, you tied it yourself!".

[MrXY]

(08-26-2012 03:23 AM)Zeus Wrote:  

I have 2 bowties on rotation. It took me 2 hrs to learn how to tie them from you tube. Now they take me no longer than a regular tie.

They are definitely a show stopper and if you don't want it to look dweeby, you need tight style. Otherwise you're not going to rock it. Also, you need to be in the mood for it.

It is a great conversation piece. Countless babes want to touch it. I grab their hand and don't let them.

1 thing, real bowties are supposed to look messy. Don't bust an o ring trying to make it perfect. Make it like you just quickly tied it.

Have fun with it.

Don't know which youtube video you watched, but the one done by the guys in the clothing store in Charleston is the best tutorial on how to tie a bow tie I've ever seen.

I had forgotten about women wanting to touch it but you're right. And right to not let them.

Cameltoe- the bowtie with blazer and jeans is an excellent way to wear it-you look good ( no homo). One slight criticism though- it's better if your pocket square doesn't match your shirt exactly-that can look too careful and fastidious.(especially with a bow tie) The pocket square should either have a prominent color that is complementary to the shirt or tie color (see an artists color chart) or include a color that is the shirt or tie color. If you want to be bolder, you can even mix patterns-maybe a paisley pocket square with a striped shirt and a solid tie. This takes some experimentation but looks great when you can pull it off; I think with bowties it's better to be edgier than too conservative. I have some time today, maybe i'll put up some demonstration pics on this thread.

You guys are talking me into trying bowties again; although as Cameltoe says I agree they are best at semi-formalish events