Winston Churchill wearing a bow tie

One of two ways to tie a bow tie

Silk bow ties with "thistle" (left) and "bat wing" (right) ends

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. PD image from http://www. ... PD image from http://www. ... Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can) (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. ... Download high resolution version (800x782, 95 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (800x782, 95 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (800x782, 71 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1536x2048, 748 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bow tie Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1536x2048, 748 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bow tie Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Look up bowtie in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For the grappling position, see double collar tie. ... Formal wear (more often in the United States) or formal dress (in the United Kingdom) is a general term used to describe mens clothing suitable for formal events, including weddings, debutante balls, etc. ... Suits from the 1937 Chicago Woolen Mills catalog A suit, with varieties such as a business suit, three-piece suit, lounge suit or two-piece suit , comprises a collection of matching clothing consisting of: a coat (commonly known as a jacket) a waistcoat (optional) (USA vest) — without this it is... Black tie, known in the United Kingdom (and also in the north-eastern United States, and Canada) as a dinner jacket and in the United States generally as a tuxedo, is a dress code for formal evening events that are not formal enough to require white tie. ... William Shakespeare in a sheer linen collar of the early 17th century, a direct ancestor of the modern shirt collar. ... Sphere symmetry group o. ... Silk dresses Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. ... SEM picture of a bend in a high surface area polyester fiber with a seven-lobed cross section Polyester is a category of polymers, or, more specifically condensation polymers, which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. ... Cotton ready for harvest. ... Long and short hair wool at the South Central Family Farm Research Center in Boonesville, Arizona Wool is the fiber derived from the fur of animals and people of the Caprinae family, principally sheep, but the hair of certain species of other mammals such as goats and rabbits and oxes...

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 method was soon adopted (under the name Cravat, a name perhaps derived from the word Croat) by the upper classes in France (then a leading country in the field of fashion) and flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries. The famous French writer Honoré de Balzac even wrote a book on the subject. Mercenary (disambiguation). ... A scarf is a piece of fabric worn on or near the head or around the neck for warmth, cleanliness, fashion or for religious reasons. ... Business shirt A shirt is a piece of clothing for the trunk of the body. ... Modern neckties, shown here tied as if they were on a person, may be found in a plethora of colours and designs. ... Croats (Croatian: Hrvati) are a south Slavic people mostly living in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (where theyre one of the constitutive nations). ... Fashion illustration by George Barbier of a gown by Jeanne Paquin, 1912, from La Gazette du bon ton, the most influential fashion magazine of its era. ... “Balzac” redirects here. ...

It is uncertain if the cravat then developed into the bowtie and necktie, or if the cravat gave rise to the bow tie, which in turn lead to the necktie.

Stereotypes of bowtie wearers

Main article: list of bow tie wearers

Architects are said to wear bow ties frequently, but the evidence for this is thin and based more on certain individuals than on the profession as a whole. It has been suggested that one possible reason involves routinely standing over drafting boards, and the necessity of keeping dangling clothing away from blueprints. Nonetheless, the concept may be a meme rather than a substantiated fact. Doctors may also be seen as wearing bowties. This would stem from the need to avoid having a tie dangle on a patient. Southerners from the United States are often depicted as wearing bowties. For other uses, see Bow tie (disambiguation) A list of bow tie wearers (people, things, fictional characters known for constantly choosing to wear bow ties rather than regular ties): Abraham Lincoln Andrew Johnson Ulysses Grant Rutherford Hayes James Garfield Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison William McKinley A Fred Allen B Raj... An architect at his drawing board, 1893 An architect is a person who is involved in the planning, designing and oversight of a buildings construction. ... It has been suggested that Memetics be merged into this article or section. ...

Bow ties are commonly seen in popular culture as items of sophistication, such as those worn by fictional spy James Bond. However, they have also been adopted into the "uniform" of clowns and male strippers, and such associations have lent bowties a less serious image. Flemings image of James Bond; commissioned to aid the Daily Express comic strip artists. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A striptease dancer performing. ...

Current

Although the necktie proves most 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 and 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; previously the bow tie was the only proper neckwear for this. For the grappling position, see double collar tie. ... A traditional cocktail. ... Black tie, known in the United Kingdom (and also in the north-eastern United States, and Canada) as a dinner jacket and in the United States generally as a tuxedo, is a dress code for formal evening events that are not formal enough to require white tie. ... For the grappling position, see double collar tie. ...

The dress code of "black tie" requires a bow tie, although, paradoxically, it need not always be black these days. Most military mess dress incorporates a bow tie. Oscar Wilde once said^{[citation needed]}: This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Three Canadian officers in shawl or rolled collar jacket and waistcoat style mess dress or mess kit. ... Oscar Fingal OFlahertie Wills Wilde (October 16, 1854 – November 30, 1900) was an Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and author of short stories. ...

"Learning how to tie a bow tie really well is the first important step in life."

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. 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 to the right 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. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1993x924, 480 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bow tie User:James McNally/Images Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1993x924, 480 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bow tie User:James McNally/Images Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the... A cricket bat is used by batsmen in the sport of cricket. ...

Designers

Leading designers of bow ties include Charvet, Duchamp, Robert Charles and Paul Smith who are renowned for bow ties with interesting and colourful designs. Likewise designers Frederick Theak, KJ Beckett 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,Bow Tie Specialist, House of Fraser, and Selfridges. Within the US retailers include the department stores Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, as well as the noted specialty shop Brooks Brothers. Duchamp is a British mens accessory retail company, known for colourful products. ... Sir Paul Smith, RDI, (born in Beeston, Nottingham on July 5, 1946) is an English fashion designer. ... KJ Beckett is a mens accessories business which is based in Bath, England. ... Turnbull & Asser is a British clothing manufacturer established in 1885. ... One of John Lewis flagship branches in Glasgows Buchanan Galleries mall The John Lewis Partnership is a major United Kingdom retailer, operating department stores and, through its Waitrose subsidiary, upmarket supermarkets. ... House of Fraser is a British department store group with around 60 stores across the country, at one time including Harrods of London. ... Selfridges in Birmingham. ... Bergdorf Goodman is a major luxury goods department store based in Midtown, Manhattan in New York City. ... Categories: Stub | Retail companies of the United States ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Bowtie

• List of bow tie wearers

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... For other uses, see Bow tie (disambiguation) A list of bow tie wearers (people, things, fictional characters known for constantly choosing to wear bow ties rather than regular ties): Abraham Lincoln Andrew Johnson Ulysses Grant Rutherford Hayes James Garfield Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison William McKinley A Fred Allen B Raj...

References

• Page with examples of the cravat slowly becoming the bow tie

Specifically concerning the architect-bowtie conjecture

• Some thoughts on dress on an architectural sociology page.
• An article about a bow tie collector, of clip-ons, who happens to be an architect.
• A page with photos of past winners of an architects' award. Few wear bowties.

External links

• How to tie a bow tie with extra steps to make it easier to follow along, and adjust how tight or loose the tie is.
• How to tie a bow tie with instructions to be viewed in front of a mirror.
• wikiHow on How to tie a bow tie