Red Bow Tie
Good news for all bow tie lovers - New York Times fashion guru David Colman is reporting a major comeback on the red carpet as the bow tie once again tops the style stakes for men.
Oddly enough for an item regarded as wholly decorative, the bow tie originates from functional clothing worn during the Roman period. At this time, orators would wear neck cloths, ensuring they kept their vocal chords warm. Reports that Bow Ties will protect you from laryngitis however, are much exaggerated.
While they might be making a comeback now - the Bow Tie has been around for a long time - it was in the 17th century that the neck cloth really took hold as a fashion item. Croatian soldiers used the cloth to tie together their open shirts when, in celebration of their hard-fought victory over Turkey, they visited Paris in 1660. The soldiers were presented as glorious heroes to Louis XIV, a monarch well known for his eye for fashion, and the sophisticated French were enchanted by the dashing appearance of the soldiers. The 'Cravat', named after the French word for 'Croat', was adopted as a novel neck accessory, and quickly became all the rage in Paris.
The French Revolution (1789) took the Cravat to extravagant new heights. The fashion dandies of the time, the 'Incroyable', wore enormous neck clothes - so large they even extended over the mouth. Anyone tempted to reignite this trend?
For the Romantics of the 19th century, neckwear became the most important feature of male attire, and was regarded almost as an art form. In 1828, H. Le Blanc published 'The Art of Tying your Cravat', showing 30 different ways to fashionably fasten the accessory whereas nowadays many of us struggle to know one way!
Later in the 19th century, the collar became a more important focus of male dress, causing the birth of the modern bow tie. It became a form of military and formal attire (Churchill was an avid wearer), and for more tongue in cheek fashion statements (the New Romantics of the 1980s).
Today the bow tie is available in a huge array of designs - from the conservative and tailored to the dazzling and flamboyant - but what it retains is the element of elegance, sophistication and distinctiveness that has helped it to develop and flourish over the past 1000 years.
For more information on the humble Bow Tie please visit our website - http://www.smartturnout.co.uk
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Amy/Eleven • Bow Ties & Red Hair
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