Brown Bowtie Tie
Around the late-19th century, a few years before the appearance of the dandy, Beau Brummell, the bare-knuckle boxer Jem Belcher made his sartorial mark on England. Of working-class origins, Belcher went about town sporting a blue silk bandana decorated with large dots containing pale blue bird's eye centers. He was soon emulated by thousands of Englishmen wearing colored bandanas. The fashion trend leaning toward the casual and practical was already in force in America. Only the wealthy colonists wore lace cravats.
Bandanas were first introduced from India around 1700. These earliest bandanas were made of silk and were available in a wide range of colors, including red, blue, green, pink, yellow, brown, black and white. Hand printed or tie-dyed bandanas with flowers or bird's eye patterns were also readily found.
Bandanas found themselves being used in all sorts of social groupings. Cowboys used red or blue bandanas to keep dust off their faces, out of their lungs, or to absorb body perspiration from their faces and around their necks. Today, bandanas are considered de rigeur for dressing in western style and are frequently found adorning the necks of square dancers. Most modern bandanas are made of cotton.
Meanwhile, during the 18th and 19th centuries, bandanas became part of the British sailor's uniform. The sailor suit gained in popularity as apparel for women and children in response to the acceptance of yachting as a sport for the family. Little boys began wearing these suits around 1860; a girl's version of the costume, with either a dress or skirt, also became immediately popular.
George Bryan "Beau" Brummell, the noted British "man about town" of the early 19th century, felt all well-dressed men should wear clothes that were simple, functional, and above all, were well-cut with a tailored look. He created the "British look," rejecting 18th-century frills, wearing instead a dark blue coat, buff-colored pantaloons (close-fitting pants fastened either below the calf or at the foot) and waistcoat (vest), black boots, plus a clean white neck cloth. This 19th-century outfit translated to the dark business suit and white shirt of the 20th century.
Brummell was so fastidious about the whiteness of his cravats he would stop and change into a fresh cravat as many as three times a day. He dictated that his cravats must be lightly starched and meticulously folded. This finicky style of dress came to be known as "Dandyism".
Everyone from working man to King George IV adopted the simplicity of Brummell's clothes in their daily wardrobe. This was the first time the poorer classes could easily imitate upper class menswear.
The first school tie was invented by the Oxford University's Exeter College One men's rowing club in 1880. Their school tie came to be when they removed the ribbon hat bands surrounding their boater hats and tied them on with a four-in-hand knot. So began the tradition of school, club, and athletic ties; depending upon the particular school, there were different ties for certain grades, levels of achievement, and for graduates. In today's popular culture, think of the tie particular to Gryffindor House, worn by the protagonists of the extremely popular Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling; wizarding students belonging to the other three houses wore specific ties to identify them as members of those houses.
Each regiment of the British military wore its own special tie. There are specific rules on who may wear one of more than 200 regimental ties. Some high-end stores in London require customers to provide proof of the right to wear a particular tie.
The bow tie derives its name from the French jabot, a type of readymade lace cravat of the 17th century. It was not until the 18th and 19th centuries that bow ties were available in varied textiles. At this time, bow ties were made in several styles and colors, white being reserved for formal wear.
The black bow tie has been popular since 1886. At that time, Pierre Lorillard V designed the tuxedo jacket to be worn instead of tailcoats with white bow ties. This new style jacket was named after the resort of Tuxedo Park, New York, where is was first displayed.
Tuxedos and black bow ties are standard wear at formal dances and weddings, as well as for many symphonic orchestra musicians. I have known a few brass players who always keep an extra black bow tie and an extra pair of black socks packed with their instruments, just in case of last minute memory failure. It is true! (In a pinch, the black socks can even be used to cover non-black shoes...)
Find great Father's Day gift ideas at the Niftyhomebar.com Gift Shop. Terry Kaufman is also Chief Editorial Writer for Niftygarden.com and Niftykitchen.com.
©2007 Terry Kaufman
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