THE BOWTIE HOME PAGE

"But most men don't wear Bow Ties"
"Yes, isn't that great!"

This is probably the first non commercial site dedicated to bowties.
I’m not trying to convert the world to bowties, if that were to happen then our interest in bowties would diminish. I want to unite all the people who regularly wear bowties and allow us to celebrate our enjoyment of them together.

Why do I always wear bowties?

Except for social occasions and special events, bowties today are considered a little silly and unfashionable. However, I think there are many advantages to wearing them and below I set out some examples, but if you can think in any others then let me know:
1º I try to make every day of my life special and if possible a celebration, so why not wear my bowties everyday?. For me a normal tie is only for a funeral.
2º Everyone in the world wants to be a little different from the rest, (some go too far) perhaps because of our tribal origins but whatever the reason, it is a fact of life.
3º I don’t know why but in Spain bows are mainly associated with three types of people: intellectuals, waiters and entertainers. I consider myself to be slightly intellectual, and I love magic; I’m a member of SEI , the CIVAC and the International Brotherhood of Magicians . Traditionally, Spanish waiters wear black bows and, so that I’m not mistaken for one, I never wear black bows nor have spots on my shirts nor carry round trays in my hand. I don’t know where the connection between intellectuals and bows comes from (let me know if you do), but I know about the connection between bows and both magicians and waiters. For the former, a normal tie prevented easy access of the hands into the inside pockets of a jacket and in the latter case, it avoided the tie falling into the customer’s food.
4º I love the fact that I’m already remembered on only my second visit to restaurant or other public place. My bowtie allows me to be recognize as a regular patron in half the time of most mere mortals------believe me!.
5º In my work, there are many times when I must meet strangers at the airport and I dislike standing at the exit with a sign like a chauffer. They will easily find me if they know to look for the man wearing the bow tie. This technique could be useful also for people on blind dates rather than wearing a flower in their lapel.
6º This interest in bowties makes it very easy for your family and friends to buy you a quick gift. Many times when travelling, if they come across a bowtie, they will think of you and buy it.
7º Curiously, because most people associate me with my bowtie, it is very easy to vanish simply by removing it. Even people who know me well have problems recognizing me without my bow.
8º These are easy things to carry because they are small and do not crumple. So I do not have the problem of needing to iron them.

 
Now you should go and recycle your ties into bows!

Other advantages that have suggested by E-Mail:

• The biggest advantage afforded to me by wearing bow ties is that they concentrate the attention of the listener during a conversation. For example, in a business meeting any preconceptions of me or my company are deflected just enough to allow me to get my message through. (Robinson).
• I work at a dating table and often am leaning over a cup of coffee.  Before I started wearing bow ties, I was constantly dipping my long tie in my cup. (Paul Black)
• Also a bowtie allows you to hide that missing top button on your shirt, while being different from the rest and breaking with conventional monotony. But this is nothing new, buddy!
• Doctors, especially surgeons, wear them because regular ties get in the way when performing small operations or conducting examinations. (Enrique)
• Ever since I was young, I have wanted to wear bow ties. I learned how to tie my own bow ties this year and now I have a fairly large collection.
  What I like are the compliments that people give me. I usually get told that I look like an actor or an artist and that the bow tie gives me a gentlemanly appearance. They really do give you an air of distinction. (Sushee Perumal)
• In the film "Who killed Roger Rabbit" the police inspector was killed when his tie became tangled in the projector. Similarly, is very easy for someone to grab you by the tie and restrain you. This is a problem also if you work with machines or fight with your wife….DON’T WEAR TIES! . My niece Maria
• Being a lawyer, it is the best way to show that I don't have a string around my neck. The Bourgeois de Calais surrendering to the English forces were the first to wear ordinary ties ready to be executed ! Roland Dussart Desart
• We who wear them are a nation unto ourselves, with a devotion to the bow that no outsider can plumb. From the article "Confessions of a Bow-tie Devotee" of Christopher Stump in the "The Weekly Standard" magazine sent to my thanks to Abe Malouf, Jr.
• I happen to work in a professional industry that (unfortunately) requires that I frequently look under the hood of a car with the engine running. I find that I have less of a chance to get my bow tie caught in the many moving parts compared to a long tie.
• Men's neckties frequently show what they ate in their last meal, with food stains. Bow ties are clean and crisp! Jim Goodsell
• I like to wear bow ties because I am a 30 year-old lawyer who looks even younger and has to work to get respect from judges, jurors and prosecutors. So, whenever I have a case where I need to appear "smart" I wear a bow tie. Because it is a bold fashion choice, it gets me noticed, and may even result in a little bit of respect. Ron Abramson.
• Now I prefer to wear a bow tie and not a tie for its looks and it's light weight. Ties hang down and you know they're there. I never even think of the bow tie when I'm wearing it. Joe Busch
• I live in Montana and bow ties are difficult to find here. So I went online to find out where I could add to my collection and found your page. Here are some added benefits:
     1) If you ride a motorcycle (or bicycle for that matter), bowties won't fly out of your jacket and into your face or whip around your neck at high speeds (the reason I originally began to wear them).
     2) If you travel frequently, you can pack 3 bow ties for every long tie, thereby having a better chance of matching your tie to your fashion statement of the day.
     3) You only need adjust the neck size of a bow tie once: you have to figure out where you tie your long tie so that it hits your belt buckle just right every time. Saves a lot of time if you're small and purchase ties that are meant to be "one-size-fits-all."
     4) An untied bow tie means the wedding's over and the partying can really begin. An untied necktie just looks sloppy. (Bob Schmitt)
• A four in hand tie will change widths with fashion trends. The bow tie  always remains the same width and therefore ageless. A good long term investment. (Jack Cutone)
• In the early 90's, GQ magazine featured the macho man Tom Selleck sporting some extremely nice bowties and matching suspenders. This left no doubt that bowties aren't just for politicians and brains. I fashion myself to be somewhat macho and find wearing a bowtie and suspenders caters to my illusion of grandeur, in addition to adding a touch of class.
• Unlike four in hand ties, bow ties are reversible and get twice the wear.
• I am a rather tall person, customarily neckties are not crafted long enough to be worn properly, so I prefer the bow.
• What a wonderful web site. For years I have worn bow ties for the simple reason that they do not go out of date and are much more interesting than the usual boring ties. I teach children aged 11 to 18 and they love my ties and each week I get orders to wear a certain bow tie as that is their favourite. Now I must have over 350 ties and my first job each day is to decide which bow tie suits my mood! I also wear cuff links which sometimes matches the tie .Anyway there are a sign of individuality and in this boring age of conformity I believe we have a duty to brighten up people's lives and make them smile. Keep it up. (Roger Butterworth.)
• I grew up on a farm, but as a physician working in the city, I started wearing bowties as the solution to looking sharp (or sharper) than guys with long ties and sport coats without wearing that hot, stuffy sport coat - a nifty fashion trick if there ever was one!  I realized I hadn't worn a four in hand tie for years and I'll never go back.  Something else:  Why is it that long ties with wild colours or special patterns often look "loud" or overdone?  You can wear odd, colourful, or interesting bowties and the affect is to increase both interest and class.  The essence of the bowtie is the power to focus more visual impact in a small space and get away with it because the time-honoured design is classier and more fun than the long tie.  But don't tell them that! (Hampton Groover, MD) 
• You can show off shirts that have interesting buttons, or old-fashioned shirts that have studs instead of buttons. 
  People are intimidated by what they don't understand.  Since many people don't know how to tie bow ties, the fact that you do suggests a certain arcane knowledge -- even a touch of magic. Brian D'Amato
• I am a 6th. grade science teacher for 30 years the "standard necktie" always would fall onto the students desk or experiment as I bent over to help or question them. The bow according to faculty and student makes me look distinguished. They also tell I look more like a college professor. (Andy Pryor...Chattanooga ...Tennessee.)
• I grew up on a farm, but as a physician working in the city, I started wearing bowties as the solution to looking sharp (or sharper) than guys with long ties and sport coats without wearing that hot, stuffy sport coat - a nifty fashion trick if there ever was one!  I realized I hadn't worn a four in hand tie for years and I'll never go back.  Something else:  Why is it that long ties with wild colours or special patterns often look "loud" or overdone?  You can wear odd, colourful, or interesting bowties and the affect is to increase both interest and class.  The essence of the bowtie is the power to focus more visual impact in a small space and get away with it because the time-honoured design is classier and more fun than the long tie.  But don't tell them that! (Hampton Groover, MD)
• My bowtie experience started in Seattle, Washington in Oct. 2001.While there and on a whim I purchased a (my first) bowtie. The response (ie. compliments)  from family, and many strangers has been
  overwhelming! I had never received so many smiles and positive comments involving a tie in my life. I am 52 yrs old and enjoying my bowtie experience immensely!!. This was a clip-on tie. Since then I have purchased a few more bows (pre-tied) and plan to get many more. In the meantime I am enjoying the pre-tied ties too much to be concerned if I can tie one myself. I'll get there eventually! Oh another reason to wear bowties? Women love them!!. Your web site is a lot of fun and I thank you for doing it. I think I have discovered what you already have known.. the Secret of the Bowtie! (Joe Tobin)
• As a medical student I have to wear a tie every day.  I wear a bowtie because:
  1) the psych patients can't strangle me with it,
  2) it doesn't fall on the patient and carry bacteria to the next patient,
  3) people think only full doctors wear bowties, so I get a little added respect,
  4) it stays out of my soup,
  5) people call me "the guy with the bowtie" instead of "the jerk that woke me up at five thirty in the morning to ask how I was feeling,"
  6) it lets me meet the dress code without conforming
  7) I'm almost guaranteed a nice comment every day (Darius Loghmanee )

  And if you are here this is the most important reason:
  The web is like a bow tie... check it
  and this:
  http://www.almaden.ibm.com/cs/k53/www9.final/
  Thanks to Espen Andersen

   

If you know another advantage then please send it in my comments page

From January 1 2003 you are the visitor: