Why Did Men Stop Wearing Bow Ties?

In the first half of the 20th century, bow ties  were just as common as long neckties as a classic style neck wear option. So, why did they fall out of  favor? Well, let's put a bow on things and find out. If you're interested in why men started wearing  bow ties in the first place, we cover that history in our separate guide to bow ties. With that  in mind then, we can jump right into our list of seven reasons why we think men stopped wearing  bow ties; start starting with item number one, whic

h is that bow ties emphasize horizontal rather than  vertical lines. Believe it or not, the way that the bow tie draws the eye may have contributed to its  downfall. The silhouette and lines of your clothing and accessories massively impact how your entire  frame is perceived. For most of the Golden Age of Menswear, the inverted V silhouette was favored, emphasizing broad shoulders and a slim waist. This silhouette was created by the interplay between  vertical or largely vertical lines like dia

gonally descending lapels and horizontal lines like those  of a bow tie. Starting in the 1960s though, a new focus was placed on overall slimness and, to aid in  this slimness, vertical lines were more exclusively favored. This can be seen in things like suits  cut closer to the body, narrower jacket lapels, and an increasing reliance on the conventional  long necktie. After all, the long necktie is essentially just a strong vertical line pointed  directly at your belt buckle. What did you think

I was going to say? So, it may be that bow ties fell  out of favor because they create a horizontal line and aid in width at a time when height and length  alone was favored. And while menwear has gone through several more phases where slimness has  been in or out of style, even since the 1960s, this overall preference for vertical lines has still  remained. The second reason why men stopped wearing bow ties is because they can look odd against  an expansive shirt front. As the modern suit has

evolved, the amount of shirt front on display under  the jacket has increased considerably. This is due to the decreasing popularity of jackets that show  less of the shirt front like double-breasted or three-button styles, fewer men wearing waistcoats,  and changing button stances of two or one-button jackets. There's also the fact that men these days  are more often wearing their jackets unbuttoned and wearing them with lower rise trousers. All of  this then is going to show off more of the sh

irt front. So, this broad expanse of a shirt front,  especially when it's solid in color and free of pattern can look a little empty, vacant, and boring  when paired with a bow tie. Meanwhile, the length of a necktie is more likely to fill this visual space  in these circumstances. So, as men are wearing fewer garments that cut down on the negative space  of shirt fronts like double-breasted jackets or waistcoats, it aided in the perception that  bow ties can be dull and boring. The reality is t

hough: ensembles featuring bow ties are only going  to appear boring under certain circumstances. The third reason why men stopped wearing bow ties is  that they're commonly associated with formality. When most men think of bow ties, they quickly  think of formal wear. After all, the names of the two most formal dress codes for men are White  Tie and Black Tie, and as we often try to emphasize, this does mean bow ties and not long neckties.  No matter what modern Hollywood would have you believe

. As central components of formal evening  attire then, it does make some sense that bow ties would be considered more formal than long neck  ties; and even if menswear enthusiasts understand that there is a difference between a formal lack  or white bow tie for evening wear and a daywear bow tie, this distinction could be lost on the  layman. Aside from dress code though, there are also innate aspects of the bow tie that can make  it inherently more formal. A long necktie can be styled in a cas

ual way fairly easily by doing  things like loosening the knot or wearing the narrow blade longer than the wide blade. But, a bow  tie doesn't really have equivalents to this, and we wouldn't really recommend trying to start the  trend of a loosely-knotted bow tie. And while Daniel Craig's James Bond could get away with loosely  dangling bow tie ends as part of his tuxedo, this is a look that appears affected or disheveled on  most men. Basically here, unlike a necktie which can be styled in acc

ordance with how loosely it's  tied, a bow tie is either tied or not tied, and therefore, somewhat formal or extremely casual. Of  course, some bow ties are less form than others and a more casual appearance can be created by using  things like the fabric, color, pattern, or texture of the bow tie. But, in general, bow ties are going  to be considered a bit more formal than long neckties, and therefore, less versatile; and frankly, in  today's increasingly casual world, the perceived formality o

f bow ties can then be a nonstarter in and  of itself. Next on our list is number four: that bow ties require one more knot to learn. For the vast  majority of men, the necktie is the gold standard for neck wear, so when it came time to learn how to  wear neck wear, they simply had to learn one necktie knot (most likely the Four in Hand) and perhaps one  or two more knots if they were feeling adventurous. Of course, menswear enthusiasts know that  there are as many as 85 different ways to knot a

conventional necktie, but that's a different video.  And in a time when men are increasingly abandoning neck wear altogether, as we already covered in a  previous installment of this series, it can seem silly to learn one more knot in learning how to  tie a bow tie. In other words, if you already know how to tie a neck tie, isn't learning how to tie a  bow tie just one more knot to learn? It could also seem like a waste of time to learn how to tie  a bow tie, given that most men only are wearin

g bow ties on very formal occasions these days  anyway. This then has contributed directly to the increasing popularity of the pre-tied bow tie,  and with how convenient pre-tied bow ties appear to the layman, they have also likely contributed  to the declining popularity of bow ties as well. However, to the discerning eye a pre-tied bow tie  is just going to look off. It will look stiff, rigid, and too perfect with its entirely symmetrical  construction and a knot that looks fake because it usu

ally is. So, while we said earlier that a bow  tie shouldn't be loosely tied, it should still be genuinely tied to provide some personality to  the knot. Phrased another way, pre-tied bow ties are representative of many of the same issues that  we find with rental tuxedos. These are both things that should ideally be unique and fitted to you but, instead, are now mass-produced and artificial. And if you're wearing something that wasn't  made for you or at least something that doesn't harmonize w

ith your own personal style, it can look  off as though you're wearing a costume. So, it may be that the boring, stiff, and unnatural appearance  of pre-tied bow ties has also created some guilt by association for self-tied bow ties. In reality  though, a self-tied bow tie should appear organic and beautiful, and as we illustrate in this video,  it really isn't all that hard to learn how to tie one once you get some practice in. The fifth  reason why men have stopped wearing bow ties is because

the butterfly style is believed by many  men to be the only type of bow tie. During the Golden Age of Menswear, when bow ties were in  their heyday, there were almost as many types of bow ties as there were types of gentlemen. Bow  ties came in various sizes, lengths, and styles like single-ended, diamond-ended, or batwing bows, but with the countercultural revolution of the 1960s, and especially into the 1970s, the butterfly  bow tie, which had once been just one option among many became ubiqui

tous. This was likely due  to the fact that this shape could be further exaggerated to better fit in with the "bigger is  better" mentality of the time period. The result was a fad for butterfly bow ties with gigantic  drooping ends, and while they appeared modish when they first came on the scene, they quickly became  caricature and outdated. And while the 1980s saw a backlash against many of the fashion trends of the  1970s and certain garments like striped shirts or double-breasted jackets we

re revived in the 80s, the bow tie wasn't so lucky and the perception that the only style of bow tie that existed was  the massive butterfly stuck around. As a result, too many men, even today, assume that the butterfly bow  tie is their only option and, because the butterfly doesn't suit every face shape, many men erroneously  believe that bow ties as a whole aren't for them. In reality though, there's a bow tie style out there  to highlight and complement every face shape. The penultimate item

on our list today is number  six, which is that bow ties are believed to be a statement piece. As bow ties became increasingly  rare in menswear, a perception developed that the long necktie was the standard neck wear choice and  bow ties were somehow special by comparison. This perception certainly wasn't widespread in the  1930s or 40s, but it was developing by the 70s and 80s and is certainly dominant today. So, some  men avoid wearing a bow tie because they think it is innately a statement

piece. This perception  probably wasn't helped by the fashion-forward detailing of bow ties seen in the hipster craze  of the 2010s. You can think of bow ties made from unusual materials like wood or feathers to fall  into this category. As an aside here, we are not saying that bow tie styles like these are somehow  bad, just that they're not strictly classic. If you'd like to wear them, go for it, but know that  they don't fall into that strictly classic menswear aesthetic. On the other hand, m

any men who have  chosen to wear a bow tie have made them a personal statement piece and a distinct part of their  aesthetic. These men swing the pendulum completely in the other direction, eschewing long neck ties  entirely and collecting a massive stockpile of bow ties, which they wear exclusively. This fervent  dedication to the bow tie then leads other men to assume that if they start wearing bow ties, they  might find themselves down the path to becoming a "bow tie guy." In reality though,

bow ties can, of  course, be worn as just one option in a rotation of all different kinds of neckwear. And the fact  that some men embrace them so fully, should only be proof of just how stylish a bow tie can be. The seventh and  final reason on our list today of why men stopped wearing bow ties is that they have developed some  negative cultural associations. As bow ties fell out of general favor, they became increasingly  associated with certain specific groups, leading the general public to b

elieve that if they wore a  bow tie, they themselves would be associated with these groups. First up here, children in particular  have long been associated with bow ties. This is partly because bow ties were less likely to get  caught on things when young boys were playing outside and many school uniforms adopted bow ties  as well. Bow ties are also typically associated with children's media like cartoons, comic books,  or clowns. And yes, many adults these days do enjoy cartoons or comic books

, but even as a comic book  fan myself, it shouldn't be controversial to say that, fundamentally, comics were created to appeal  to children. So, given that many adults prefer not to be associated with things they see as juvenile,  it stands to reason that men who did not want to project a juvenile appearance might avoid bow ties.  And somewhat, ironically, because bow ties were more popular in the past, they are are also seen today  as being old-fashioned or even historical. Many modern men are

only going to see bow ties when they  watch period television shows or movies or worn by older men who are still dressing in accordance  with the conventions of their younger years, and when fashion is youth-oriented and obsessed with  the new, you can see why men might avoid bow ties if they don't want to look outdated. And perhaps  precisely because they are often considered old-fashioned or associated with more historical  viewpoints, bow ties are often adopted by academics or pundits with c

onservative beliefs. This, in turn, has fed into a belief that there must be something inherently conservative or even reactionary  about the bow tie itself; and, politics aside, bow ties are also associated with with academics more  broadly, especially scientists and mathematicians. Many theories abound as to why bow ties have  become associated with the scientific community. It could be that, unlike long neck ties, bow ties  are less likely to droop down into a petri dish or vat of chemicals o

r get caught in a spinning  centrifuge, and it could also be that bow ties appear more put together under a high-buttoning  lab coat, something that our own Professor Preston knows well. And it's also telling that many of  society's most famous scientists grew up or were active during the early to mid-20th century, a time  when bow ties were still generally more common. Whatever the reason may be then, the connection  established between bow ties and scientists led, in turn, to another connectio

n between bow ties  and nerds or other individuals considered uncool. [clip from "The Simpsons"] Homer: "Nerd!" You can think here of characters like  Steve Urkel or Peewee Herman or the cultural subgroup of Doctor Who fans, especially in the  Matt Smith era. So, while it is helpful to be generally aware of the societal conventions or  perceptions surrounding a garment, you should never let stereotypes dictate whether or  not you consider wearing something. And hey, if everyone from old school b

oys to Arthur  from Peaky Blinders to Whovians can rock a bow tie, that just means that you probably can, too. So,  while bow ties may have fallen out of favor for the general public, there's no reason that it  has to stay that way. We already have several guides on how to integrate a bow tie into your  personal classic style look, and we'd suggest you start here with the eleven bow ties we think every  gentleman needs. So, we'd like to know, do you wear bow ties? If so, how do you style them or

is there  something preventing you from wearing them? Let us know in the comments below, and if there are  any other reasons that men stopped wearing bow ties that you think we missed in today's video,  let us know about those as well, and we can tie up those loose ends. In today's video, I am, of  course, wearing an outfit that features a bow tie. This one is a vintage silk model from the  brand Robert Talbott, featuring a Macclesfield Neats geometric pattern in colors of orange, blue, green,

and light yellow or buff. To harmonize with this color palette then, I'm wearing a French-cuffed  shirt from Charles Tyrwhitt, featuring a Prince-of-Wales check pattern in yellow and blue on a  white ground. Into those French cuffs then, I have vintage gold cufflinks inserted that also  feature a pattern vaguely reminiscent of a bow. My navy blazer, also featuring gold buttons,  is double-breasted and, therefore, shows off less of my shirt front to harmonize better with  the bow tie. My trousers

are in a light khaki or stone color that also harmonizes with the yellow  tones in my outfit, and my shoes are medium brown, cap-toed Oxfords from Allen Edmonds. The fragrance  I'm wearing today is Old English Classic cologne from the brand DR Harris. Its citrus forward scent  has me thinking ahead to spring, which isn't far away at the time we're recording this video, and  the green label also happened to harmonize with elements in my outfit. Speaking of which, my pocket  square is a prototype

design for Fort Belvedere in a mint or light lime green color and featuring  a blue X-stitch. We don't currently offer this exact color in our shop, but other colors in our  handcrafted linen range include yellow and blue among others. My remaining accessories are also  from Fort Belvedere, and they include my Edelweiss boutonniere and two-toned, shadow-striped socks in navy  blue and yellow to harmonize with other elements of my outfit. So, for the socks and boutonniere I'm  wearing in today's

video, as well as a wide array of other classic men's accessories, including bow  ties as well as corduroy trousers and fragrances from the Roberto Ugolini collection, you can  take a look at the Fort Belvedere shop here. ♪ Gentleman's Gazette Theme Song ♪