One of the most classic symbols of men’s elegance is probably the bow tie. You can wear it on elegant and posh occasion. The bow tie, or actually, its ancestor, became popular in France during the reign of the Sun King. The aristocrats often wore bow ties or light cravats.
During the wars of 17th century in Europe Croatian mercenaries used the bow tie to close the collar of the shirt without any buttons. In 1900, when the tuxedo was invented, the bow tie became a symbol of utter elegance.
The bow tie should be worn in very formal occasions. It is mandatory with the tuxedo. In this case it must match the suit, it is usually black and made of silk or satin. On the other hand, with the white tie you have to wear a white bow tie made of piqué. The bow tie must be tied by hand. To tie a bow tie, in fact, helps to decide the size of this accessory in proportion to the collar and to your face.
You have to be particularly careful with the size of the bow tie. In fact, the points of the shirt collar do not have to cover the accessory. The shirt should have a narrower collar, a French or a club collar.
As a general rule you should wear ties at work and in formal occasions, while bow ties are particularly appropriate for ceremonies and elegant attires. If you wear it in the right way and in the right occasions, the bow tie helps you express your style, showing unusual details.
Both with ties and bow ties the right matching tells a lot about the style of the man wearing that accessory. Despite bow ties are an obvious choice for an elegant tuxedo, nowadays a great number of men do not want to abandon such a stylish accessory and decide to wear the bow tie also with less formal attires, even with sports jackets.
